King Willem-Alexander holds annual Christmas speech

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands held his annual Christmas speech today.

The pre-recorded speech was broadcast at 1 p.m. local time. The speech was recorded at the White Dininghall at Huis Ten Bosch Palace.

He spoke about the conflicts in the world. He said, “What is there to do? Solving the world’s major problems and bitter conflicts elsewhere is beyond our power. But are we powerless? No, definitely not! Because what we can do is make sure that we don’t embitter it and don’t import hatred into our streets. Be resilient to everything that drives us apart.”

Photo: Valerie Kuypers

He added, “It starts with respecting the basic rules that apply here in the Netherlands. Everyone is equal before the law. Discrimination is not allowed. And we don’t use violence, not even when we feel hurt or offended. These principles are not subject to dialogue or discussion and apply to everyone, always. To those who feel affected, I say: be resilient and don’t let yourself be beaten out of the field. Be proud of the contribution you make to society! Realize that you are of great value. To Jewish Dutch people who tell me to doubt their future here, I say: stay! We belong together. I say to Dutch Muslims: this is also your country; this is also your country. In this country, everyone is free to find comfort and inspiration in their own beliefs or philosophy of life. Everyone is free to express themselves.”

He ended his speech with the words, “Christmas – the celebration of a new beginning – invites us to use this ability to the fullest. The apostle Paul gave simple advice in his letter to the Romans: ‘Be happy with those who are happy. Have sorrow with those who have sorrow.’ If we take this seriously, we bring a better world a little bit closer. I wish you all – wherever you are and whatever your personal circumstances are – a blessed Christmas.”