Posted by Henri M
on 29/9/2009, 10:25:05, in reply to "Re: Book on marriage crisis by Cees Fasseur"
212.61.75.245
In the first alinea Prof. Fasseur not only blamed the chaos on Hofmans. It could also go out of hand because the eye of the Mastress was not there.
The Queen and the Prince resided at Soestdijk Palace with a few members of staff. Of course the 'daily' assistance was at that palace but the bulk of the Household was at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and some at the other palaces. However Fasseur did not doubt the loyalty of the Household, it effectively was a Household without the eye of the Mastress monitoring it. Queen Juliana had no interest for it and this made that the grip on the organization was weak. There were budget deficits in some years, there were shortcomings or even sorts of fraud. Prince Bernhard had more interest for the organization but only when he had nothing else in his agenda.
Added to this the total chaos at 'Soestdijk' and machinations to get experienced functionaries replaced by pro-Hofmans courtiers (Grandmaster Baron Van Hardenbroek was replaced by a nitwit who was under the spell of Van Heeckeren and Van Maasdijk, the Grandmastress was replaced by the Douairière Van Heeckeren van Molencaten, the mother of the secretary, the Governess of the Princesses, Rita Pennings, even became the secretary's wife, etc.) and the Household falling in two camps.
No wonder that Queen Beatrix (an enemy of Hofmans) wanted to get a firm grip on the Household and on 'The Hague' from the very first day of her kingship on.