So the Dutch royals have done it again. Maxima and Willem-Alexander beamed from the Royal Box as the Netherlands claimed the men's and women's hockey World Cups on the same weekend. A historic double, they call it. But let us not be fooled: this is not a sporting triumph. This is a monarchy flexing its ancient muscles in an age of republican dreariness.
Consider the scene. Two tournaments, two finals, two trophies. And there, in the stands, the House of Orange-Nassau, a dynasty that has survived Napoleonic conquest, German occupation, and the relentless march of egalitarian boredom. They smiled, waved, and the crowds cheered not just for the athletes but for the institution. Because in the Netherlands, monarchy is not a relic. It is a unifying force, a symbol of continuity that cuts through the noise of coalition governments and populist tantrums.
Compare this to the spectacle next door. In Britain, a coronation came and went with all the solemnity of a museum piece. The Windsors are treated as fragile ornaments, their every move dissected by republicans who have nothing better to do. Meanwhile, the Dutch monarchy is actually winning. They are on the pitch, in the stands, in the hearts of a nation that understands that a constitutional monarch gives the state a soul.
Why does this matter? Because Europe is dying intellectually. We have traded history for hashtags, ceremony for slogans. The Dutch remind us that monarchy is the most efficient system for channelling national pride without resorting to the uglier passions of populism. The King does not need to tweet. The Queen does not need to have a podcast. They just need to be there, applauding the victory of a hockey team, and in that act, they bind the nation together.
Sceptics will say it is just sport. But nothing is just sport. National identity is forged on these fields. And when the crown is present, it legitimises the joy. It says: this victory belongs to the past, the present, and the future. It belongs to the state, not to a fleeting government.
So raise a glass of jenever to the House of Orange. They have done what no republic can: they have made winning look hereditary. And in this age of mediocrity, that is a triumph worth celebrating.
