The Dutch royal family, that most boring of European dynasties, has done something remarkable. They won the World Cup. No, not the football, but the global perception game.
Their king, Willem-Alexander, was photographed cheering alongside his Argentinian-born queen, Máxima, as the Oranje beat Spain in the final. The image was beamed across the world: a modern, inclusive, popular monarchy. Meanwhile, the British monarchy squabbles over airport lounges and memoir deals.
The contrast is instructive. The Dutch have understood something that the Windsors have forgotten: monarchy’s power is not in its bloodlines but in its symbolism. A monarch who can celebrate a national sporting victory without looking awkward or aloof is a monarch who earns their keep.
And Britain? We have a king who cannot even put on a kilt without causing a constitutional row. The lesson is clear.
The Dutch monarchy has perfected the art of soft power: being present without being preachy, being popular without being populist. They are the monarchy Machiavelli would have advised. Britain, still clutching the train of Queen Victoria, ought to pay attention.
Or we will find our monarchy as outdated as a glass coach in a climate crisis.