Letter of the Prime Minister to the Chairman of the Second Chamber of the States General

October 10, 2003

After conversations with HRH Prince Johan Friso and Miss M.M. Wisse Smit the government has decided not to introduce a bill at the States General in order to obtain consent for their intended marriage as meant in article 28 of the Constitution. The reason for this is that incomplete and unjust information was provided to the government, through which the confidence was hurt. This decision of the government agrees with the wish of HRH Prince Johan Friso and Miss Wisse Smit to renounce the earlier intention of the government to benefit legal consent for the marriage.
Enclosed I send you the letter of October 9, 2003 of HRH Prince Johan Friso to me, in which he and Miss Wisse Smit offer their sincere excuses for this.

Below the government explains the considerations of her decision, including her involvement in the on June 30, 2003 announced engagement between HRH Prince Johan Friso and Miss Wisse Smit.

On June 16, 2003, HRH Prince Johan Friso and Miss Wisse Smit have made known to the government their intension to get engaged. Besides they expressed the wish to obtain consent for their marriage as meant in article 28, third paragraph, of the Constitution.
The obtaining of legal consent has the constitutional importance, as is said in the second paragraph of article 28, that the right of hereditary succession stays. On the ground of the Law membership Royal House the membership of that also will endure and also the fiancée will legally become a member of the Royal House by closing a marriage for which the constitutional required permission has been granted. The government therefore has to check if there is talk of obstacles that could stand in the way by the handing in of a bill for consent for an intended marriage.

I have therefore, immediately after I was acquainted with the intension for the engagement, asked the Dienst Koninklijke en Diplomatieke Beveiliging (DKDB = Service Royal and Diplomatical Security) on the ground of its legal order to research relevant facts or circumstances that could form a risk or threat for the safety of the members of the Royal House. I also asked the Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst (AIVD = General Information and Security Service) to report about her findings on the ground of article 6, second paragraph, of the Law on the information- and security services (WIV) to possible obstacles.
Further a few extensive conversations have been held with Miss Wisse Smit and HRH Prince Johan Friso between June 16 and 28, 2003, of which three profounding conversations by me personally; one only with Miss Wisse Smit and two with HRH Prince Johan Friso and Miss Wisse Smit together. In these conversations as a matter of course has gone into the whole curriculum vitae of Miss Wisse Smit. In these conversations she has pointed out to have had contacts in the past among others with the late Mr K. Bruinsma during several months in her student time, when she also took part in sailing races. Miss Wisse Smit declared that she decided to end these contacts when she realised with which activities the late Mr Bruinsma was occupied. She declared that it had been a normal contact and no business or intime contact.
The extensive and deep conversations, the report of researches of the AIVD and of the DKDB all gave the same view. The conclusions were identical: there were no obstacles.
The Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations together with me will further confidentially inform the commission for the Information and Security Services of your Chamber about the character, contents and result of the performed researches.

In the past few weeks new questions have arosen about the contacts of Miss Wisse Smit with the late Mr Bruinsma. Fitting in with this she has answered questions of the media a few days later on September 25, 2003. In these for me a few new facts were put forward. On October 3, 2003, I have asked the DKDB and the AIVD to continue their research.
Further I have held a next, penetrative conversation with Miss Wisse Smit on October 3, 2003, in which she provided new facts about her contacts with the late Mr Bruinsma. From that it appeared that the statement about her contacts with the late Mr Bruinsma Miss Wisse Smit had made to me earlier in June, has been incomplete and unjust.
Based on the provided information in June there was created confidence that this was complete and right. Now this appears not to be the case the confidence has been hurt. Therefore the government, considering the important constitutional consequences that are connected with the questions and the obtaining of consent for a marriage as well as the essential character of this question, can't bear the responsibility for the introduction of a bill to obtain consent for an intended marriage as meant in article 28, third paragraph, of the Constitution.
That means that HRH Prince Johan Friso will not be hereditary successor and member of the Royal House anymore from the time of his marriage with Miss Wisse Smit that is foreseen on April 24, 2004.

The AIVD and the DKDB will as is usual finish the requested continued research as Miss Wisse Smit through her marriage will become a member of the Royal Family and thus has direct access to the head of state. The Second Chamber will be informed about the result of this research in due time.

It need not to be said that the government together with the engaged couple highly regrets the course of events. The government accepts their excuses and speaks out the wish that they can build up their further lives together and that their privacy will be respected.

The Prime Minister
Minister of General Affairs,

Mr.dr. J.P. Balkenende