THE PRESS CONFERENCE
Queen Beatrix:
I want to say to you that I am especially happy that we can announce the official engagement today of Friso with Mabel Wisse Smit. In Mabel I get a very sweet and gifted daughter-in-law. She already in a very natural way won her place in our family. I think that Mr, that ... Mrs Wisse Smit also get a very nice son-in-law, but she can better judge herself. I also want to add that I am so thankful that my husband has got the chance to learn to know Mabel and also closed her in his heart with lots of appreciation and love.
Prince Friso:
I am very happy that herewith I can share with you this wonderful news that Mabel and I have decided to get married. Some of you may have heard something of Mabel, that she has at her disposal special professional qualities, that she is intelligent, hard working. But that only is not that special. There are more of these. What makes Mabel a very special woman is that she has at her disposal an unbelievably amount of energy that she uses to help others and to make something special of her life. Next to that she also is a very sweet woman and very loyal. I am also very happy that I can spend the rest of my life with this woman.
Mabel Wisse Smit:
As you understand I am also incredibly happy. At first that I will share the rest of my life with this fantastic man. But also that I wil get a wonderful and also very special family-in-law. And I am enormously happy that today we also can share this news with all of you.
Questions of the press:
Can I ask how you have learned to know eachother?
Friso: We have learned to know eachother in Brussels at my sister-in-law Laurentien.
And when did you finally asked her to marry you and how did that happen?
Friso: How that happened I better leave to Mabel. It has been a few weeks back, in Mexico.
Mabel: Friso completely surprised me and with many, many roses, champagne, asked me to marry him in a very romantic way.
And you were sure immediately?
Mabel: Absolutely!
You stopped with your work in London. Do you come to the Netherlands? Are you going to become more occupied with representative engagements?
Friso: That are a lot of questions at the same time. I indeed have stopped with my work. Today it even is my last working-day. I am not planning to come to the Netherlands at short notice. I am planning if there is need for it, at my mother or my brother, to help with supporting functions. But at middle and long notice it is the intention that I will have a normal, professional carreer.
You are going to ask permission for your marriage, so you want to stay in line of succession, as there has been speculated in the past that you didn't have a want for that?
Friso: You most likely know that I don't ask permission, but that the government does that. I want to finish with that speculation. I have never said that myself. It has been in the media and that story has continued itself. I have never said that myself that I didn't have the want for that. Herewith I think we also clearly indicate that in the future we stay available to support the family.
You now work in Brussels. Do you stay with your current employer?
Mabel: It is the intention that I indeed keep on working for the Foundation-network of George Soros.
Do you think you can combine that with the engagements your husband (!) just mentioned?
Mabel: In principle we think that that is very well possible. We also have talked about it with the Prime Minister and with my current employer. As my role within the Soros Foundation's Network mainly is facilitary that shouldn't give any problems.
Do you look up to loosing your anonymity that until a short time ago was still pretty big?
Mabel: I think I have lost my anonymity already a short time or more ago ... oh well, two years ago already. It will surely be different, but I happily had the chance to get used to it already a little.
Where are you both going to live when you are married?
Friso: At first in London I think. We are going to live together when we are married. It will somewhat depend on where my work brings me to and where the work of Mabel moves to. But it is the intention to live together.
Mabel: A good thing too!
Do you think lots of things will change in your life?
Mabel: Yes, I think ... I think I have to cook more often for Friso.
And you are going to do that?
Mabel: Sure! (laughter) And furthermore a big part of the changes at long notice will depend on how much Her Majesty and Alexander and Máxima at a certain moment eventually should want us to support them in the execution of their tasks.
You also spoke with the Prime Minister about a few practical things we just heard. Did you also spoke about your earlier contacts with for example Mr Sacirbey?
Mabel: Yes, we have spoken about that also.
Can you tell something more about that?
Mabel: What do you want to hear?
What questions did the Prime Minister ask?
Mabel: We have explained to the Prime Minister what my relationship with Mr Sacirbey has been and what my professional activities were in that time.
Can I ask? You already know eachother for a very long time. Why did it take so long before you got engaged?
Friso: Long is a relative idea. Three years. I find that quite a nice time to learn to know enough of each other to know if you want to go further together or not.
In the past you also did lobby-work about political issues. Has there been an inquiry of your precedents at the Government Information Service? Have also questions been asked to you?
Mabel: I can ... I am afraid I can't answer this question. You have to ask the Prime Minister.
How do you see the future of the monarchy?
Mabel: I think that the Netherlands is a great example of how monarchy and democracy can get together. During my student-time I have travelled a lot and it was amazing to see how in very far countries, if you say you are from the Netherlands, people mention names of famous footballplayers, mention the name of a known beer brand and always know the name of our Queen and I think that is fantastic and I think also that the democratic model in the Netherlands is a very good example for other countries and I think that it is combined fantastic in the Netherlands.
Some of the political parties point out religion of the future member of the royal house. Are you religious and if yes, are you of the 'right colour'?
(laughter) Mabel: I am religious ... and I am Dutch Reformed, so I take that that is the 'right colour' in this case?
Can you already tell if ... who will consecrate the marriage?
Friso: We intend to, yes.
Can you mention a name?
Friso: Of the church, of the clergyman?
Both
Friso: None of them at the moment. (laughter)
Queen Beatrix just said that she also finds it very important that you learned to know Prince Claus. How important is that for you?
Mabel: Unfortunately I have known Prince Claus much too short. I am incredibly happy that I have known him. He loved his sons very much and he was very proud of Friso. He was fantastic when he told stories about Friso from a long time ago. As you probably know we furthermore shared a huge interest in development problems and we have had few very interesting discussions about it.
Can you tell where you are getting married and name an exact date?
Friso: I believe the first half of the question has been asked already. We don't know yet. We actually don't know the exact date either, but that will be in the Spring of 2004.