King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and their three daughters, Princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariane are practising social isolation after their annual trip to Lech, Austria, in February.
The royals are not sick and are not showing any symptoms of the disease.
The RVD made the announcement yesterday saying, “His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Máxima and their children practise social distancing in connection with the coronavirus COVID-19 during their recent winter holiday in Lech, Austria.
“In the municipality of Lech, located in the federal state of Voralberg, there are five confirmed corona infections, the source of which is not immediately clear. In such cases, RIVM recommends avoiding new contacts and limiting existing contacts for two weeks.”
“This means that someone who is not ill should stay at home as much as possible until it is certain that this person is not infected. In the case of the coronavirus, that period lasts up to two weeks,” they continued.
The isolation will continue until Saturday, 21 March. All working visits for the King and Queen during this period are cancelled.
The King, Queen and their daughters were joined in Lech by the King’s mother, Princess Beatrix and the King’s brother, Prince Constantijn, his wife, Princess Laurentien and their children. The RVD did not mention whether or not they were also in isolation.
Last night, the King, alongside his wife and daughters, gave a round of applause for healthcare workers and emergency personnel helping combat COVID-19. The video was posted on the Royal House’s social media with a message from King Willem-Alexander.
The King and Queen Máxima sent a message on Monday in response to the virus, thanking everyone for helping one another and for the work of healthcare professionals.
The Dutch royals are also not the first royals to go into quarantine after a trip abroad. King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway have been in isolation after returning from Jordan where they undertook a state visit this month.
