Amsterdam: The Netherlands which first legalised gay marriage in 2001, its crown princess now is eligible to tie the knot with a person of her choice irrespective of gender, said Prime Minister Mark Rutte as quoted by Reuters.
Reuters adds, “Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, 17, has not made any comments on the matter, and little is known of her personal life. The question arose after recently published books argued that the country’s rules exclude the possibility of a same-sex royal couple.”
Rutte is of the view that times have changed since one former PM delved into the issue in 2000.
“The government believes that the heir can also marry a person of the same sex,” Rutte wrote in a letter to parliament.
And the letter elaborates, “The cabinet therefore does not see that an heir to the throne or the King should abdicate if he/she would like to marry a partner of the same sex.”
But there is one clause that is yet to be addressed which is “how a gay marriage would affect later succession of the royal couple’s children. And it doesn’t make sense to try to decide that now,” he says.
“It’s just very dependent on the facts and circumstances of the specific case, as you can see by looking back at how family law can change over time,” he wrote.
In the country, royal marriages need to be vetted by the parliament.
