Royals pose for traditional summer holiday photo

King Willem-Alexander, queen Máxima and their three daughters took part in the traditional summer photo shoot with the local and international media on Friday.

The photo session took place in the grounds of their home in Villa Eikenhorst on the Horsten country estate in Wassenaar. The aim of the annual photo shoot is to stop photographers following the family while they are on holiday.

The media code was established in 2005 to enable the young princesses to have as normal a life as possible but also extends to other members of the family.

In the code, journalists agreed not to take photographs of the royal family outside official engagements. In return, the family agreed to pose for photographs at twice-yearly sessions; once in the summer and once at the start of their skiing holiday.

Hockey

In April, gossip magazine Nieuwe Revu broke the code by putting nine-year-old princess Amalia on the cover with the title ‘Amalia’s secrets’. Inside were three photographs of the girl, including one taken while she was playing hockey.

The magazine later apologised, saying it was wrong to air its frustrations at the code on the back of a little girl.

In 2009, the prince won a court case against international news agency AP which distributed unauthorised photographs of the family on holiday in Argentina.

Participating in the official sessions implies a media organisation will abide by these rules and not take unauthorised photos.

More photos from RTL news

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