Posted by TMN Raugravine on July 17, 2012, 2:06 pm, in reply to "Re: foundations"
Very sensible. Just like the Dutch.
--Previous Message-- : The gifts are very diverse. At almost every : visit, be it a State Visit, an official : visit, a working visit or even a private : visit, gifts are offered. This varies from a : commemorative book to a nice crystal vase, : from a set of silver items to a ring with : "dust from space" (a Dutch : astronaut gave it). During royal weddings : gigantic loads of gifts are delivered at the : palace, varying from a complete dinner set : for 100 people to an extended set of damast : linen, from specially re-purchased historic : items to newly created art sculptures. The : amount is often unbelievable. And maybe also : jewels, although it looks like the Dutch : royals prefer less ostentatious gifts. : : I think the two foundations were set up as : result of the deaths of Queen Juliana and : Prince Bernhard in 2004. A massive amount of : never-ending items left the depôts of the : royal residences, had to be classified, : valued, catalogued, stored. There were four : daughters who could inherit from Queen : Juliana and six daughters who could inherit : from Prince Bernhard. After all the dividing : and distributing, still an immense amount of : goods was left, amongst these surprisingly : expensive and beautiful gold-, silver-, : crystal- and porcelain ware, antique : furniture, paintings, objets d'art and name : these all. These were auctioned for the : benefit of charities chosen by the four : daughters. : : I have the idea that by creating these two : foundations, the problem "what to do : when royal X or royal Y dies" is : tackled. Everything is placed in the : ownership of a Foundation and this means : that as long as the Foundation exists, the : (future) bearer of the Crown and/or his : House has the usufruct and the pleasure of : all these gifts. : : : :