When the principle of ministerial responsibility was introduced in 1848, power shifted from the King to the ministers. Accordingly, the King ceased to be the hub of the decision-making process. This also affected the position of the director of the King’s Office, who ceased to act as secretary to the Cabinet from 1862 onwards. However, he did remain secretary to those meetings of ministers still presided over by the sovereign. The last time that such a meeting was held was in 1906, under Queen Wilhelmina. In 1891, with the accession to the throne of Queen Wilhelmina, the name was changed to the Queen’s Office.

 

The first three directors of the King’s Office were political heavyweights who had ministerial ambitions. For example, both Van Rappard (the first director from 1841 to 1854) and Van Heeckeren van Kell (1868-1877) later became government ministers. Subsequent directors adopted a lower political profile and, as time went on, the position increasingly became that of a senior civil servant in the service of the Head of State.

 

During the Second World War the staff of the Office were suspended from duty. The then director, Van Tets van Goudriaan (1921-1945), followed Queen Wilhelmina into exile in London. The building in Korte Vijverberg was used successively by German officers and the National Socialist Movement (NSB). Following the Liberation the Office returned to the building and the majority of staff were able to return to their old job. After the war Queen Wilhelmina wished to modernise the Office and appointed a former member of the resistance, Miss Tellegen, as director (1945-1959).

 

The constitutional position of the Office was redefined by Royal Decree in 2003 after a parliamentary debate. At the same time, its budget was moved from budget category II (High Councils of State and Queen’s Office) to budget category III, which also includes the Ministry of General Affairs. Budgetary responsibility for the Office has now therefore been clearly assigned to the Prime Minister, in addition to his political responsibility. However, the Ministry of General Affairs and the Office remain separate entities within the civil service.