The Office assists the Queen in the performance of her constitutional duties. These are laid down in the Constitution, Acts of Parliament and unwritten constitutional law. The government consists of the Queen together with the Ministers (Article 42 (1) of the Constitution). However, the Queen is not a member of the Cabinet. Article 42 (2) of the Constitution states that the Ministers and not the Queen are responsible for acts of government. This means that the principle of ministerial responsibility applies to the acts and omissions of the Queen.

 

The Queen's role in the government means that she regularly confers with ministers, state secretaries (junior ministers), the vice-president of the Council of State, the Queen’s Commissioners in the provinces, Dutch ambassadors, mayors and other dignitaries. She also receives members of the States General and the European Parliament fairly regularly. The Office prepares these meetings and briefs the Queen.

 

In order to keep abreast of developments in society, the Queen regularly pays working visits within the Netherlands. The Office helps to plan and organise these visits.

 

The Queen receives Heads of State who are visiting the Netherlands. Foreign ambassadors present their letters of credence to the Queen and are also received by her before they take their leave. The Office prepares these meetings. The Queen herself also regularly pays state visits, on which she is accompanied by the director of the Office.
 
As required by Article 47 of the Constitution, Acts of Parliament and Royal Decrees are always signed both by the Queen and by one or more ministers or state secretaries. In this way she, as Head of State, confers authority on them. The ministers have constitutional responsibility for such legislation. These state documents are presented to the Queen through the Office.

 

The Queen also plays a role in forming new governments. After general elections or if a government falls, she receives the presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives, the vice-president of the Council of State and the leaders of the parliamentary parties in the House of Representatives. After receiving their advice, the Queen asks one or more senior political figures (informateurs) to investigate the chances of forming a government. If they succeed, she then follows their advice and instructs one or more politicians (formateurs) to form a government. The 
Office arranges, through the Government Information Service, for the publication of her instructions to informateurs and formateurs. Political responsibility for the course of government formations is borne by the newly appointed Prime Minister, who is accountable in this respect to the States General. 

On Budget Day (the third Tuesday in September) the Queen addresses the members of the States General in joint session (Senate and House of Representatives). In the Speech from the Throne, as this address is known, the Queen sets out the policy to be pursued by the government in the year ahead (Article 65 of the Constitution). The Speech from the Throne is drawn up under the responsibility of the Prime Minister.