Royal Decrees
A Royal Decree is issued by the government.
Article 47 of the Constitution states: ‘All Acts of Parliament and Royal Decrees are signed by the King and by one or more Ministers or State Secretaries.’
There are two kinds of Royal Decree:
- orders in council, for which the Council of State must be consulted, and
- Royal Decrees applying to individuals or groups, such as a decree appointing a mayor or conferring a royal decoration.
In addition, there are royal decisions.
- Decisions of this kind are taken by the monarch alone and are not published in the Government Gazette. Examples include all appointments to positions in the Royal Household, grants of royal warrants to businesses and associations, and the award of decorations in orders such as the Order of the House of Orange, which are in the monarch’s gift. Ministerial responsibility for royal decisions derives from article 42 of the Constitution.