The General Secretariat has a coordinating role. Besides managing appointment diaries, it prepares the programmes of visits of members of the Royal House. It also coordinates visits by the King and other members of the Royal House to foreign countries and visits by foreign heads of state to the Netherlands.
The General Secretariat also maintains contacts with foreign and international organisations based in the Netherlands, in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is headed by the general secretary, and its staff includes the personal advisers of the King and Queen Máxima.
The General Secretariat is part of the Royal Household.