Yeah, it´s almost the new normal for male royals. My bet is on a mix of high expectations, military prestige for the future Commanders and of course the fact that you can´t really reject them. For us mortals, aptitude minimums are just a ticket for the actual competition for slots and jobs. For them, the same minimums are a guarantee.

As long as they´re humble elsewise, I don´t care though. The Dutch king isn´t, he started his reign with a speech telling everybody how they would have to be more self sufficient in education, health and retirement (all the while still being taxed like all would be provided). I think as somebody being on tax money all his life, only picking the absolute dream job for some "real life experience", he should not talk like that. Actually, as a king he should not be starting his reign with a political program at all, but leave that to politicians.

Hmmm, now I wonder, I flew from Bergen to Amsterdam last summer. The flight attendant greeted the passengers with the standard welcomes, including "your Majesty". We had a royal in business class, I wonder if it had been a family outing?

Can't say I'm a fan, given the potential effects on the flight-deck environment and staff morale.

These folk can afford their own Citation Mustang or Phenom or whatever, why can't they buy one of those and jet themselves around Europe for fun and kicks if their Being The Monarch day-job isn't sufficiently entertaining or fulfilling?

Perhaps the King could even offer a Part-Time Monarch job to a 'normal' to cover for him whilst he's away having fun. Surely he couldn't object to someone else flying the country for him.

His grandfather Prince Bernhard was another piloting royal.

He was a Wing Commander in the RAF, from Wiki :-

During World War II the German-born prince was part of the London-based Allied war planning councils and saw active service as a Wing Commander (RAF) flying both fighter and bomber planes into combat. He was a Dutch General and Supreme Commander of the Dutch Armed forces, involved in negotiating the terms of surrender of the German Army in the Netherlands.
For proven bravery, leadership and loyalty during his wartime efforts he was appointed a Commander of the Military William Order, the Netherlands' oldest and highest honour. After the War he was also made Honorary Air Marshal of the RAF by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1969, Bernhard was awarded the Grand Cross (Special Class) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

If you knew the guy you would realise how wrong you are. Do not for one moment compare the Dutch Royal family with the British one.

I am astounded at the some of the cynicism and BS on this subject. King or not, I for one am confident that he wouldn't be let loose as an F/O on passenger flights if he didn't meet the required standards. Perhaps we shouldn't let rock stars captain B757s either!

Apparently...
 

This KLM Cityhopper F/O, like many of his colleagues also had another job. He attended the same training courses, ate the same crew meals, went through the same security channels and flew to the same minima. By doing as an anonymous airline F/O he observed the same unvarnished world that every other F/O observed. His interaction with those around him was no different than with any other F/O. The only difference was that he only flew with a few training captains and his mate and in the cabin was, in East End parlance, "a bit tasty".

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