The Dutch monarchy is no longer serving foie gras food in the Royal residences, presumably because King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands may have ordered so. This happened after King Charles III of the UK did the same last year after he also banned foie gras from being served at his residence when he was still Prince Charles.
In May 2023, after enquiries were made, a royal spokesperson of the Dutch monarchy told animal rights group PETA that “We no longer make dishes that contain foie gras…We will also never order foie gras from external establishments.”
Mimi Bekhechi, PETA vice president for the UK, Europe and Australia, said: “PETA commends His Majesty for keeping tormented birds’ diseased livers away from the royal palace. Foie gras is an abhorrent product that has no place in modern society.”
Last year, a letter from Buckingham Palace to PETA confirmed that there will no longer be any foie gras served in any of the British royal family residences, but this was happening at the same time that the UK conservative government dropped plans to ban the selling of foie gras in the country, despite previous promises. King Charles III had often spoken about giving priority to locally produced British products, so as all foie gras traded in the UK is imported as it is illegal to produce it in the country, it is not certain whether the ban on serving this product in royal residents was to do more with this, rather than with any concerns for animal welfare. Equally, it is not known what may be the reasoning for a similar ban in the Dutch residences, and whether it is a total ban or just a temporary menu change.
