Koninklijk or Koninklijke (ˌkɔnɪŋkləkə, English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

: Royal) is an honorary title

Title of honor

An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...

 given to certain companies and non-profit organizations in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 and the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, by the King or Queen in the respective country. It was first introduced by Louis Bonaparte

Louis Bonaparte

Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Français, Comte de Saint-Leu , King of Holland , was the fifth surviving child and the fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino...

 in 1807, the King of the Netherlands at that time, who awarded the title to cultural associations. Companies awarded with a 'Koninklijk' title may choose to use the English title 'Royal' instead.

In the Netherlands

The Monarch

Monarchy of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since.-Constitutional role and position of the monarch:...

 has the right to appoint the royal title to a company or organization.

To qualify for a nomination, the company or organization has to meet the following conditions:

• it has to be leading in its field of expertise;
• it has to have national importance;
• it has to be in existence for at least 100 years (in principle).

As a rule, the Monarch will award only one Royal title per branch of business. Medical and financial corporations are excluded, as are organizations with political

Politics

Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...

 or religious

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 goals.

In Belgium

The King of the Belgians can appoint the title to a company or association that has been in existence in Belgium for at least fifty years, although rare exceptions are made in case of great importance for society.

See also

• Royal charter
  Royal Charter
  A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
  
  
• List of companies with the title Koninklijk (Dutch Wikipedia)

External links

• The designation "Royal" - website of the Dutch Royal House