Dutch queen cocks snook at anti-Muslim campaign

Dutch Queen Beatrix took on the fiery leader of her country’s anti-Muslim party yesterday by dismissing as “nonsense” his criticism of her decision to wear a headscarf during a recent visit to a mosque.

The queen made an unusually forthright comment to Dutch reporters covering her state visit this week to the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

The popular monarch was responding to questions from reporters about parliamentary questions filed by anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders, who called the monarch’s decision to cover her head on a visit to a mosque in Abu Dhabi on Sunday “a sad exhibition” that “legitimises the oppression of women”.

It is rare for the queen to respond so directly to criticism from a political party. The Dutch government has announced plans to ban burqas.