Prince Toilet Toss Called 'Childish' by Some
A prince in the Netherlands has been receiving criticism recently over a photograph showing him competing in a toilet-throwing contest.
Crown Prince Willem Alexander, the future Dutch King, was photographed tossing the commode while he was visiting the small eastern village of Rhenen in celebration of the national holiday of Queen's Day on April 30, according to the BBC.
The prince entered and won the contest, which is a traditional village game.
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Once the pictures were made available for all to see, he quickly came under fire for his participation given his current position at the U.N. and history for helping underserved individuals around the globe.
At a recent speaking engagement in Rotterdam last week, the prince stated that he was embarrassed over the incident given that the toilets were part of a set of household objects that were meant for a development project in Gambia.
"Here in the Netherlands there are towns that take part in the throwing of toilet-bowls for a laugh," he said.
"I participated with a smile," he continued. "But not without shame in thinking about the some 2.6 billion people around the world that do not have this most basic infrastructure to fulfill a daily need with dignity."
The act of tossing the brightly colored toilet could have been taken as an insensitive act by the prince as he has advocated for those in the past who live in unsanitary conditions and have limited access to clean water.
The prince is currently the chairman of the U.N. secretary general's advisory board on water and sanitation.
Some, however, feel the prince is not acting his age. Contest organizer Jakob Buitenhuis told local media that the way the prince was acting over this incident was "childish."
"Because he won, we even gave him a cup with a little toilet on top with a string you can pull to flush it," Buitenhuis said.
