THE HAGUE, 24/11/00 - Papa Zorreguieta's bite with Queen Beatrix has resulted in quite some commotion in the country. Although Prime Minister Wim Kok on Wednesday aired that nothing is going on, a marriage seems to be nearing between Maxima Zorreguieta and the Prince of Orange.

Memories pop to mind of the wedding ceremony of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, when smoke bombs were tossed by opponents of the Dutch-German marriage. Although fewer people this time are expected to actively respond to a wedding between Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and the daughter of a former member of Argentina's notorious Videla-regime, it is unlikely that the turmoil about the prince's affair with Maxima will not reach higher levels.

All and sundry, from Finance Minister Zalm to Cardinal Simonis, have expressed critical views on Jorge Zorreguieta attending his daughter's wedding with Willem-Alexander, should it take place. Some contemplate about a marriage in Argentina as the best solution. Moreover, do royal weddings not always take place in the bride's country?

In 1791, Willem I married his Prussian Princess Wilhelmina in Berlin. For his second wedding, in 1841 with Henrietta d'Oultremont, he again travelled to Germany. This marriage, incidentally, was not very much applauded by the people and press, either.

Meanwhile, in 1816, Willem I's son had entered holy matrimony in St Petersburg, where he stayed for months after exchanging rings with Grand Duchess Anna Paulovna. Willem II's brother Frederik married also on foreign soil, in 1825 in Berlin with Princess Louisa von Preussen. Willem III, in his turn, went to Stuttgart in 1837 to say "I do" to Princess Sophie von Wurttemberg. In 1879 he again caught an eastbound road, this time to make the young Princess Emma von Waldeck-Pyrmont his bride in Arolsen. Willem III's brother Prince Hendrik, "the Seafarer", also married abroad twice, first in Weimar with Princess Amalia von Saksen-Weimar-Eisenach and in 1878, with Princess Marie in Potsdam.

Looking back, a wedding between Willem-Alexander and Maxima in Buenos Aires does look advantageous. Nevertheless, it is not an option. According to modern protocol, a prince should only travel to the land of his love if she is of the same upper class. If the crown prince chooses a bride of lesser standing, the marrying should be solemnized in the Netherlands.

This protocol has been displayed abroad repeatedly in the past century. The Belgian King Boudewijn wed his Fabiola not in Spain but in Brussels, since she was not a princess. Belgium's current King Albert, too, selected a bride outside the ranks of royalty, and made the Italian Paola his wife in his own country. King Gustav of Sweden, finally, stayed in Stockholm to marry his German love Sylvia.