Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, the heir to the Dutch throne, made a media splash by hurling a toilet for fun in a contest recently – but has now spoken of his shame.

Prince Willem-Alexander said the event on Queen’s Day last month was “a laugh”, but he also felt “shame at the thought of some 2.6 billion people around the world” who lack toilets.

He won a cup with a little toilet on top as a prize.

The 30 April festivities were held in the eastern village of Rhenen.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, the heir to the Dutch throne, made a media splash by hurling a toilet for fun in a contest recently

The crown prince’s younger brother Prince Constantijn also hurled a toilet in the contest, but not as far.

The annual festival marks the birthday of Queen Beatrix’s late mother Queen Juliana.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander is also chairman of the UN’s water and sanitation advisory board (UNSGAB) and the Dutch government’s information service later insisted that he was not ashamed of his involvement in the contest.

He had taken part because the toilets were destined for a project in Gambia, it said.

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