Why are there so many "Koninklijke" (royal) companies in the Netherlands?

Actually, I just looked it up... The term was introduced in 1807 but was first used for cultural institutions only. There's now 550 "Royal Dutch" companies/institutions/organisations... To become one a company/institution/organisation has to
1. Hold a very important place in its field.
2. be of national importance
3. (in principle) be 100 years old.

There's even an official website for "Royal Dutch" companies... http://www.koninklijk.com and it's in English too... (find the "switch language" link, bottom of the menu on the left)...

Here's a list of all the 550 http://www.koninklijk.com/index.cfm?page=eregalerij&letter=A

In my opinion, companies like to be called "Royal Dutch" because it makes them look "distinguished and serious"...

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You're very welcome Flo and what you say is very interesting too... I just remembered we have another term; "Hofleverancier" which literally means "supplier to the court"... it's basically the same as "Koninklijke" except it's for regional companies instead of national ones...

By the way, KPN used to be called PTT and was the Dutch equivalent of Royal Mail but you probably knew that...

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I'm not quite sure what you mean with "royal warrant" but anyway, our Queen always personally has last word in companies getting these titles... She decides herself...

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@ Mr Zwink... Sorry, but just about the only part where your answer is correct is the part about KPN which is also in my answer... The rest is pretty much all incorrect, sorry

Vincent has said it correctly.

i`d like to add to it that the term ' koninklijk' or royal is under discussion in certain circles, because " it doesn`t add to anything".

I do disagree with this, especially since the ability to get that title, encourages enterprises/businesses to perform well, work on a long term vision and take some pride in their work.

Sadly, we are burdened with a PM that is totally out of touch with reality :|

Sorta, yet that ought to must be quite undesirable company to the place their presence is purely worse than loneliness, because of the fact i've got heard that purely an hour of interplay with human beings produces the comparable form of euphoria that obtaining a advance does, yet i don't be attentive to how scientists might nicely be attentive to that definitively.

most companies that start with royal used to be state owned, or our king/queen was a big financial partner in starting the company. this ofcourse nowadays isnt possible anymore, since the constitution implemented by queen wilhelmina changed a bit of what the queen can and cant do.

KPN telecom used to be part of the PTT the state exploiter of post, telegraph and telephones. royal shell was a state owned importer of oil in the late 1800's begin 1900's

phillips is not a royal company, its simply philips, and so is ahold.