Royal engagements & Royal Holidays

[Lucien]

3 More weeks to go and we will celebrate Queensday again,THE Hayday on the Royal agenda in The Netherlands.

A very special edition as we also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of HM Queen Juliana.
Therefore HM has choosen the city of Apeldoorn as the place the RF celebrates this day with the dutch.Moreover
since Het Loo Palace..(Het Loo meaning an open space in a forest,a lea... ),the childhood home of dear Juliana
is within the city grounds.

A very special,very dear,and loved member of the Royal Family,Pieter van Vollenhoven,celebrates his 70th birthday on this
very day too,that was reason enough again for HM to decide on Apeldoorn this year.

What is special this day will be the opening of the exhibition on Queen Juliana by her daughter Queen Beatrix,as well as an old-fashioned
and no doubt lovely aubade and parade by thousands and thousands at the Palace.It will bring back fond memories to the Queensday
celebrations of Queen Juliana with the endless streams of organisations,bands and tens of thousands of wellwishers parading past the RF
while they stood at the stairs.



It always is a truly unique happening,this mingling with the people like they do,there is nonesuch anywhere else where an entire country is celebrating the Queen's birthday in this fashion.There are parties all over the country,-free- concerts,fleamarkets,garage-sales,empty your atticks on the lawn,go Orange and only that get into town and stop jaw dropping.That is the advice given to visitors from abroad who are lucky enough to be around that day,and they return totally in awe with what they've been part of.They love the easy going party atmosphere that so characterizes this special day.

Always a good choice to visit The Netherlands in this period,there's Queensday and the traditional annual national flower exhibition at the Keukenhof is at it's most impressive with colours and scents,apart from all the outdoor terraces lining the canals here in my home town and ofcourse the al fresco drinks & dining in the 16th/17th century setting.

[Lucien]

Queensday 2009,have a wonderfull Queensday all of you here and abroad.

The day never starts without the National Anthem,het Wilhelmus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMHbAKvPJkU&feature=related

[EmmyLee]

It's so sad that a happy day for the Dutch people turned into this. My prayers are definitely with the families of the victims.

[Lucien]

May 4th,Remembrance Day in The Netherlands.

In light of the tragedy in Apeldoorn security at tonights,and tomorrows,ceremonies has been stepped up,
due to that there will be less space for the public at the National Remembrance on the Dam in Amsterdam tonight,
There is enough room in the surrounding areas.There is a larger then ever turnout expected tonight.

[Lucien]

May 4th,Remembrance Day in The Netherlands.

In light of the tragedy in Apeldoorn security at tonights,and tomorrows,ceremonies has been stepped up,
due to that there will be less space for the public at the National Remembrance on the Dam in Amsterdam tonight,
There is enough room in the surrounding areas.There is a larger then ever turnout expected tonight.


Remembrance Day images of previous years:

We remembered our fallen last night.

HM The Queen and TRH received a round of applaus as they arrived at the Nieuwe Kerk here in Amsterdam.

After the National Service of Remembrance there was the wreath laying ceremony at the National Monument at the Dam Square.

In his speech Mayor Job Cohen said;" Every year we remember the fallen here on Dam Square with the attendance of our Queen.
Especially this year we are happy to have her amidst us".

A spontanious,long and loud,round of applaus from the thousands and thousands visibly moved Her Majesty and Alexander and Máxima.
Very moving moment.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/preview.php?start=30&id=31157&zoektype=2&search=04-05-2009%20Amsterdam

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=04-05-2009%20Amsterdam


HRH Princess Margriet attended the Remembrance ceremony at the War Memorial,Apeldoorn,her home town.


Pieter van Vollenhoven and son Prince Pieter-Christiaan attended the Remembrance at the Field of Honour at the Grebbeberg.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=04-05-2009%20Rhenen

From grief to moderate joy today as we celebrate Liberation Day,the day on may 5th 1945 we were liberated from Nazi occupation.
Moderate joy,as many,not all,festivities today have been toned down due to the Queensday tragedy

[Lucien]

And again,as HM appeared to attend the traditional Liberation Day concert on the Amstel river,the thousands standing/sitting
there in the pouring rain gave a long,loud and warm applaus.

Dear Pieter van Vollenhoven attended the Liberation Day concert in Wageningen today:

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=05-05-2009%20Wageningen

I also include a link to a NYT article on us,dutch,by an american...nice read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/magazine/03european-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&sq=dutch&st=cse&scp=1

[Lucien]

Last weekend was Make a Difference Day,what is now called NL.DOET to make it sound more dutch .

Anyway,as it has become a tradition over the past few years,the Royal Family took the lead for the 150.000 volunteers that were out and about working helping doing whatever was  there to do.

The RF had decided to work as a team this time,and showed up at "work" to get a playground back together again,putting fences,
painting murals and what not.Eleven members pf the RF at once came as a complete surprise to all volunteers already busy in the playground.
"A Prince or Princess was what we sort of expected,as we saw police cars nearby we knew something was bound to happen,but the the whole Family showed up.A huge and wonderfull surprise.
No,they're not just around for the show,they really work,look at them!

HM and Princess Annette were to paint a faded mural,they had a model as to what colour should go where..Hah,not for Beatrix,and she got into a discussion with youngest son Constantijn who called for accuracy to the model,and his mother who called for more creativity.Mom won.And,improved the mural with her ideas in the process.HM and Princess Annette were in a conspiracy:"Constantijn isn't looking"  .Hilarious.

The Crown Prince put up a fence with the help of two other volunteers,but that went so fast,they took it apart again laughing for the house photographer to make a nice pic while wife Princess Máxima repainted the outside of the clubhouse.

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2010/03/dutch-royal-family-lends-hand-in-playground.html

courtesy dear hja.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=20-03-2010%20Nieuwegein

courtesy ppe

[Lucien]

This coming week will see some significant events,one being the celebration on friday april 30th of Queensday,
the official celebration of HM's birthday on the date that used to be her mothers birthday.

The day before,on the 29th,HM and 17 Members of the Royal Family will attend a ceremony in Apeldoorn
where HM will unveil a monument to commemorate the tragedy,the loss of lives on last year's Queensday
as Karst T drove his car through the crowds killing 8 including himself.

But on Friday the 30th the whole family,at least the adults and that's 17,will be present in the province of Zeeland,
the town of Wemeldinge and the capital of Zeeland,medieval Middelburg.Everybody is looking forward again to a
great day.The people and the streets will colour orange,everybody in a festive mood,it's a bit difficult to
explain to visitors from abroad,they're baffled first and then join in and have a whale of a day,there is nothing like
it in any of the other Monarchies.

Security has been stepped up due to last years events,but other then that it will be the hayday of all haydays in the kingdom by the sea

[Lucien]

Queensday will probably not see all Royals out as several will attend the funeral of a dear friend.Prince Carl Friedrich zu Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg ( 43)
got killed in a racing accident on the Nürburgring,Germany,his funeral will be on friday afternoon april 30th at Kleinheubach,Bavaria.He is survived by his wife and four children.

Very very sad indeed.

The late Prince's parents,Fürst Alois and his wife Anastasia,néé Princess of Prussia,is a dear and close friend to HRH Princess Margriet and Prof.mr.Pieter van Vollenhoven,
and is a godfather to their son His Highness Prince Maurits,who,with his wife Princess Marilène and brother Prince Pieter-Christiaan
attended the wedding of the late Prince and Princess Stefanie.The Lowenstein's were also guests at the weddings of the
sons of Princess Margriet.

[Lucien]

Queensday will probably not see all Royals out as several will attend the funeral of a dear friend.Prince Carl Friedrich zu Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg ( 43)
got killed in a racing accident on the Nürburgring,Germany,his funeral will be on friday afternoon april 30th at Kleinheubach,Bavaria.He is survived by his wife and four children.
Leo Löwenstein,as he was known in the racing world,died of smoke poisoning as his car catched fire after the crash.

Very very sad indeed.

The late Prince's parents,Fürst Alois and his wife Anastasia,néé Princess of Prussia,are dear and close friends to HRH Princess Margriet and Prof.mr.Pieter van Vollenhoven,
and is a godfather to their son His Highness Prince Maurits,who,with his wife Princess Marilène and brother Prince Pieter-Christiaan
attended the wedding of the late Prince and Princess Stefanie.The Lowenstein's were also guests at the weddings of the
sons of Princess Margriet.

[Lucien]

HM Queen Beatrix unveiled a monument this afternoon dedicated to the memory of the victims of last years tragedy on Queensday in Apeldoorn.

17 Members of the Royal Family were in attendance at this very emotional event,that was attended also by the loved ones and the wounded of the
tragedy and their nearest and dearest.A very moving ceremony,most were in tears,Royal or not,the human comes first in something so immensely sad as this.

The Members of the RF have stated several times that what they witnessed that day is still very much alive to them,
it isn't something that subsided,faded away,no,not a week goes by without any of them thinking of it,as Prince Maurits recently stated.

Out of the spotlights the members of the Royal Members still have a deep and warm contact within short periods of time with all the
loved ones of the victims and the many wounded of april 30th 2009,they either are invited to the Palace,or they receive the Royals
at their home,discretely and private.Moving,very moving.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=29-04-2010%20Apeldoorn

courtesy ppe

[Lucien]

HM Queen Beatrix unveiled a monument this afternoon dedicated to the memory of the victims of last years tragedy on Queensday in Apeldoorn.

17 Members of the Royal Family were in attendance at this very emotional event,that was attended also by the loved ones and the wounded of the
tragedy and their nearest and dearest.A very moving ceremony,most were in tears,Royal or not,the human comes first in something so immensely sad as this.

The Members of the RF have stated several times that what they witnessed that day is still very much alive to them,
it isn't something that subsided,faded away,no,not a week goes by without any of them thinking of it,as Prince Maurits recently stated.

Out of the spotlights the members of the Royal Members still have a deep and warm contact within short periods of time with all the
loved ones of the victims and the many wounded of april 30th 2009,they either are invited to the Palace,or they receive the Royals
at their home,discretely and private.Moving,very moving.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=29-04-2010%20Apeldoorn

courtesy ppe

Video of the ceremony today:

http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=10906542

[Lucien]

HM Queen Beatrix unveiled a monument this afternoon dedicated to the memory of the victims of last years tragedy on Queensday in Apeldoorn.

17 Members of the Royal Family were in attendance at this very emotional event,that was attended also by the loved ones and the wounded of the
tragedy and their nearest and dearest.A very moving ceremony,most were in tears,Royal or not,the human comes first in something so immensely sad as this.

The Members of the RF have stated several times that what they witnessed that day is still very much alive to them,
it isn't something that subsided,faded away,no,not a week goes by without any of them thinking of it,as Prince Maurits recently stated.

Out of the spotlights the members of the Royal Members still have a deep and warm contact within short periods of time with all the
loved ones of the victims and the many wounded of april 30th 2009,they either are invited to the Palace,or they receive the Royals
at their home,discretely and private.Moving,very moving.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=29-04-2010%20Apeldoorn

courtesy ppe

Video of the ceremony today:

http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=10906542

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2010/04/beatrix-commemorates-queens-day-attack.html

[Lucien]

HM and the RF celebrate Queensday 2010 in the town of Wemeldinge and the City of Middelburg today,live:

http://www.omroepzeeland.nl/streams/tv/indexIE.php

 

[RomanovsFan4Ever]

HM and the RF celebrate Queensday 2010 in the town of Wemeldinge and the City of Middelburg today,live:

http://www.omroepzeeland.nl/streams/tv/indexIE.php

I wish to all Dutch people a wonderful Queensday 2010!