Koninginnedag 2010

The Dutch Royals were in Zeeland today, to celebrate the 2010 edition of Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day). This year’s festivities were also used to mark Queen Beatrix’s 30th anniversary on the throne.

The entire family was present (minus Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène, who were attending the funeral of Hereditary Prince Carl Friedrich zu Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg in Bavaria – Princess Margriet and Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven left half way through the day to attend both events), and the rainy day could not dampen their spirits as they mingled with the locals and played traditional Dutch games.

Princess Máxima and Prince Friso took part in a game of shuffle board using pitchers of beer as the puck, while Prince Pieter-Christiaan went rock-climbing (Pieter-Christiaan and his brother, Prince Bernhard, later skipped part of the celebrations in Middelburg due to the involvement of horses as to not flare up their allergies). And Prince Willem-Alexander ended up looking like a drowned frog when he decided to forego the protection of an umbrella to shield him from the weather.

Folk dancing was Princess Mabel’s preferred choice of activity, before some soccer in her platform heels. Prince Constantijn also played some soccer too (minus the heels of course). His wife, Princess Laurentien, played some hockey with school children.

Later, in Middelburg, the royal family appeared on the balcony of the Middelburg City Hall, where Queen Beatrix made a speech to the crowd which gathered. She thanked the Dutch people for “giving us our Queen’s Day back,” in reference to last year’s terrible tragedy.

This year’s Queen’s Day had an increased number of security, with extra security staff hired on top of the 1400 police present.

Click here to read more about Koninginnedag 2010.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Accession, Anniversary, Koningsdag, National Day, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.