Note that in the old design the front part doesnt reach the floor:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...the_Netherlands,_Nicolaas_Pieneman_(1856).jpg
The robe was significantly shortened for Queen Wilhelmina in 1898. They also made the upper part rounder, so it would fit the (small) shoulders of the new Queen.
In 1999 the follwing story became clear. After Wilhemina's inauguration the mantle had been stored in an iron box. When they opened it in 1948 the robe was in a bad state. The red velvet had lost it's colour and the ermine turned yellowish. Erwin Dolder, the Swiss designer of Queen Juliana had his own atelier in the Palace in Amsterdam. He decided, without informing the Queen or court, to make a new robe. He did use the 83 golden lions of the old mantle for it, but the velvet and ermine were new. He only told this to the court one day before the actual enthronement. Dolder also made the dress and cap ('juliette') of Queen Juliana.
Erwin Dolder also made dresses for Edith Piaf and Zarah Leander. In the early fifties he went to Argentina in the hope of becoming dress maker of Evita. This didn't work out and by 1952 he was back in The Netherlands. He made Juliana's Prinsjesdag outfits of 1955 and 1956.
To dress the frugal Juliana, Dolder was afraid to charge Juliana for extra costs. He wasn't very good with finances in general and by 1956 he had accumulated a lot of debts. Queen Juliana couldn't use a scandal with her dress maker while she was in the middle of the Greet Hofmans scandal. Dolder's working permit was not prolongued and he was quietly escorted to the border by the royal marechaussee. He moved back to Basel, where he was seen in the local gay bars, wearing an adapted version of the old robe. He died in 1970. Nobody knows what happened to the robe after his death.
So to awnser your question: they can't use the old robe to alter the present one, it has probably been thrown away. Or with some luck somebody can find it in a second hand clothing store in Basel
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However after the inhauguration of Juliana the robe was once again wrapped around a bar and stored in an iron box. Six months before the inhauguration of Queen Beatrix, the box was brought to Theresia Vreugdenhil, dress maker of Beatrix. When she unwrapped the robe, she discovered that the velvet was very wrinkled and the velvet left red stains on the ermine. With some efforts the velvet could be made stain free but some ermine had to be replaced. Vreugdenhil wanted to use old ermine, as the colour difference would be smaller. She was helped by one of her clients, a Mrs. Brenninkmeijer (of the C&A family), who offered and old ermine coat.
Note that the RVD never confirmed these stories.
NGalitzine said:
If they do not take the oath can they still take their seat in Parliament?
Yes they can. In 1980, 1948 and 1890 several MP's didn't attend the ceremony either. I would rather have them stay home than scream whatever they want. In 1993 the Belgian MP Jean-Pierre van Rossum shouted "Vive la république d'Europe! Vive Lahaut" during the oath ceremony of King Albert II. Lahaut was an MP who shouted "Vive la république" during the oath ceremony of King Baudouin.