State Visit from Ghana to The Netherlands: October 21-23, 2008

[Marengo]

[FONT=verdana, arial]On the invitation Queen Beatrix, the president of the Repblic of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor and Mrs. Theresa Kufuor, will pay a state visit to The Netherlands from 21 to 23 October. [/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, arial]http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/content.jsp?objectid=26558 [/FONT]

 

[rubies]

Marengo, does that possibly mean a State Dinner? Hopefully? With long gowns and jewels?

 

[Princess Maxima]

does that possibly mean a State Dinner? Hopefully?

There will be a State Dinner at Noordeinde Palace on the 21st but just the Queen and Pieter van Vollenhoven will be present(No Máxima, Laurentien or Margriet)

 

[lucien]

Day 1

Arrival and offcial welcome by HM The Queen at Noordeinde Palace.

Welcome by PM J-P Balkenende at his office in the Tower,followed by a government lunch hosted by the PM.

Meetings with the Chairs of the First and Second Chamber of the States-General.

State banquet at Noordeinde Palace hosted by Her Majesty The Queen.

Day 2

Mayor J.Cohen of Amsterdam will receive the Presidential couple and there will be a wreath-laying ceremony
at the National Monument at the Dam Square.

The President will have meetings with representatives of the dutch corporate world.

In the afternoon the president will visit the Sitos Group.

The Presidential couple will host a culturel dance and music night for Her Majesty The Queen and dignitaries
at the Nieuwe Kerk,The Hague.

Day 3

The President will visit Evides Water company at Spijkenisse in the morning.

---------------------

Het Koninklijk Huis

 

[Marengo]

That is odd, Prince Wilelm-Alexander and Princess Máxima have no other engagements that evening, neither are they officially abroad. Perhaps they are on autumn holiday, like many people with school going children that week?

 

[marmi]

Well to be honest I would've expected their attendance regardless... Only time will tell I guess.

 

[Maxie]

That's odd indeed. And a pity. I always like seeing them out and about with the Queen at these visits. Even if there aren't any jewels involved in the state dinner.

 

[lucien]

Well to be honest I would've expected their attendance regardless... Only time will tell I guess.

No,why?It happened before,also during Juliana's Reign,that the Heir was not present for one reason or another at such occasions,
so its nothing new.I think what some believe/think they have to do is not always that what they have to do.

Besides,considering the heavy duty calendar (past and ahead) they've worked through over the past few weeks alone,and the subsequent time they've missed out with our lovely triple A's,grant them more then one reason to have a few days off,Fall holiday/Herfst vakantie as we call it.HM is perfectly OK with it,the President is OK with it,and that is all that really matters.

IIRC the President and PWA and Máxima already met as the first visit abroad of Máxima as Princess of The Netherlands was to Ghana.

Princess Margriet can not attend as she is in Johannesburg for meetings of the African Red Cross & Red Crescent.

I checked the school holiday calendar too,but as Amalia doesn't apply to that rule yet,she's too young,well,untill this december 7th when she will turn 5 that is.

 

[Marengo]

The autumholiday for the region Midden-Zuid was 11 to 19 October, which was last week. So they can not be on holiday and I was wrong in my assumption. Who knows, they will surprise us and show up after all.

Link

 

[marmi]

Lucien, it was just my opinion. They have worked & travelled a lot lately so I would not have expected them to be present every minute of everyday, but at least for one event - the welcome at the palace or the dinner.

 

[marilyne]

The autumholiday for the region Midden-Zuid was 11 to 19 October, which was last week. So they can not be on holiday and I was wrong in my assumption. Who knows, they will surprise us and show up after all.

Link

I live in that area (midden) and a lot of schools have their autumholiday this week (18-26 october). It was also on the news that the schools could chose to have their holiday in this week or the last week. Through this there was a lot of traffic jam.. Therefore it could be possible that they are on holiday.

 

[Marengo]

I checked it with a schoolteacher that i know, apparently the ministery of ediucation can not calculate and they made the mistake of giving the region 'midden' the last summer holiday and the first autumn holiday, so there were only 6 weeks of school in between. When they realised their mistake they allowed schools in the refion to make their own choise. Most chose the option of a later autumn holiday... sigh.

Anyway, the website of the Bloemcampschool has the holiday sheduele online, and the holiday is this week (20-24 October).

 

[Maxie]

Some pictures of the arrival of the Ghanese president:

ANP Beeldbank
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(ANP)

 

[giov]

The Hague Queen Beatrix and President of the Republic Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor at the ceremonial welcome at Palace Noordeinde and at the Binnenhof in The Hague, 21-10-2008.
PPE Agency

 

[Marengo]

Thanks Maxie, apparently it is said on several message boards that Prof. Pieter will be absent too. Of course they could surprise us and all of them will turn up tonight, as the only spurce thus far for the absense of WA and Maxima has been HJA's blog (which is usually reliable btw).

HM looked good today, she should wear dark red more often.

 

[chaimae]

HM looks fabulous in dark red ! ilike her appearence !
im relly sorry Maxima and WA are absent today !!

 

[Parrothead]

Has it been established where WA and Maxima are? Just on vacation or out of the country on a working trip? I will be sorry not to see them in the pictures of tonight as Maxima always adds a welcome touch of glamour to state events.

 

[pamk]

Thanks Maxie, apparently it is said on several message boards that Prof. Pieter will be absent too. Of course they could surprise us and all of them will turn up tonight, as the only spurce thus far for the absense of WA and Maxima has been HJA's blog (which is usually reliable btw).

HM looked good today, she should wear dark red more often.

Isn't that something? I was thinking the same thing - that she looked really great in the red hat and red wrap. I like the way the Queen is wearing the hat on a tilt rather than plopped straight on her head - the tilt is more youthful looking and very flattering.

 

[Princess Maxima]

Gala dinner
ANP Beeldbank
ANP Beeldbank

 

[rubies]

HM looks just stunning today from day to evening!!!!

 

[lucien]

State Banquet at Noordeinde Palace this evening:

PPE Agency

Courtesy PPE/

http://www.royalimages.nl/search.pp?productionjobid=26278&flush=1

Courtesy Royalimages/Lex van Lieshout.

 

[lucien]

Our beautifull beautifull dearest Trix,what wonderfull photo's Patrick!Chapeau!

http://www.dutchphotopress.com/Collection.aspx?id=337

http://www.dutchphotopress.com/Photo.aspx?id=5443


Courtesy Patrick van Katwijk.

 

[Maxie]

It's great to see Beatrix looking so splendid througout the day. Red definitely is a good colour for her. I also like the fact that she's wearing the emeralds, it's not a tiara we've seen her wear a lot in the past.

 

[sgl]

Queen Beatrix looks amazing! She is very regal and elegant.

 

[Marengo]

Sadly most of the emerald tiara seems to disappear in her hairdo and on most pictures we only see 3 green knobs on her coiffure. As the tiara has an unfortunate design it is not a big loss IMO. The brooch is nice though and I am glad that at least Prof. Pieter bothered to show up.

Adding to the shabbyness of this state visit, the preesident of Ghana will lay a wreath on the national monument at Dam square, Amsterdam today. Sadly the palace is still under restauration and right in front of the palace there is a funfair. I think it is the 3rd time this year they have a funfair there, it always annoys me. I know the center wants to get some extra money like this but it just looks shabby, esp. when a formal event is planned.

--
Anyway, from royalblog:

Q. Beatrix speaks of horror of slavetrade

Of course, the Dutch did not only Ghana's coast for its gold and tropical produce - trade quickly desintegrated into slave trade, but according to Ghana's President John Kufuor that is not what his country holds against the Dutch these days.
There are centuries old common bonds, and he came to The Netherlands on his first and last - Kufuor leaves office in January 2009 - State Visit to strengthen these bonds.

Read more here.

 

[Marengo]

Today the president laid a wreath at the national monument in Amstredam, apart from the funfair the president and his wife turned their back at the monument when observing a minute of silence, they were unaware of the usual protocol. Apart from that the president was late for dinner yesterday and let HM wait and during the preperations of the state visit the Ghanese representatives didn't show up at all, when they were expected to do so...

Source: royalblog.nl

This is a lovely picture btw.

 

[lucien]

PPE Agency

Courtesy PPE/

 

[Kelly]

Very nice pictures. Is this the first time they have visited the Netherlands?

 

[lucien]

Very nice pictures. Is this the first time they have visited the Netherlands?

Yes it was.

 

[Guido]

Has it been established where WA and Maxima are? Just on vacation or out of the country on a working trip? I will be sorry not to see them in the pictures of tonight as Maxima always adds a welcome touch of glamour to state events.

They could spend the autumn holiday in Argentina. Maxima travelled to Buenos Aires after Paraguay.