40th Birthday Celebrations: August 31- September 2, 2007

[Henri M.]

In April the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (the Netherlands State Information Agency) issued the following communiqué:

On Saturday 1 September 2007 His Royal Highness The Prince of Orange will host a festive reception for the occasion of his 40th birthday.
The event will be held at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. See wonderful picture.

Besides family and friends also members of foreign Royal Houses and of royal dynasties have been invited for this celebration.

The reason for this late celebration lies in the birth of the Prince's third daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Ariane of the Netherlands (April 10th). The Prince had his 40th birthday on 27 April. He celebrated it in familial surroundings.


From what we have understood, the event lasts a few days in private, with the event on Saturday September 1st as main day. The grand palace Het Loo will be a fairytale décor for many guests and also traditional fireworks will be organized in the grand park. See wonderful picture of the royal fireworks.

Now the question is: which guests will we see on Het Loo Palace? Will we finally see Prince William turning up at a major royal event? Will Prince Georg Friedrich von Hohenzollern, the 'other' Prince of Orange give acte de présence?

[TLLK]

My first guess is that the list will be made up by his fellow heir-to-the-throne peers or those who are closer in age ie: the UK's Earl of Wessex. (Pregnant Sophie may choose to sit this out.) Also, those who would be the heirs of Greece, Italy, etc...

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by TLLK

My first guess is that the list will be made up by his fellow heir-to-the-throne peers or those who are closer in age ie: the UK's Earl of Wessex. (Pregnant Sophie may choose to sit this out.) Also, those who would be the heirs of Greece, Italy, etc...

The Prince of Wales has for so far attended almost all major events in the Netherlands (investiture Queen Beatrix, 60th birthday party Queen Beatrix, wedding Prince of Orange, funeral Prince Claus, etc.). The Prince of Wales seems to know the Prince of Orange from early on since he has studied in Llantwit Major (Wales) and has visited the Prince and Princess of Wales regularly.

See this picture.

I hope to see the Prince of Wales bringing two people to make their début on a grand foreign royal event: The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William!

[RachelD]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

I hope to see the Prince of Wales bringing two people to make their début on a grand foreign royal event: The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William!

That would be so awesome!!!

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

The Prince of Wales has for so far attended almost all major events in the Netherlands (investiture Queen Beatrix, 60th birthday party Queen Beatrix, wedding Prince of Orange, funeral Prince Claus, etc.). The Prince of Wales seems to know the Prince of Orange from early on since he has studied in Llantwit Major (Wales) and has visited the Prince and Princess of Wales regularly.

See this picture.

I hope to see the Prince of Wales bringing two people to make their début on a grand foreign royal event: The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William!

Highly unlikely Henri,august 31st is the Memorial at Westminster Abbey the PoW and both sons attend,to be partying the next day would gave another "damned of he does,dammed if he doesn't" situation,so no.Hope this remains the "ONE" thread where this will not further be discussed ad nauseam.Or maybe he gives us all a thrill and shows up with dear Camilla on saturday the first,still,highly unlikely tho.

Don't think any of the Savoia's will be coming,apart from that I doubt they're invited at all,not so close relations i.e. not close friends.Hope for Felipe and Letizia,Fred and Mary and their Greek cousins,Haakon and Mette-Marit ofcourse,and Filip and Mathilde,the von Amsberg cousins,Sayn-Wittgenstein's,Waldburg-Zeil's,Oeyenhausen's,Bismarcks,and what have we not,it will be a fantastic gathering no doubt,and hope for the Weather Gods to have mercy upon us all,for a change,so we can all enjoy the Royal fireworks from the colonnades in the Palace gardens.

[dazzling]

will they release a list of other royals who would be attending? a programme?

[Empress]

Hi everyone, we've reopened this thread. Let's try and keep the speculation to a minimum shall we? Please only report facts.

[Princess Robijn]

- Fotographers will have the chance for a grouppicture outside and pictures of the arrival of the guests (only with good weather)
- Fotographers will have the chance for a grouppicture inside (only with bad weather)
- The Princes of Orange will take their daughters, with bad weather there will be a small fotoshoot inside.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by dazzling

will they release a list of other royals who would be attending? a programme?

just as dazzling asked, are there any confirmed guests or a programme just now? it's only a week until the party, so i guess they will be releasing it soon...

[Princess Robijn]

September 1: 18.45 The Princess of Orange and their daughters arrive at Paleis Het Loo. After that the guests will start to arrive. around 19.15 the grouppicture will be taken.

[Kelly]

Such wonderful news! We will be able to see the little princesses!

[Marengo]

Well, that is certainly more than I expected. We didn´t get a grouppicture during the Queens 60th birthday I believe, but I am looking forward to this one.

[lucien]

At present the agenda of the RH website is blank,maybe some more info is added in connection with the birthday events as otherwise there's never a blank when engagements/functions are added to it.
Het Koninklijk Huis

[Princess Robijn]

Originally Posted by lucien

At present the agenda of the RH website is blank,maybe some more info is added in connection with the birthday events as otherwise there's never a blank when engagements/functions are added to it.
Het Koninklijk Huis

It's been blank for a few days now, maybe they are still waiting for the last responds

[Marengo]

Probably they are. Did other courts announce some representation on their websites? usually the scandinavians are quicker in those things than the Dutch. I recall that they had their presence at the wedding of WA and Maxima listed on their public sheduele long before the Dutch announced the guestlist, for example.

[Avalon]

Originally Posted by lucien

Highly unlikely Henri,august 31st is the Memorial at Westminster Abbey the PoW and both sons attend,to be partying the next day would gave another "damned of he does,dammed if he doesn't" situation,so no.Hope this remains the "ONE" thread where this will not further be discussed ad nauseam.Or maybe he gives us all a thrill and shows up with dear Camilla on saturday the first,still,highly unlikely tho.

For the same reason I doubt The Earl and Countess of Wessex will attend: they are both going to the memorial service. Princess Anne, on the other hand, doesn't have any engagements untill September 3 (highly unusual for her), she is not listed among those, who are going the the memorial as well, so I find it likely she will represent the British Royal Family.

I'm very exited by the event, especially the group picture - I didn't expect there would be one.

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Probably they are. Did other courts announce some representation on their websites? usually the scandinavians are quicker in those things than the Dutch. I recall that they had their presence at the wedding of WA and Maxima listed on their public sheduele long before the Dutch announced the guestlist, for example.

Nothing on the calendar in Denmark - the Norwegian one hasn't yet been update to include events in September, and the Swedish one is usually just updated for a week at the time.