Prince of Orange celebrates Veterans Day 2009
On Saturday June 27th, HRH the Prince of Orange attended the Veterans Day 2009 celebrations in The Hague. He was accompanied by the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende.
Click to see the PPE gallery
Upon arriving at the Ridderzaal, the Prince and the Prime Minister met before Balkenende delivered a solemn speech. The party then moved to the Binnenhof; where HRH, PM Balkenende, the Defence Minister (E Van Middelkoop) and the Commander of the Armed Forces, General PJM van Uhm, presented awards veterans and soldiers currently in active service. Among the recipients were sixty soldiers who recently returned to the Netherlands from serving overseas.
A parade through the streets of The Hague also occurred, with veterans marching past the official party on foot, on bicycles and in army trucks. HRH, who holds the ranks of Commodore in the Royal Netherlands Navy Reserves, Commodore in the Royal Netherlands Air Force Reserves and Brigadier General in the Royal Netherlands Army Reserves, saluted the veterans and soldiers who passed.
The Prince of Orange is also the patron of the Dutch Veterans Day Committee. Click here to read more about Willem-Alexander’s current events.
