Crash: 7 Victims & Perpetrator Dead, 10 Wounded at Queen's Day 2009


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The Dutch Royal Family took a risk to be ALL : Queen , Crown-Prince, his 2 brothers , all the Van Vollenhoven , in an OPEN Bus. Did you see how the policeman came to the crashed car : with a bicycle.. that means that there was no police at this place.
He choose this very place , I don't think his intention was to kill dutch citizens, but I think it was an attack against the Queen , at this place and this time.
I am so sorry for all the families who suffers now , and when I saw the very strong Queen Beatrix so shocked , with tears in her eyes speaking I admire her more.
She realised tragically that the people who died or are injured came for her party : the very popular Queensday.
 
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Thanks for understanding.

Elspeth
 
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The Dutch Royal Family took a risk to be ALL : Queen , Crown-Prince, his 2 brothers , all the Van Vollenhoven , in an OPEN Bus. Did you see how the policeman came to the crashed car : with a bicycle.. that means that there was no police at this place.
He choose this very place , I don't think his intention was to kill dutch citizens, but I think it was an attack against the Queen , at this place and this time.
I am so sorry for all the families who suffers now , and when I saw the very strong Queen Beatrix so shocked , with tears in her eyes speaking I admire her more.
She realised tragically that the people who died or are injured came for her party : the very popular Queensday.

Our RF ALWAYS celebrates with us like this,for decades,and we all love it.

There were policemen all over the place,700 of them + a X number of security and secret service,
except it only takes one nut to do this at any place any time.
Didn't intent to kill?Well,you could have fooled us,he had no problem whatshowever to kill 5 and wound 13 others,he
would do what he did whatever the costs of lives.Let us be very clear about that.
He rushed into the crowd from behind them with over 100km an hour,bodies and limps flying through the air,no,no intention to kill.

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c648253ef01157061d47b970b-pi
'
Policemen/women on bikes are a normal sight her in The Netherlands,they all have one,all of 'm,besides speedy cars ofcourse,but these people are useally first to get to a spot as they don't have the problems with traffic jams and such.

courtesy dear hja
 
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Lucien , I realise that you are right , you followed this from the beginning and this guy had really any repect either to kill either to wound.
The international press is speaking about an attack to the Queen..
I saw it only yesterday evening after work.
But I maintain that the whole RF in an open bus is dangerous.
How do you explain the policeman who came with a bike ?
I realise better what a shock you and the people of your country had.
On the radio this morning in Belgium (your neighbours) hey told that the man died and that was all..
 
I have to admit, I was surprised at the sheer number of police on cycles alone let alone ordinary uniformed police. To anyone who lives on the plains, as I do in my country, the notion of Police on cycles is a no-brainer. They are fast and manueverable in crowded streets. The sheer number of plain clothes officers and security become immediately obvious.

lucien said:
Our RF ALWAYS celebrates like this, for decades. And we all love it.
How I feel for you all, such a relaxed happly laid-back crowd of well-wishers waiting for a loved Royal Family. Will Queens Day ever be able to be like that again?

My thoughts and prayers remain with you and your countrymen and women as you go though the grief of memorial services and funerals. Especially as your Royal Family confront the issue of going back out in public. That will be hard. "Will more be hurt if I go here or there"? What a question for each of them, but I am betting the Royal Family will be back out there with the love and support of their countymen. Perhaps as soon as today's memorial.
 
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Does anyone know if the rest of the Royal Family will attend the funneral service, today?
 
Prince Bernhard jr. (adult and 11th (last) in line to the throne) did not attend Queen's Day. And of course the children of W-A and Constantijn were at the palace and not in the bus. But yes, I am afraid that Queen's day will never be the same and that the security of the royal family will become even more tight. I wonder what they will do on Remembrance Day and Liberation Day. I hope they will cancel the part with Beatrix leaving on a boat on Liberation Day. Every year I wonder how it is possible that the security allows it as everyone can see that it is quite dangerous. Overall, however, the royal family is well secured I think, especially since 2001.
 
I think the RF is weel secured, but you never can imagin that somethig like that could happen. It is imposible to fight against this kind of things.
 
Does anyone know if the rest of the Royal Family will attend the funneral service, today?

That is not sure yet,have not heard anything on that so far.
 
This is a poignant time anyway as nationwide we commemorate the dutch that died in the service of our country during WW II and the wars and missions after that on May 4th with commemorative ceremnies and wreathlaying ceremonies.

On May 5th Liberation Day,we celebrate the Freedom we have,a festive day close to Queensday in celebrations.

In the evening HM attends the Freedom Concert in Amsterdam,by tradition,since decades.That very same celebration of Liberation Day has come under heavy pressure in light of this tragedy and eventual consequences.
 
:previous: This is the classic no-win situation. If the RF hunker down in their palaces the people believe they don't care and have lost touch with them. If they put themselves out in the public eye, like Queens Day, they run the risk of some lunatic trying to kidnap or kill them.

I just remember the attempt to kidnap Anne, the Princess Royal. It must have been terrifying but she's still out there 25 years later.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 20 | 1974: Kidnap attempt on Princess Anne
 
Lucien, at what time will take place the funneral?

I just learned that a proper service of remembrance will take place some time next week,tonight
will be more of a gathering by people that saw it happen and others affected by the tragedy.
Not sure if HM will be in attendance tonight,but she will be next week.

I just learned that ceremonies will go ahead as planned next week on may 4th and may 5th in the presence of HM.
 
Prince Bernhard jr. (adult and 11th (last) in line to the throne) did not attend Queen's Day. And of course the children of W-A and Constantijn were at the palace and not in the bus. But yes, I am afraid that Queen's day will never be the same and that the security of the royal family will become even more tight. I wonder what they will do on Remembrance Day and Liberation Day. I hope they will cancel the part with Beatrix leaving on a boat on Liberation Day. Every year I wonder how it is possible that the security allows it as everyone can see that it is quite dangerous. Overall, however, the royal family is well secured I think, especially since 2001.
why from 2001?
 
Isn't it because of the past of Maxima's father ? The engagement was announced in 2001.
 
I was talking with a friend about the bodylanguage of the Queen and Princess Margriet in the bus just after the accident, they were just as upset as anyone but remained seated, very royal and contained in comparison to the younger royals.
 
'The Today Show' covered this event this morning. They were calling it an assassination attempt. They said the driver died at the hospital, but had he survivied he would have been charged with attempting to assasinate a member of the royal family - a law that hadn't been used in 4 centuries. What's the punishment for that? Has it been updated since the last time it was enacted? Just curious.
 
I've just read that a seventh victim has now died. I hope that the others will be able to recover from their injuries.
 
'The Today Show' covered this event this morning. They were calling it an assassination attempt. They said the driver died at the hospital, but had he survivied he would have been charged with attempting to assasinate a member of the royal family - a law that hadn't been used in 4 centuries. What's the punishment for that? Has it been updated since the last time it was enacted? Just curious.


It would have been life sentence,we do not have the deathpenalty.

Think that law has never been changed as it never was in use.Ever.
And the charges would not only be assassination attempt on members
of the Royal Family,but more importantly an assasination attempt to our Head of State,The Monarch.
 
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:previous: This is the classic no-win situation. If the RF hunker down in their palaces the people believe they don't care and have lost touch with them. If they put themselves out in the public eye, like Queens Day, they run the risk of some lunatic trying to kidnap or kill them.

I just remember the attempt to kidnap Anne, the Princess Royal. It must have been terrifying but she's still out there 25 years later.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 20 | 1974: Kidnap attempt on Princess Anne

Like you said,she's still out there.You just can't let yourself rule by the possibility of a possible lunatic between here and Timbuktu
that might run into you.You just can't.You have a life to live,we will pull ourselves together and find our way back to give all tragic events a place in our hearts and minds,and move on.You have too,and I think I know the RF thinks the very same.

HM The Queen,accompanied by TRH The Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima,will attend the Remembrance ceremonies on May 4th at the Nieuwe Kerek,Amsterdam after which HM and the Prince of Orange will lay a wreath at the National Monument on Dam Square.

So I expect nothing less then a show of one of our greatest assets,our resilience.Throughout the centuries we,
and the Orange Nassau Family,had that resilient drive that made us cope with anything.

Nothing is skipped in the Royal agenda and nothing will be.
:)
 
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I was surprised to see the entire family traveling together in a single, open bus. I imagine small groups of the family could continue to appear very close to the public, but putting them all together this way seems very risky.

I hope that they will be able to come up with a way to secure the royals, without eliminating the closeness to the crowds that both the Dutch people and the Queen obviously enjoy.

As moved as I was by the Queen's speech, though, I thought the backdrop was very odd. I can appreciate that they staged it quickly and didn't want a festive background, it looked strange and dark to me. Between that and the way they started on a shot of her sighing, it seemed like they caught her as she was walking down a hall or something.
 
Apeldoorn today,a city in mourning in a country in mourning:

ANP Beeldbank

courtesy royalimages.
 
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