Dutch Royals Awards ‘Prince Claus Awards’

On Wednesday December 11th, Princess Beatrix, Prince Constantijn, Princess Laurentien and Princess Mabel attended the “Prince Claus Award” ceremony.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were absent this year. The King was in Johannesburg to attend the memorial service in memory of the former president of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, and the Queen was on a visit to Ethiopia and Tanzania.

The winner this year was Egyptian poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, who unfortunately died on December 3th. The award was received by Mona Anis, a close friend and translator of Negm’s poems. Prince Constantijn, as honorary chair of the Prince Claus Fund, presented the award.

Ahmed Fouad Negm received the award for his poetry written in colloquial Egyptian, he was honored for his “outspoken, critical and original poetry, which is a reflection of its independence, integrity, courage and ongoing commitment in the struggle for freedom and social justice.”

The Prince Claus Awards are presented by the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development since 1997 annually to artists, thinkers and cultural organizations, particularly in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Prince Claus Fund was established on 6 September 1996 as a tribute to Prince Claus’s dedication to culture and development.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Awards, Patronage, Prince Claus Fund, Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau.