Prinsjesdag 2003-2012

[sgl]

I am really looking forward to seeing the photos!

 

[Marengo]

Some pictures of the preparations:

Cavalry training

Carriage in The Hague

No idea what that thing is doing there

Mauritshuis

And ANP has a special gallery for previous Prinsjes days, look here.

 

[Marengo]

Royalblog has an article in Dutch with some pictures of the Hall of Knights (Ridderzaal) in The Hague where the States General will meet. Look here.

More on the histroy of the Hall of Knights, from wikipedia:

The Ridderzaal (Knights' Hall) is the main building at the Binnenhof in The Hague, The Netherlands, which is used for the state opening of Parliament on the third Tuesday in September, Prinsjesdag, when the Dutch monarch drives to Parliament in the Golden Carriage and delivers the speech from the throne. It also used for official royal receptions, and interparliamentary conferences.

Floris IV, Count of Holland, bought in the 13th century a piece of land next to a small lake to build a house on. The Ridderzaal, the manorial hall of Floris V, grandson of Floris IV, was built on this estate by Gerard van Leiden in the 13e century. Over the centuries, the government buildings developed around this lake and incorporated the Ridderzaal. From the early 17th century, the Ridderzaal became an important trading place for booksellers, as Westminster Hall was in London. In later centuries served a variety of purposes - as a market hall, a promenade, a drill hall, a public record office, a hospital ward, even the offices of the state lottery. It was restored between 1898 and 1904 to serve its present purposes.

This large Gothic hall (40m/130ft by 20m/65ft) has magnificent stained glass windows depicting the coats of arms of Dutch towns; particularly fine is the rose window with the arms of the principal noble families of the Netherlands. The heavy timber roof structure with its 18m/60ft long beams has the appearance of an upturned ship. Wooden heads symbolizing eavesdroppers from the higher powers are supposed to deter members of the assembly from lying.

The throne in the Ridderzaal was designed by Pierre Cuypers

 

[lucien]

ANP Beeldbank

courtesy Robin Utrecht.

 

[sgl]

This photo is hilarious! Thanks for the link, Marengo.
ANP Beeldbank

 

[marmi]

Yes it is rather isnt it?! LOL.

 

[Her_Majesty]

live-stream:
http://www.nos.nl/politiek24/

Margriet wears a blue dress and a feather hatpiece.
Laurentien wears some strange looking beige coat-dress.
Beatrix wears gray/beige and Máxima wears purple and a normal hat.

 

[Her_Majesty]

ANP

Queen Beatrix
Queen Beatrix
She looks great today.

Arrival of the Royal Family

More
http://i35.tinypic.com/wi7hnn.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/2iawnc9.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/2rma17d.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/2qw2bso.jpg

 

[Madame Royale]

I wish the Danes celebrated their Opening of Parliament in such a fashion.

Always a treat to view such pictures. Thank you.

 

[Her_Majesty]

PPE:
PPE Agency

 

[Madame Royale]

Maxima looks lovely.

 

[carlota]

that's a nice dress for maxima, but i think she had nicer prinsjesdag gowns. it's definitely not my favourite, i think it looks way too informal given the situation.

 

[chaimae]

maxima looks lovely , but i prefere the dress of the last year, she was fantastic last year . i think the hat is more than normal!!

 

[Her_Majesty]

that's a nice dress for maxima, but i think she had nicer prinsjesdag gowns. it's definitely not my favourite, i think it looks way too informal given the situation.

I completely agree.
This year's outfit is a thousand times better then last year's (which was her worst ever), but she definitely has worn better ones before. I loved her black-white outfit in 2006.

 

[lucien]

ANP Beeldbank

courtesy Royalimages.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

Maxima looks great - this is the best outfit i have seen her in for a long time and this hat is beautiful (so nice for it to be a proper hat rather than the silly things she has worn recently)
Laurentien - what can you say about her dress sense its just weird

 

[lucien]

On-line exhibition on Prinsjesdag:

Het Koninklijk Huis

 

[Marengo]

A gallary of hats, look here. The ministers and parlamentarians often use the hat to make some sort of statement, or they ask special schools, etc. to create thyeir outfit. All very socially responsible.

About the outfits of the RF: HM looked good, esp. the neckline was nice.

In Maxima I liked the long necklace, very 20-ties. The floppy hat was ok, something different than usual. She wore a bracelet made of a part of the bracelet of the Indies and the diamond watch of Queen Juliana.

Laurentien.... the less said the better.

Some other info: Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven seems to be cured from skin cancer, though he has to go to the hospital on a regular basis. Very good news!

And more news: in April there will be an incoming state visit from Sweden.

Next year there will be several events commemorating the 100th birthday of the late Queen Juliana. Several of which will be attended by HM The Queen.

 

[Parrothead]

Beautiful pictures! I wonder if some of the gowns were inspired by books that the ladies have been reading? Maxima looks very Great Gatsby-ish while Laurentien looks very Pride and Prejudice inspired. And did she borrow the hat from Maxima? It looks very familiar (didn't she wear it when Ariane was baptised?)

Overall I like Maxima's gown but the hat doesn't work. Laurentien is always bold in her choices and it she can pull off what she is wearing. She is definately wearing the outfit...it's not wearing her and for that I have to applaud her for taking a risk.

 

[Marengo]

Several clips from the NOS, look at www.nos.nl/prinsjesdag

Oeps! (parlement)

De volledige troonrede (speech from the throne)

Animatie koninklijke stoet (aniomation royal procession)

Een kijkje in de koninklijke stallen (royal stables)

De hoedjes op Prinsjesdag (hats, hats, hats)

De rijtoer door Den Haag (carriage ride through The Hague)

De historie van Prinsjesdag (history of the day)

De jurken van de koningin op Prinsjesdag (HM's dresses on Prinsjesdag)

Prinsjesdag: overuren bij Financiën (ministery of finance)

 

[suztav]

Sorry folks but Laurentien's outfit is a disaster. She looks to be wearing a nightgown and robe. And, that hat!

 

[Marengo]

And some historic clips:

Historische beelden (historic footage)

Koningin Wilhelmina in 1946 (Queen Wilhelmina, 1946)

Koningin Juliana in 1974 (Juliana in 1974)

Koningin Juliana in 1950 (Juliana in 1950)

Minister Zalm houdt koffertje omhoog (Minister Zalm and the briefcase)

Koets stopt in 2001 bij ambassade VS (2001, carriage stops in front iof the Amercian embassy).

 

[carlota]

I completely agree.
This year's outfit is a thousand times better then last year's (which was her worst ever), but she definitely has worn better ones before. I loved her black-white outfit in 2006.

now that i saw more pictures of it, it doesn't look too bad. the fabric is actually a bit silky, which makes it a bit more formal. it also seems to hang beautifully. 2006 was also my favourite. it was such a lovely gown. i hope she recycles it, it was the perfect match!

 

[Princess Maxima]

In Maxima I liked the long necklace, very 20-ties. The floppy hat was ok, something different than usual. She wore a bracelet made of a part of the bracelet of the Indies and the diamond watch of Queen Juliana.

.

Does anybody knows who designed Máxima's hat? Becuase its not from F.Delvigne.

 

[pamk]

The Queen looks lovely - Love the pearls!
Margriet always looks so sparkling and friendly.
Maxima looks wonderful - love the hat - a much more relaxed look for her - I like it.
Laurentien in one of her disaster outfits. She looks like she is wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt under a peignor or negligee --- the print is too awful for words. The hat (?)
looks like one of those fluffy plastic things one uses in the shower to scrub with.
The color of the whole outfit is so blah that it washes her out.
If Laurentien wanted everyone to look at her, she succeeded - they looked on in horror.

 

[auntie]

Laurentiene is well...Laurentine, I like the idea of the dress, yet together with the hat it is h'mm bit different, yet I think she likes to be different.

 

[lucien]

Het Koninklijk Huis

Het Koninklijk Huis

Het Koninklijk Huis

 

[Empress]

Good lord, what is Laurentien wearing? She looks like she is wearing thermal underwear, with a granny night robe on top and a birds nest on her head!

 

[amandamrgt]

Good lord, what is Laurentien wearing? She looks like she is wearing thermal underwear, with a granny night robe on top and a birds nest on her head!

Precisely the impression I get of Laurentien's outfit.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

im looking forward to the state visit by Sweden next April - from what i can remember Maxima is yet to receive an order from their so im sure she will now get one.

Laurentien looks like she went out and cut the biggest flower head and stuck to it her hair

Love Maxima's braclett