There they rode, yesterday, in the carriages. King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien. Waving to the orange-clad audience waving back at the side. But also past the inverted flags and the booing farmers.
Princess Beatrix, who traditionally watched from a window along the route, even had to get up to look over an inverted flag in front of the window at her sons, daughters-in-law and granddaughter.
Later in the day, during the balcony scene, it got even more painful. The yells of the angry peasants drowned out the cheers of the orange-minded citizens. But the royal family continued to smile convulsively and wave stoically. It was a painful sight.
Traditions are beautiful and Prinsjesdag is an important day in the history of Dutch democracy. The Speech from the Throne, the Bill of Millions (even though the contents have often been leaked in advance) are important moments in the political year.
But is the royal performance around it still relevant today? The carriages, the obligatory balcony scene? Or is it precisely those nostalgic elements that distinguish the monarchy from a corporate republic and should they therefore be preserved? State your opinion in the statement.