News item | 6/19/2023 | 5:44 PM
His Majesty the King and Prime Minister Rutte will attend the 19th edition of Veterans Day in The Hague on Saturday 24 June. This is a tribute to the more than 100,000 Dutch veterans who have served in the service of peace.
The day starts with a ceremony in the Koninklijke Schouwburg where veterans tell special personal stories, in combination with music and film images. The Prime Minister will deliver a speech at the end of the ceremony. Afterwards, the King will speak with a number of veterans in the theatre.
Seventy veterans will then be awarded a medal for their recent efforts at the Lange Voorhout. Defense Minister Kasja Ollongren will give a speech beforehand. A number of special decorations are presented with the medal by, among others, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of the Armed Forces and the Inspector General of the Armed Forces.
In the afternoon, King Willem-Alexander will conduct a parade on the Kneuterdijk, in which more than a hundred detachments will participate. These are both veterans and active-serving military personnel from all branches of the armed forces. The fly-past that kicks off the parade is extra large this year with eighteen historic and modern aircraft. The parade ends on the Malieveld, which has been set up as a Muziekplein and where public activities take place all day long.
Dutch Veterans Day is a tribute to all veterans who have served from the Second World War to the missions of today. The aim is to promote social recognition and appreciation for veterans. The day was established by the government and is organized by the National Veterans Day Committee, with the support of the Ministry of Defense and civil society partners.