Already before day and dew is the very first on his permanent place. It is Oscar Meijer from Amersfoort who is again the earliest on his permanent place. The clock struck 05.26, he says in his orange sweater full of buttons from the royal family. He has to wait hours before the entire ceremony around Prinsjesdag really starts. But for Meijer it is an annual strategy to get the best place.
The well -known Oranjefans were on the road early. © Rene Oudshoorn
“I’ve been doing this for 40 years. It remains wonderful to be able to see everyone so close.” Around him are again the famous Oranjefans, such as Johan Vlemmix from Eindhoven.
These three ladies from Bodegraven come to Prinsjesdag every year. © Rene Oudshoorn
Marijke, Anita and Suzeleen are on three folding chairs. The bad weather does not bother them. With blankets, ponchos and umbrellas ready, they brave the wind and rain. The ladies from Bodegraven have given each other the folding chairs as a gift. “We also brought orange tompoes. It remains a nice tradition for us and we just keep this up every year.” They also expect that the young generation will remain along the route in the future.
On the Lange Voorhout where the carriages come by twice, it is only a bit busier around 12 o’clock. In the stands, the spectators get their umbrellas and ponchos out of the bag every few minutes. Not all places are occupied.
The costumes group from Scheveningen is somewhat sheltered. © Rene Oudshoorn
For the costumes group from Scheveningen, the bad weather was no reason not to come to the city center. “We are a bit in the shelter here. And with the irons the hats are stuck well. We just think it’s very nice to be here and to wear the traditional costumes.”
The youth from Staphorst is also fully present in their gestation. After a long bus trip, the students are close to the entrance to the Royal Schouwburg and have so good view.
Daughter Eloise had taken a day off from school. She was lit with the Orange Virus by her parents. © Rene Oudshoorn
The 15-year-old Eloise Zangers, together with her father Marcel and mother Marie Anne, is completely dressed in the Orange. A photo of her with King Willem-Alexander appears on the high school’s shirt. The orange virus is contagious, it turns out. “Yes, I transferred it to my husband and together to our daughter again. A whole museum has been set up in the attic of our house,” says Marie Anne van de Fliert. Daughter Eloise is for the first time at Prinsjesdag and looks her eyes out. “It’s a special day, because I had only seen the king so far. Now everyone is there.”
Piet Jelsma is happy that Princess Ariane is also there this year. © Rene Oudshoorn
The fact that Princess Ariane also makes her appearance today is the reason for the Frisian Piet Jelsma that he is present early. “I came from Oosterwolde on Monday so that I could be here early. It’s nice to make everything like that. The orange orange on the cake,” he jokes.
Noordeinde Palace
At the Noordeinde Palace, where the members of the Royal House are collected by carriage, the enthusiasm is clearly less than normal. Yet a lot of fans have come to see how Ariane first gets with her sister Alexia, Uncle Constantijn and Aunt Laurentien in the Galaglasberline. Crown Princess Amalia then takes the glass carriage with Willem-Alexander and Máxima.
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There is a large number of guests on the right side of the entrance of the palace. Every year it is a different group of guests, this time they all have something to do with the Royal House Service. That is why the purveyor and the pickle king Oos Kesbeke watches how his ‘colleague’ Willem-Alexander is picked up.
Public closer
About an hour later the first horses come back in sight. Fans get up from their stools, take another sip of water and turn telephoto lens on their cameras. Because as soon as the members of the Royal House have been delivered again and the carriages are on their way to the stables, the audience can get closer.
A little after two is the day. Police officers remove the crush barriers, on which the Oranjefans pull a sprint towards the blue fences of Noordeinde. Not much later the royal company appears on the balcony to wave the Prinsjesdag public. Where Amalia has now been experienced, Ariane still waves a little stiff. Máxima is the first to give up, after which the rest of the family follows her.
Henk van Roekel (right) brought his friend Gert Staal to the ceremony this year.
Henk van Roekel from Ermelo also ran in the ‘storming of Noordeinde’. “I come once every five years to see it, I love the ceremonial of Prinsjesdag,” he says afterwards. The last time he was there-just after the family went on vacation in coronation time-he heard Boe-call. “But this year not, everyone was enthusiastic.”