Royal couple on a hay bale in a sheep shed, talking to Texel people

Whether he doesn’t want to sweep the floor and especially not clean up everything. “Of course we make sure it’s neat, but not extreme.” And do the plush chairs still have to be ordered? “No. We just sit on hay bales, but with a rug on top. Made of Texel sheep’s wool.”

Raked

Sheep farmer Jan Willem Bakker is looking forward to the visit of the royal couple. He has already received several visits before the couple arrives. “Of course it has to be safe,” says Bakker. “There are different protocols and I fully understand that.” The King’s Commissioner Arthur van Dijk has already been to the yard: “Of course they always come to places where it is very raked. Then people are not in normal behavior. If it looks different, it still feels like you are a bit you are a guest in your own yard.”

The Texel sheep farmer is delighted that he can welcome the royal couple on Tuesday. “I am also a royalist,” he says proudly. “It is the first time that the royal couple has come here. I am not afraid of it. That may sound a bit arrogant, but above all I really like it.”

Bakker doesn’t get much time for his story. “It’s important that I move quickly to the point come. That is sometimes a problem for me. I am normally quite tall. But I will have to give a summary now, because we have limited time.”

Fan

Jan Willem just appears in jeans and a cap, because the sheep still have to be milked in the morning. “It would be different if I had to come somewhere else. Dress neatly and adhere to all kinds of protocols. Now I receive them in my own environment and we are very proud of that. We like to convey that to people of all backgrounds, so also to the king and queen.” Bakker is a big fan of the royal family. “Especially from Máxima,” he says with a big smile. “But also from the king.”

Bakker likes the fact that he can draw attention to his company. For example, former Prime Minister Balkenende also paid a visit. “It has not made it easier for us to do our activities. What we do notice is that more people are coming who are aware that this part of Texel is truly unique.”

Strot

“If we find something special, then we all cherish it and treat it with care. Then we are also inclined to give the farmers more space here.” Extra compensation for farmers in the Hoge Berg area is necessary, according to Bakker. “Because otherwise you will turn these farmers’ throats. Of course you can work very hard, just to keep your head above water. That is what we are doing now. But the next generation will not do that. And that would be a shame. “

Erik Polderman of Surfschool Foamball also joins agricultural representatives LTO and TOP (Texels Ondernemers Platform) at the sheep farm. Polderman will talk to the king and queen about climate change and how they deal with it as entrepreneurs.

Texel residents are reasonably inventive in this area, he says: “On the island we can always switch quickly, but we often run into national regulations that do not match the plans we have. That can sometimes delay.”

Polderman will mainly talk about the beach. “We have a coast that is constantly moving. As entrepreneurs, we have to constantly anticipate this. We do this in collaboration with various parties. But that is also the tricky part, because everyone has a different interest there.”

It is the first time for Polderman that he has been allowed to shake hands with the royal couple. He has no sleepless nights. “I see the king as a person I respect. I see him as any other interlocutor. He has already studied the matter enormously before. I think he can now hear how things really go here. We appreciate it great that they are now coming by themselves.”

“Whether I’m going to offer the king a lesson in surfing? Haha, I’ve never seen him do that. Climate adaptation is of course also dealing with the elements. Then he can experience these elements up close.”

In the Kaap Skil museum in Oudeschild, the royal couple will be given a tour of special objects, including the silk 17th-century dress found in the Palmhout wreck. The collection gives meaning to the rich history that took place off the coast of Texel. “We have prepared ourselves very well,” says museum director Corina Hordijk. “That’s also because all employees have put their shoulders to the wheel here.”

quarter

The museum has already been visited four times for inspection. First a surprise visit from employees of the municipality and province. “Initially it is not clear who it is. We did not think they would both come. That is of course super fun.”

No public is allowed during the visit. Hordijk: “The tour I give has already been discussed. I can show the delegation around for fifteen minutes and then we have a conversation for another 25 minutes. That’s quite a good result.”

It is not the first time that the king has visited the Kaap Skil museum. “I was also allowed to show the king around once in 2014. Then it was more about nautical life.” This time the 17th-century silk dress is central. “But how do we proceed with the shipwrecks at the bottom of the Wadden Sea? The dress has of course become famous, but there is of course much more. The intention is to come up with a plan for the whole story.”

Slavery

The museum director wants more attention to be paid to what else lies at the bottom of the Wadden Sea. There are still many wrecks with precious treasures. Hordijk: “How do we deal with this? How do we ensure that the Texel divers have a role to play. The legislation must also be amended for this. Not only the Palmhout wreck, where the dress comes from, but also the Shard Wreck is fantastic. Slavery is a hot topic right now. A wreck like this tells that story like no other.”

Hordijk is not nervous either. “No, not at all,” she says. “Maybe at that moment itself. I already have my dress ready.” She is looking forward to the royal visit. “I think it’s great that we get the chance to show the collection and tell the story. And to also sound the alarm for the future. Then this is a great opportunity.”