So, today, the 30th of April, was for many people a day just like any other. For all of us here in the Netherlands, though, it was a historical day; the kind you experience maybe once or twice (probably twice) in a lifetime. Woah!
Today, our beloved Queen, Beatrix, abdicated, and her son, Willem-Alexander, became King. Pretty awesome, if I may say so. While I’m not overly fond of our monarchy, or our royal house in general, I do really like all the very Dutch festivities, and Queensday was always a really fun one. It’s strange that I’ll have to say Kingsday from now on…
Anyway, as far as they go, this one was pretty good for me personally. I watched a lot of the official ceremonial stuff on TV – he didn’t even get to wear a crown! WHAT!? – and I went into town to the rommelmarkt (the traditional flea markets that are organised everywhere, where people basically just sell a whole lot of very old, very useless crap. It’s great. Two years ago I bought a whole bunch of Beatles CDs). We had grass juice shots. I thought they were disgusting, my friend really liked it. Cray cray. I also ate ice cream and cotton candy – yay! Plus, in the end the weather was pretty nice, and the whole day was rain free, which is very much not always the case… Oh, and I had a lovely dinner with some other friends. All in all quite successful, apart from the fact that I did none of the work I should have done. Lalalalala…
Anyway, here are some pictures for you to get a feel for today’s vibe (none of them by me):
© Reuters
BAM. Ermine cloak, hell yeah.
© Huffington Post (?)
Queen Maxima looking so pretty! I also really liked the Taminiau dress she wore in the evening, but I can’t find good pictures of that yet.
© Bakker Bart
Also had one of these today – yummeh! Normaly these tom poucen are pink-topped; they’re some of my favourite pastries out there.
Basically what we all look like, more or less, on Qingsday.
I’m not much of a monarchist either. Dear ole Queen Liz seems to be trying to beat Queen Victoria’s record. Can’t see the point myself. I reckon that she should follow the lead of your royals, abdicate, and then Prince Charles — I mean ‘King Charles III’ (though I think he’s considering choosing another name, if — and when! — the time comes) should dissolve Parliament and take control… I figure that’s the only way we might actually get something done here in Blighty.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your Qingsday! 🙂
Haha, yes – we do like to make fun of Charles over here… He’s just not much of a king, I think. But you guys don’t have a tradition of abdication, though, right? It’s really until death make you part, and all? Cause I can see how Elizabeth would be reluctant then to just step down… (especially to her son :P)
I think the tradition mostly involves reigning monarchs dying in battle: not a lot of that goes on when the only battles you’re involved in is with a bunch of feisty corgis.
Personally, I think it’s a real shame. I believe that, for all his obvious faults, Prince Charles has his heart in the right place.
Ahahaha, the corgis 😛 But yeah, I don’t really know that much about him, but I’m sure he’d do fine. He seems a bit goofy, but nice.
I don’t know much about him either: as with most things, only what I’ve been shown on the telly and in the ‘news’ as I’ve grown up.