THE HAGUE--King Willem-Alexander dedicated one line to the Dutch Caribbean in his traditional "Speech from the Throne" during Budget Day, the third Tuesday of September. It was the 200th time that the so-called Prinsjesdag (Princes' Day) was held in The Hague.
The reference to the Dutch Caribbean was related to a previous line in the Speech from the Throne regarding the importance of healthy government's finances, an equable division of income, a maintainable system of social and old age facilities, a well-functioning labour market and housing market, a future-focused educational system, and affordable and accessible healthcare to realise a structural recovery and growth of the economy.
"In this sense the eye of government is also aimed at cooperation with the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom to promote a sustainable development of society there as well," read the King from the speech that was prepared by the Rutte-Samson government.
The king, with his wife Queen Máxima next to him, read the Speech from the Throne in the presence of several hundred invited guests, which included the Members of the First and Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, Members of the Council of Ministers, Ministers Plenipotentiary Marvelyne Wiels of Curaçao, Alfonso Boekhoudt of Aruba and Mathias Voges of St. Maarten, and Governors Lucille George-Wout of Curaçao and Eugene Holiday of St. Maarten.
The king and queen, as usual, arrived at the Ridderzaal on the Binnenhof in their golden carriage. Some 25,000 people lined the streets through which the Golden Carriage passed from Palace Noordeinde to the Binnenhof and back, to wave at the royal family and to take photos. The warm weather attracted a larger than usual number of spectators and in some areas people packed together in six or seven rows behind each other.
The crowd waved at the king and queen. The king's brother, Prince Constantijn and his wife Princess Laurentien rode in a separate carriage, which was black. They too received a warm welcome from the eager and happy spectators, many of whom had been waiting for several hours. Princess Beatrix also witnessed "Prinsjesdag," from the Cabinet of the King.
After their return to Palace Noordeinde, the King, Queen, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien stood on the balcony for the traditional, so-called balcony scene, and waved to those spectators who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family.
The Prinsjesdag scene then turned to the Second Chamber where shortly after Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem presented the 2015 budget to Parliament in the traditional briefcase. This year, Prinsjesdag, a day filled with traditions had an additional dimension as it was held for the 200th time.
