So What Was Said During Prince’s Day? Posted by Karoly Molina on Sep 19, 2018 in Uncategorized
Yesterday was a big day in regards to fashion and economic policy in the Netherlands. During Prinsjesdag 2018, King Willem Alexander presented the cabinet’s plans for the upcoming year with important information about budgets and finances. Below the highlights of the events.
Photo taken by Minister-President Rutte found on Flickr.com with license CC BY 2.0
History
Prinsjesdag began in early 1800, and takes place on the third Tuesday in September. It used to take place on a Monday, however, this was not ideal because people who came from constituencies far from The Hague couldn’t make it for the Monday event. This is why, in 1887, the day was changed to Tuesday to give people the Monday to travel.
Traditions
There are a few traditions during Prinsjesdag. The King travels from the Paleis Noordeinde to the Binnenhof with the beautiful Gouden Koets or Golden Carriage. This beautiful carriage from the 19th century was a gift from the people of Amsterdam to the queen. Because it is so precious, the koets is used only for special occasions such as Prinsjesdag, a royal wedding, or the baptism of their children.
Once the King and Queen arrive, they take their place in the troon or throne, and the king reads the speech especially prepared by the cabinet. Once he is done, the chairwoman of the eerste kamer, Ankie Broekers-Knol, says leve de koning and all present reply hoera! hoera! hoera!
After the ceremony, the king and queen return to the palace and pose for the famous balkonscène.
Money talks
During his speech, the king lays out the plan for the upcoming year. Big changes are briefly mentioned, but it is safe to say you get an idea of the intentions for the upcoming year. In 2013, for example, the King announced the end of the generous welfare state and asked families to contribute more to each other’s care. This year’s theme was more along the lines of giving back to the people after all the cutbacks the government took due to the economic crisis in 2008. According to his speech, the Dutch will feel a slight ease in their pocketbook.
The following video explains in more detail the tradition of Prinsjesdag.
https://youtu.be/GYNUrbiekn4
A few of the main points from Prinsjesdag 2018 were growth in the economy, the expected cost of Brexit for the Netherlands, reduction of the 30% ruling for international workers to 5 years, increase in low rate BTW for some food and entertainment, extra money for the police in general and to combat cybercrime, more budget for education, among others.
Hoedjesdag!
This big day isn’t only about politics. Prinsjesdag also means that we get to see a parade of the latest trends in hats, and this isn’t exclusive to the people who attend the ceremony. Also, those waiting on the streets parade with the most unique and fun hats either purchased or homemade. Below is a quick video of the hats from the day.
What do you think about the plans for the upcoming year?
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About the Author: Karoly Molina
Since I was a little girl, I was fascinated with languages and writing. I speak English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and a little bit of French. I am a writer, reader, language teacher, traveler, and a food lover! I now live in The Netherlands with my husband Riccardo, our cat Mona, and our dog Lisa, and the experience has been phenomenal. The Dutch culture is an exciting sometimes topsy-turvy world that I am happily exploring!
Comments:
Pete:
Do kids get out of school for this? I remember Queen’s Day was such a big celebration and everyone was off work, out of school, etc, but I don’t remember Prinsjesdag at all, and I can’t remember if they made it a full holiday.
Pete
Karoly G Molina:
@Pete Hi Pete, no, kids do not get out of school for this event. King’s Day (which used to be Queen’s Day) is a holiday and that one is a big party while Prinsjesdaga is more of a political event.