For the first time in more than 100 years, Nederlanders will have to remind themselves to drop the "in" when referring to the monarch. "Koning" just doesn't have the same ring as "Koningin" and it's going to take some getting used to saying "Koningdag" (King Day) when it took three years for me to be able to say "Konininginnendag" (Queen's Day).
Queen Beatrix
announced her abdication on the 28th of January this year, a few days ahead of her 75th birthday.
She has been on the job since her mother, Queen Juliana abdicated in 1980 and has been a hugely popular monarch over the last 33 years. I think it's fabulous that the monarchs abdicate here. It seems they get to a certain age and think, "Bugger it. I'm retiring," and hand over the reigns (see what I did there?) to their first born. I wonder how often Queen Elizabeth thinks that now that she's staring down the barrel at 90...
So this year, instead of the usual
city visit, the Netherlands will be turning its attention to the coronation of Willem-Alexander, the first king since Willem III, who died in 1890, leaving daughter Wilhelmina in charge.
Quirky Fact
Did you know that until 1890 when Willem III died, Luxembourg was also ruled by the King of the Netherlands? The Grand Duchy was granted to the Nassau-Oranje (Oranje-Nassau) family in 1815 as compensation for lands lost to Prussia and the head of the family (Willem I) happened to be crowned King of the Netherlands around the same time. Luxembourg split from the Netherlands in 1890 when Willem III died, as the last male heir in the Nassau-Oranje line. Because women were not allowed to hold power in Luxembourg, the Dutch heir Wilhelmina could not take become the Grand Duchess, so Willem III's 17th(!) cousin once removed, Adolf de Nassau became Grand Duke of Luxembourg as the first male heir in the Nassau family
(source).
Not only that, when Willem III died Wilhelmina was only ten years old, so her mother Emma ruled as regent until 1898 when turned 18. All makes for a good historical novel, don't you think?
The Festivities
Every year thousands - what feels like millions - of people flock to Amsterdam to celebrate Queen's Day. The party usually starts on the 29th (Koninginennacht) with DJs, party boats and masses of people dressed in orange filling the city. I've never been to Amsterdam on Queen's Night and to be honest, that many drunk people in one place is just not my thing. But more importantly, there is never anywhere to go to the loo. One New Year's Eve I had to go in an alley next to the flash harry Hotel Krasnapolsky while my friend Jess had to stand guard, because there were no ladies toilets anywhere to be found on the Dam Square. I probably should have been embarrassed, but after a bottle of champers I was desperate!
But as usual, I digress.
The first Queen's Day I was in Holland Maarten took me to Amsterdam for Queen's Day and it was sheer madness. I spent most of the day with my nose firmly jammed in somebody else's armpit (as I'm Dutch armpit height), couldn't get a drink anywhere, the parties that we found were all DJs playing doof doof music (which I hate) and worst of all, we don't have a friend with a boat. The only place to be on Queen's Day (or any Amsterdam festival) in my opinion is on the canals in a half-submerged boat drinking beer and singing oompah-pah songs.
In the years since, we have stayed in Almere. We have a ritual we follow every year. Pretend nothing is going on on the 29th, get up early and head to Almere Haven to check out the flea markets, then Almere Stad to do the same in the afternoon. Since 2012 we've thrown the
children's flea market into the mix, finding some fantastic bargains.
Flea Market
The flea markets, or vrijmarkt, is a wholly Dutch phenomenon that I just love. Well, of course the flea market concept is not Dutch, but the scale of it is something that I have never heard of before in my life. Every city, town and village turns into one big outdoor market with people marking their space days before so they score the prime real estate. In Almere Stad the market kicks of at 6pm on the 29th and the city goes nuts. If you just happen to be trying to get from one end of town to the train station, forget it. All the streets and squares are clogged with families flogging their unwanted goods, trying to get the best possible price. It's a real party atmosphere, going on throughout the night with music and general
gezelligheid. Then, come about midday on the 30th everyone packs up their stuff (or just abandons it) and goes off to celebrate, or sleep.
My tip: If you're a serious shopper, make a list of what you want to buy and go on a mission to find it. Otherwise you'll find yourself wandering for hours picking up loads of crap that you will get home and realise you have no use for. Having said that, we did pick up a fantastic cast iron pot one year for 50c. Too bad it was at one of the first stalls we stopped at and then had to cart it around
all day. Correction requested by husband:
he had to carry it all day. Obviously I was far too busy buying crap that I didn't need...
Next Year
It will be Willem-Alexander's time in the sun. Controversially he has changed the date of the celebrations and King's Day will be on his birthday - 27 April. One of the (many) reasons Queen Beatrix has been so greatly loved is because she made the decision not to change the Queen's Day festivities to her own birthday, which is in January as she wanted to make sure that the Dutchies at least had a
chance at some sunshine.
The controversy isn't that Willem-Alexander is changing the date however, but that the new date falls on a Sunday. Big deal, I hear you think. Well yes, it is. Unlike other countries, when a national holiday falls on a weekend the government does not make the following Monday a holiday in leiu. So we are being robbed (robbed, I tell you!) of a public holiday in 2014. Actually, it saves the economy millions. But that doesn't make it any more fun.
And finally, it must be highlighted that one may not be king without a beard:
Zonder baard, geen koning
How do you feel about our new king? And how do you celebrate Queen's Day? Or what is your favourite holiday from your home country?
