King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands held his annual Christmas speech earlier today.
As expected, the COVID-19 pandemic featured heavily in the speech. He made several examples of nurses, and students, longing for a normal life. He sympathised with all those who had lost loved ones in the pandemic and lamented the empty seats at the Christmas table. He thanked those who kept to the measures and who helped to make the vaccines available.
“My heart goes out to all those whose existence has been torn apart. People whose dreams have been crushed. Entrepreneurs whose healthy companies have gone under. People who feel lonely and who don’t know where to go.”
He also spoke of the ardent wish to return to normal life and the understandable feelings of uncertainty and resistance against further measures. He added that even the more radical opinions also had a place in a free society but he also said that people were not created to hate each other and quoted, “Love is patient and love is kind.”
He reminded everyone that Christmas is the start of lighter days and soon we would be able to hold each other again before wishing everyone a happy Christmas.
The speech was recorded a couple days ago in the Chinese Hall in Huis ten Bosch Palace where he lived with his family.
