Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, the Princess of Orange, attended her first Opening of Parliament yesterday, but the mood soon turned sour. The Opening of Parliament is called Prinsjesdag in the Netherlands.
Prinsjesdag always takes place on the third Tuesday in September. King Willem-Alexander addressed a joint session of the States-General of the Netherlands, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and gave a Speech from the Throne. This speech set out the policies for the coming parliamentary session. As the heir to the throne turned 18 years old last December, she will, from now on, attend Prinsjesdag.
Princess Amalia joined her parents in the traditional carriage ride in the Glass Coach, but the streets were lined with both fans and protesters. Farmers, holding the Dutch flag upside down, booed as the carriage procession made its way to the Royal Theatre. Shouts of “traitors!” could also be heard from the crowd. The farmers have been protesting the government’s nitrogen plans for months. The royal family seemed unfazed and continued waving at the crowd. However, Princess Beatrix, who watched the procession from the building of the Council of State, could barely see over the protesters.
Following the speech, the royal family returned to Noordeinde Palace for the balcony appearance, but once more, the boos drowned out the cheers. It turned out to be quite a short balcony appearance.
