Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and her husband Pieter van Vollenhoven attended the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem last night.
The evening began at the Sint Eusebius Church in the centre of the city of Arnhem where Princess Margriet and her husband were welcomed by the Mayor of Arnhem – Ahmed Marcouch. A service was held in the church and afterwards, Margriet and her husband joined the veterans in a silent march towards the Airborne Square at the foot of the famous rhine bridge – now called the John Frost Bridge. The Airborne Square is usually filled with traffic but it was closed off for the evening to allow pedestrians to see the ceremony from above. And many indeed came to watch.
During the ceremony, Princess Margriet watched from a place of honour as several wreaths were placed and the national anthems of Poland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands were played. The ceremony ended with 75 schoolchildren placing sunflowers near the monument.
Later today, the Prince of Wales will also visit the Sint Eusebius church. He will also visit the towns of Ede and Oosterbeek.