King's Day? Huh?

That is going to take some getting used to. And how dare the incoming king move Queen's Day! For as  long as I have been in the Netherlands the 30th of April has been Queen's Day. And now suddenly, in 2013, we are on the verge of celebrating the last Queen's Day for some time to come. If the current reign is anything to go by I'll be in my seventies by the time I see Queen's Day again. I'm not even going to think about that.

So it's time to start getting used to the idea that Queen's Day will be King's Day in 2014. And instead of the 30th April we will celebrate it on the 27th April. Which by my calculation will mean that King's Day will fall on a Sunday next year. Which means no day off for anyone. Not a good start your majesty......

What will you be doing to mark the last Queen's day on the 30th? Do you plan to watch the coronation? Where will you be celebrating?

Veteran's Day 2012 in The Hague

The annual gathering of Dutch veterans took place today in The Hague. The weather was very Dutch; we used the parasol and the rain cover for the pram, visitors used their umbrellas adorned in short sleeves.... but that took nothing away from the day. It was as usual a great day.

The highlights were again the procession of veterans through the city centre, the military flypass followed by soaking up the atmosphere on the Malieveld. The sounds and atmosphere of Veteran's day are special by themselves; the sounds of veterans catching up in the blue and yellow striped marquees, chatting and laughing over beer and nasi; the roar of military vehicles over the field; the laughter and delight of children climbing towers and sitting on tanks and planes;  the galloping of horses; the military bands. It's a special day. Not just for the veterans themselves, but all those who witness the spectacle.

Here are some photos which capture the day.

The Military Flypast
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

Military Aircraft in the Clouds During the Flypast
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

A picture that looks like it could be decades old - but was taken today in the centre of The Hague
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander on the Malieveld
in The Hague for Veteran's Day
Photo: (c) Lars van Mulligen

"Vergeet Ons Niet" - the message of this band playing on the Malieveld today, highlighting the plight of
Papua New Guineans
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, greeting veterans (and their wives) today in The Hague
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

A Veterans Day sand sculpture
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

Dutch military presence (past and present) highlighted on
a mile post
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

A UN vehicle
Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

Flying the Dutch Flag - and the Orange" Wimpel"

A Dutch street on Queen's Day
Photo: (c) The Writing Well

It's nearly Queen's Day, which means the flags will soon be out in force in the Dutch streets hanging from house flag poles. We don't have a flag holder on our house, nor do we own a Dutch flag to hang even if we did... but I did stumble upon "general flag instructions in Zoetermeer" on the internet and was quite surprised by the rules around flag flying around here. You can't just get your flag out and start willy-nilly waving it about how and when you want, you know!

For a start there are moments for 'general flagging' (where you and I can wave away) and there are times for "restricted flagging" (only on state building etc). Here are the dates when General Joe Public may proudly fly the Dutch flag from their houses:

30 April - Queen's Day
4 May - Remembrance day (with time restrictions and flag must be flown at half mast)
5 May - Liberation Day
Last Saturday in June - Veteran's Day
15 August - official end of World War 2
3rd Tuesday in September (only in The Hague) - Opening of Parliament

So there you have it. General Joe Public may not hoist the flag for any royal birthdays - you'll only see flags out on state buildings and the like for these occasions.

But wait, there's more. On Queen's Day you may also raise your orange wimpel with the Dutch flag. For non-Dutch speakers - a wimpel is a bit of material shaped like a long neck tie. It's the only use you'll ever get our of your orange wimpel so make the most of it on Saturday.

And that's not it... if the said flag flying day should fall on a Sunday or a Christian holiday then the date for official flag raising may change.....

And there is actually more about the size and colours of the flag, how it should be raised and how it the flags should sit should there be two together. Really. And you thought the Dutch rolled out of bed on any given Queen's Day and just 'put their flag up". Now you know......

Enjoy Queen's Day!

A Busy Week for Brits and Dutch Alike

Wow - this week has it all going on: my son's first birthday on Thursday, THE royal wedding on Friday, Queen's Day on Saturday and a visit from my dad and step-mum to top it all off. It's all go!

Westminster Abbey in London
Photo: Thomas Stepanow

No Brit could possibly be oblivious to the wedding that will take place on Friday between the crown prince William and his fiancee Kate. You can buy street party packs online (in varying sizes depending on your street size), hats, flags (specifically called waving flags which are not to be mistaken for the non-waving flags), bunting, balloons, royal china, commemorative crystal, jewellery and even... I-Phone cases. All the things you never knew you needed to remember this royal wedding are on sale. But, a huge pro in my humble opinion, living abroad means us Brits miss all this - the shops here are obviously not full of royal wedding memorabilia...... I, like many, like a good wedding but I don't need earrings and a mug for the occasion.

And if you thought living in the Netherlands would mean escaping the wedding itself.. think again - the NOS will be broadcasting live from Westminster Abbey. Whilst it won't capture Dutch hearts like the Willem-Alexander and Maxima union, it's sure to bring in huge audiences. The bad news for Brits abroad is that they won't be enjoying the additional bank holiday that those back home get for the occasion......

And talking of Willem-Alexander and his wife... as I was... they will be in attendance at the big event before they fly back to take part in the celebrations in Thorn and Weert in Limburg for Queen's Day on Saturday. Of course, Queen's Day celebrations are going on across the country and The Hague and Amsterdam have large celebrations planned.

Expat Royal Wedding Fever

According to an article in The Telegraph this week, there has been a significant surge in flight searches within the Netherlands for the dates around THE royal wedding planned for 2011.

For those of you living under stones or who have been incommunicado in recent weeks, the British crown prince, Prince William, is due to marry Kate Middleton on April 29 2011. It is the first royal wedding of interest since Prince William's father married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 (and no I won't say "and look at how that turned out").

Is this surge in flight searches British expats scrambling to get back to the UK for the big event? Or does it reflect wedding-happy Dutch travellers keen to compare this British royal wedding to the Dutch royal wedding of Maxima and Willem-Alexander?

The fact that so many Brits are looking to escape the UK around the time of the wedding and take advantage of the additional time off work might give us a clue......

Who's heading back for the royal wedding? Anyone? Or are you staying put to celebrate Queen's Day like only the Dutch can? Any Dutch expats in Britain planning to head to London for Kate and William's special day?