It came to my attention that this year it’s the Queen’s 25th coronation anniversary. Which led me to look around for quotes and events that happend around that 1980 coronation. I can only remember the infamous pictures of a smoke bomb (to my surprise, no reference found on the internets).
But I agree with Wikipedia’s summary of Queen Beatrix’s reign: formal but professional. There’s a neat link to a recent acceptance speech of the Queen (in Dutch), for a rare doctorate: her humble speech is more or less a reflection of those 25 years of being head of the Dutch Royal House. I’m not particularly a Monarchist, but I have a tremendous respect for the Queen’s (and, naturally, her late husband’s) intelligent approach to politics. I remember there was a sigh of relief when she brokered the start of what was later known as the Purple Cabinet.
Which brings me to back to the part that drew my attention to this anniversary: the Queen’s 25th anniversary coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the Low Lands. We received an invitation for one of the many celebrations around the province. Since this may be one of the last commemorations, it might be a good idea to check the agenda for local celebrations. Naturally, I wish that the liberation of the former Dutch-East Indies (now Indonesia) will get the same level of attention. After this, we can finally let it rest. Lets hope others do too.