Travel

Queen’s Day in Amsterdam: History in the Making

All of Amsterdam crowded the city’s streets decked out in their best orange gear to celebrate what promised to be the biggest and best Queen’s Day yet. And as always, the locals didn’t disappoint.

Koninginnedag as the Dutch say marks the Queen’s birthday, but this year Queen Beatrix, the oldest reigning Dutch monarch, abdicated the throne to her son Crown-Prince Willem-Alexander on the date. Next year the country will celebrate King’s Day for the first time in 123 years.

The Dutch started partying the night before on Queen’s Night, where there is plenty of live music and DJs set up on the street and bigger events like the Queen’s Night Concert at the Concergebouw. Vrijmarkts, or free markets, open up the next morning all over the country where people clean out their attics and sell their unwanted goods. Children even get in on the action and sell their old toys to make some extra spending money.

But this year many people were glued to the telly as an estimated 25,000 people packed in to Dam Square in their best bright orange feather boas, crowns and Afros to watch the official abdication ceremony. An emotional Queen Beatrix introduced her newly crowned son to the public, “I am happy and thankful to present to you your new King”.

Overall it seemed that most of the Dutch were fond of their outgoing monarch, a few in the crowd in Dam Square were even seen shedding a few tears. The whole country has caught royal fever since the abdication was announced in January and stores were well stocked for weeks with orange sweets, decorations and clothes.

King Willem-Alexander and his young family are popular as well though, particularly his beautiful Argentinian wife Queen Maxima. The oldest of the couple’s three young daughters, Catharina-Amalia is now Princess of Orange and first in line to the throne.

The Queen or King’s Day celebrations are definitely an experience that should be on every well-seasoned traveller’s list. If you’re lucky you’ll make friends with someone who has a boat to take you up and down the canals. Lots of partygoers pile into the boats and dance precariously close to the water in ridiculously high heels as they make their way through the city. It’s definitely one way to avoid the massive crowds in what is largely considered to be the biggest street party in the world.

This year’s gorgeous sunny weather allowed all the restaurants and cafes to open up their patios and street vendors to sell overpriced drinks on the streets. There was plenty of free live music to enjoy all over the city in every genre from jazz to drum and bass.

If you get the chance next year to make it for the first King’s Day definitely do. No doubt the Dutch will go all out to top this year’s festivities.

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