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When is Queen’s Day in the Netherlands

Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) is an official holiday in the Netherlands to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and is now on April 30 each year. The Netherlands has had Queen’s Day since Queen Wilhelmina. It was originally named Princess Day. It was renamed Queen’s Day until the Queen ascended the throne. At that time, Queen’s Day was August 30, but celebrations were only held on the Queen’s special birthday at that time. , while celebrating the summer harvest.

After Queen Juliana took the throne, Queen’s Day was changed to April 30, the new Queen’s birthday. By 1980, after the current Queen Beatrice came to the throne, Queen Juliana’s birthday was still used as Queen’s Day of the Netherlands, and the day was set as a statutory holiday and celebrated nationwide.

The Orange Nassau family, the Dutch royal family, dates back to the 16th century in the Netherlands. The founder of the Dutch royal family was Prince Willem of Orange (1533-1584). Today the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Queen Beatrix has been the head of the Netherlands since she inherited the throne in 1980 and is the fourth queen of the Netherlands. She married Claus von Amsberg, a German diplomat, in 1966.

They have 3 sons: Prince William Alexander, Prince Johan Friso and Prince Constantijn, heirs to the throne. Since 1980 they have lived in the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, while the Queen and the Royal Family have their offices in Noordeinde in The Hague.

The history of Queen’s Day in the Netherlands begins with the grandmother of the (current queen) Wilhelmina. At the end of the 19th century, the Dutch Liberal Party proposed to hold an event to celebrate the Queen’s birthday in order to rally the people of the country. Since Queen Vihmina’s birthday falls on August 31st, it coincides with the harvest season in late summer, thus replacing the festive event of the Harvest Festival.

In 1902, news of Queen Weihemina’s recovery from a serious illness inspired the whole country. People felt that the Queen’s birthday was of great significance and believed that a national holiday should be established to celebrate. At the time, though, huge celebrations were only held on special birthdays for the Queen, such as her 50th birthday in 1930.

Following the accession of Queen Vihemina’s daughter, Queen Juliana, the Dutch continued the tradition of celebrating the Queen’s birthday, celebrating one day on April 30, Queen Juliana’s birthday. In 1980, after the current Queen Beatrix (Beatrix) took over the throne, in order to express her love for her mother, she decided to extend her mother’s birthday as Queen’s Day of the Netherlands.

Since then, April 30th has not only been set as a statutory holiday, but also been celebrated enthusiastically across the country, as lively as the annual carnival. Unlike previous queens, each year Queen Beatrix will choose to visit 2 Dutch cities on April 30 to celebrate the festival.

For the Dutch, the most important festival in spring is the Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) on ​​April 30. The streets and alleys are hung with the red, white and blue Dutch flag and the orange flag representing the royal family, and there are parades and lively concerts everywhere.

On this day, whether local residents or travelers, everyone will dress themselves in orange clothes, or directly paint orange paint on their faces (orange represents the Dutch royal family’s surname “Orange”). Anything that is orange or has something to do with royalty becomes a hot item in the market. On Queen’s Day of the Netherlands, various celebrations will be held all over the Netherlands.