Sunday 14
September 2014, between the stalls of the Book market and Antique market, on
the Lange Voorhout, The Hague:
the general rehearsal of the royal parade, a spectacular show put on by the
Salute Battery of the “Yellow Riders”, a concert by the Marine Band, or the
impressive international parade to celebrate 200 years of Prince’s Day, with
cavalry drawn from six different countries.
What is Prince’s Day?
The Joint Meeting
on Prince’s Day is an excellent expression of Dutch democracy at work. The
Upper and Lower Houses of the Dutch Parliament hold a joint meeting of the
States General on the third Tuesday of September, when the Head of State (the
King), in the name of the government, provides an explanation of the policy to
be pursued. This is set forth in Article 65 of our Constitution. This
explanation is popularly known as the Speech from the Throne.
On the same day, the government also tenders the budget for the Kingdom to the
States General, with the ‘Miljoenennota’ being a sort of explanatory memorandum
for this. The Speech from the Throne and the Miljoenennota collectively form
the backbone of our democracy: the budgeting right, in particular, gives the
elected representatives of the people an opportunity to maintain a check on the
power of the government.
Organisation for 200 years of Prince’s Day, 2014
The celebration of
200 years of Prince’s Day is an initiative by the ’200 years Kingdom’ Committee
in The Hague. This is the third event in the Hague to be organised in the
context of 200 years Kingdom. We have already witnessed the reenacted Landing
of Prince Willem I at Scheveningen and the Constitution Festival in The Hague,
both organised in conjunction with the National Committee. The celebration of
200 years of Prince’s Day represents the fruition of a close collaboration
among many bodies, initiatives and individuals in The Hague, including the
Prince’s Festival and Open Monuments Day.
What can you see on Sunday Sept.14 on the Lange Voorhout:
- General
rehearsal of the Royal Parade: 10.00 – 12.00,
- International
Parade by cavalry from the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany
and the United States: 13.00 – 14.00
- Show by the
Salute Battery Corps of the Artillery (Yellow Riders): 14.00 – 14.30
- Festive Prince’s
Day Concert by the Marine Band of the Royal Marines: 14.30 – 15.30
The market will have a different position, the bookstalls will be on their regular spot, joined by a few antique stands, the most antique stalls will be moved towards the Escher Museum, to make way for the parade.
For the complete program:
http://www.prinsjesdagdenhaag.nl/english
