A royal time in Amsterdam
The annual Queen’s Day festivities are probably Amsterdam’s biggest event, celebrated by locals and visitors from all over the world. However, the Dutch Royal family are not as well-known as the British monarchy. Here we give some background about the Dutch royals and some suggestions for a right royal time in Amsterdam.
Constitutional Monarchy
The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, meaning that the Queen is head of state in a parliamentary democracy. Queen Beatrix has been the head of the Dutch state since 1980 and she, together with the ministers, makes up the government. The Queen has to carry out a number of official tasks in this role. The Dutch Royal House is the House of Orange-Nassau, which dates back to William of Orange (1533-1584). This is why the colour orange is so prominent in the Netherlands, especially on Queen’s Day – the Queen’s official birthday celebration – when Amsterdam is bathed in this cheery colour.
Royal family
A difference is made between the Dutch Royal Family and the Dutch Royal House. Not everybody in the Royal Family (the Oranje-Nassau’s) is necessarily in the Royal House. Members are no longer in the Royal House if they lose their Dutch nationality, if their membership is withdrawn by Royal Decree, or if they marry without Parliament’s permission. The heir to the throne is Queen Beatrix’s son, Prince Willem Alexander. He is married to Princess Maxima, and they have three daughters – Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.
Royal Palace in Amsterdam
The Queen has the use of three palaces, which belong to the State - Noordeinde, Huis ten Bosch and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, located on Dam Square. Designed by architect Jacob van Campen, the Royal Palace was originally built as a grand Golden Age city hall in 1648. However, in 1806 Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, became King of Holland and transformed the building's function into a Royal Palace, which it still is today.
Visiting the Royal Palace
These days, Amsterdam’s Royal Palace is mainly used by the royal family for entertaining and official functions, such as state visits, the Queen’s New Year receptions and other official receptions. It is also possible to visit the Royal Palace when it’s not being used by the royals. It is open daily in summer, otherwise from Tuesday to Sunday. Guided tours conducted by qualified art historians are also available but these must be booked at least two weeks in advance.
Whether you are a royalist or not, a trip to the Royal Palace will leave you feeling like royalty in Amsterdam.
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