King Willem-Alexander News

[Principessa]

Protesting Dutch farmers wanted to present a petition to the king at Huis ten Bosch palace. But this was not allowed.

https://nos.nl/artikel/23...ilen-politieblokkade.html

Farmers in The Hague protest, some bypass the police blockade

Farmers from all over the country drove to The Hague with tractors this morning to demonstrate against the cabinet's nitrogen policy and the associated buyout scheme. The road to the city center is closed with large army vehicles, but some farmers tried to drive to the center by avoiding a blockade. They were stopped by agents at Willem Witsenplein.

"The police have talked to them there and now the farmers are cooperating to leave for a parking space on the Benoordenhoutseweg. From there they can walk to the Koekamp", the police said. There will be speeches on a podium.

Dozens of farmers have parked their tractor along the Malieveld. According to the police, this is not as agreed. The Farmers Defense Force (FDF) campaign group, organizer of the protest, will ask farmers to park their vehicle on Benoordenhoutseweg, the The Hague police said.

The police do not know how many farmers there are now in The Hague. NOS reporter Henrik-Willem Hofs, who is on site, estimates that at least a thousand farmers have gathered at the Koekamp.

The first farmers arrived in The Hague before 4 a.m. this morning from Groningen, Limburg and Noord-Brabant. A delegation may later hand over a letter to the director of the King's Cabinet, at Korte Vijverberg.

Initially, the plan was to demonstrate at Paleis Huis Ten Bosch, but that was prohibited by the municipality. Forty farmers who have left Schaijk in Brabant, say they have permission to hold a tractor parade in the morning past Huis ten Bosch Palace, Omroep Brabant writes. A spokesperson for the municipality of The Hague emphasizes that they are not allowed to stand still or demonstrate.

According to the ANWB, farmers are causing delays on the provincial roads around The Hague. There are traffic jams on the N44 between Wassenaar and The Hague and the N207 between Bergambacht and Alphen aan den Rijn. Traffic can also be hindered on the A12.

Residents of The Hague complained about noise pollution on the internet. A local resident calls the tractor parade "a nice word for anti-social behavior at 4.30 am". Another writes that the farmers lose her sympathy with the "annoying honking".

FDF expects 1000 to 2000 tractors
It is still unclear how many activists will come to The Hague. "I expect 1000 to 2000 tractors in The Hague tomorrow, but that is an estimate", FDF vice president Jos Ubels told RTV Drenthe yesterday.

In the afternoon, the protesters want to go to the head office of the Central Bureau for Food Trade in Leidschendam, the trade association for supermarkets. There they want to present a 'quality mark'.

[Principessa]

WA at a visit at the Rotterdam zoo Blijdorp:




On 23 November, King Willem-Alexander visited Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam. The working visit focused on the consequences of the corona outbreak for research and breeding programs.

Zoos, conservation organizations and researchers worldwide collaborate in international research and breeding programs to keep animal populations healthy. They do this through, among other things, the European Endagered Species Program (EEP) of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

King Willem-Alexander visited the enclosures of the little (red) pandas and the Asian elephants and the nature conservation center. De Koning spoke with caretakers about the influence of the corona pandemic on the conservation of endangered species, the support of nature conservation projects in countries of origin and the cooperation between zoos and nature conservation organizations. De Koning spoke with several zoo administrators and the EAZA and researchers about the international initiatives that have arisen to prevent long-term damage to animal welfare and nature conservation.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will speak by telephone, in video conversations and, where possible, during working visits with stakeholders about the consequences of the corona crisis and the efforts of so many to combat the pandemic. During the working visit, the generally applicable guidelines for combating the corona virus were observed.

[Principessa]

https://nos.nl/artikel/23...ten-tussen-kameraden.html

King opens cemetery for veterans in Loenen, 'resting between comrades'




King Willem-Alexander has opened the National Veterans Cemetery in Loenen near Apeldoorn. The cemetery is for soldiers who have ever been on a mission. They don't have to have died on a mission.

Chairman of the cemetery Seger van Voorst tot Voorst says that the great sense of belonging and togetherness that soldiers feel, also plays a role after death. "There is a great need to rest between comrades and colleagues after life."

Partners can also lie in the veteran cemetery. "You pay yourself, we offer the stone as a kind of loan", says Van Voorst tot Voorst. There is room for 900 people.

The cemetery is located next to the plot for war victims, who fell mainly during the Second World War.

[Principessa]

King Willem-Alexander during a virtual working visit to the 113 Suicide Prevention helpline. Since the corona crisis, more people with suicidal thoughts are calling the helpline.

Sources:
Nu.nl
ANP

[Pomme]

https://nos.nl/artikel/23...ten-tussen-kameraden.html

King opens cemetery for veterans in Loenen, 'resting between comrades'




King Willem-Alexander has opened the National Veterans Cemetery in Loenen near Apeldoorn. The cemetery is for soldiers who have ever been on a mission. They don't have to have died on a mission.

Chairman of the cemetery Seger van Voorst tot Voorst says that the great sense of belonging and togetherness that soldiers feel, also plays a role after death. "There is a great need to rest between comrades and colleagues after life."

Partners can also lie in the veteran cemetery. "You pay yourself, we offer the stone as a kind of loan", says Van Voorst tot Voorst. There is room for 900 people.

The cemetery is located next to the plot for war victims, who fell mainly during the Second World War.

The inscription on the mirror reads:  This is how people who live in peace look.

[Principessa]

On Thursday (morning) March 25, Willem-Alexander visited Woonzorg Flevoland in Lelystad.

He spoke with nurses, counselors and residents about the effects of the corona pandemic on nursing and care home care and home care. Woonzorg Flevoland offers, among other things, nursing and care, day treatment, crisis shelter, district nursing and support at home.

The visit started at nursing home De Hanzeborg. De Koning speaks to nurses and counselors about home care and primary care, which was under great pressure during the first wave of the corona pandemic. Dealing with corona outbreaks was also discussed. De Koning spoke to residents about their experiences during this crisis and the visiting restrictions.




The King then visited Het Groene Huis, a daytime activity for people with (starting) dementia. De Koning spoke to visitors and their supervisors about their experiences, the temporary closure and what the daytime activities mean to them.

[Principessa]

From the NOS Liveblog about Corona:

King visits covid patients in protective clothing

King Willem-Alexander paid a visit this morning to the Van Weel-Bethesda Hospital in Dirksland on Goeree-Overflakkee. It involved a working visit to see what the consequences of the corona pandemic are on hospital care. He visited, among other things, with protective clothing on, the cohort ward where only corona patients are nursed.




RED: Dirksland is a town and former municipality on Goeree-Overflakkee Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirksland) Goeree-Overflakkee is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goeree-Overflakkee)

[anastasia beaverhausen]

Thank you for the photos, Principessa!   when time allows.

Good to see the royals visiting Covid wards.

[Principessa]

July 14- King Willem-Alexander swears in Prof. F.W. (Edwin) Bleichrodt as Attorney General at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

[Principessa]

14 July - King Willem-Alexander swears in Mr. M.J.M. (Marcel) Beukeboom as Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations in Rome.

[Principessa]

July 14 - King Willem-Alexander receives successively the ambassador of the Republic of Chile, H.E. Hernán Salinas Burgos and the Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana, Z.E. Francis Danti Kotia.

[Principessa]

14 July - Awarding the Royal Prize for Free Painting 2021

Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst (KPVS) (The Royal Prize for Free Painting) is 150 years old this year. In 1871 the prize was instituted by King Willem III as a Royal Subsidy for Free Painting. This makes it one of the oldest art prizes in the Netherlands.



Today King Willem-Alexander presents the Royal Prize for Free Painting 2021 in the Royal Palace Amsterdam to Rinella Alfonso, Philipp Gufler and Hend Samir. The three young artists will be distinguished and will each receive an amount of 9,000 euros. After the award ceremony, the King opens the exhibition in the gallery of the palace where the works of the winners and the other nominees can be seen. This year there were 566 entries.




On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Royal Prize, Princess Beatrix will open the jubilee exhibition 'Border Explorers, Royal Prize for Free Painting 150 years' parallel to the King's round. A selection of works by previous winners and nominees can be seen in the historic palace interior. A number of artists created new works of art to mark the anniversary.
Both exhibitions can be seen from 15 July to 3 October in the Royal Palace Amsterdam.







Speech by King Willem-Alexander on the occasion of the presentation of the Royal Award for Free Painting 2021, Amsterdam
 14-07-2021

Ladies and gentlemen,

Traditions are beautiful, but never self-evident.
Again and again we have to ask ourselves whether a tradition from earlier times still fits with the here and now.

This also applies to the Royal Prize for Free Painting, created in 1871 as a 'Royal Subsidy' by King Willem III.
Does the Prize still have a right to exist after 150 years?
The answer comes from the art world itself!
In a year that 566 young artists applied to compete, I think we can safely speak of a living tradition.

I am very happy about that, because I always enjoy the award ceremony. In the history of the Prize, I represent the fifth generation. And how wonderful that the fourth generation is also present this afternoon to celebrate this anniversary. Together we encompass no less than 41 years of the 'Royal Prize'.

Much has changed in judging and awarding in a century and a half.

In 1871 it was the distinguished gentlemen of Arti et Amicitiae who made the selection. Among other things, you had to have made 'antique and nude studies' and master the perspective flawlessly in order to be eligible for a subsidy.

Incidentally, landscape painter Marinus Heijl was awarded an extra hundred guilders because he 'still had to take care of his mother'.

In a century and a half something went wrong.

In 1952 artist Lei Molin expectantly sent in his work, and when it was returned, he was shocked to miss two paintings. His written response to the jury is famous: “I am in Switzerland for a nerve cure and this incident is certainly not conducive.”
It is sometimes forgotten, but there has not always been an official award ceremony like this. In the past, the entrants received the results by letter, and that was that. It was my grandmother who started an annual reception of the winners and the jury members in the early 1960s, then at Soestdijk Palace. There are still beautiful photos of that: all the winners with their often life-sized work outside on the lawn, and my grandmother beaming in between.

With all the changes in the shape of this tradition, I also see three constants.

First: criticism.
That one belongs.
“A fossilized relic of times gone by,” wrote one reviewer of the Prize.
That was in 1973…
As long as there is criticism, there is life, I say.

What has also remained: is the motivation behind the Prize. It is an encouragement, not an oeuvre prize. Intended for artists who are still in full development and can therefore use a helping hand.

And the third fixed element: every young artist working in the Netherlands can participate, regardless of education or background. That makes this price so approachable and inclusive.

I think it's fantastic that today - in addition to the work of the winners and exhibitors from 2021 - we also get a picture of the development of some participants from the last forty years.

Let's say: the time when my mother and I carry the tradition of the Royal Prize.
A perfect interpretation of the Summer Exhibition that is organized every year in this Palace.

If something like this happens again in 25 years, maybe today's winners will be among them. Three young artists with a promising future.

Rinella Alfonso is a child from the island of Curacao. The country she loves so much. The art is up for grabs on Curaçao. At least: if you have an eye for it.
The world is not so raked, not so tidy. There is all sorts of things: old stuff among the vegetation. And that is precisely what produces the most beautiful compositions. She managed to retain that fascination when she came to the Netherlands.

Rinella believes in the power of community and questions the ideal of the autonomous, individualistic artist. Her work is physical and overwhelming.

The second winner, Philipp Gufler, was born in Germany. He is intrigued by the effect of mirrors that reflect the world and the viewer. But that never happens directly in his work. The artist applies subtle colors to the reflective surface, creating a whole new reality.

His work is straightforward and poetic at the same time. Clean geometric shapes – squares, triangles – with a cloudy haze of colors.

The third winner is Hend Samir. She studied at the art academy in Cairo and brought her childhood experiences in Egypt to the Netherlands. Family is an important theme in her work. But don't expect classic family portraits with a fixed division of roles from her. Everyone is whirling around in organized chaos. Recognizable for many, I think!

Figuration and abstraction embrace each other in the works of Hend Samir. The pleasure of painting is exuding.

I would like to sincerely thank the jury chaired by Mrs Van den Bosch for the work they have done. I will gladly accept your nomination.

And I would like to thank all 566 artists who submitted their work for their interest in the Royal Prize.
In 1871 there were 45 entrants. And now more than 12 times as much. That gives confidence in the future! You are probably just as curious as I am who will award the prizes at the next anniversary – in 2046…

Congratulations to the three winners of this anniversary edition.

I would like to invite them to come forward:

Rinella Alfonso,
Philip Gufler,
Hen Samir.

[Principessa]

July 13 - Farewell Audiences Ambassadors of Cuba, Ukraine and Germany

King Willem-Alexander successively receives in farewell audience the ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, H.E. Ms Soraya Elena Alvarez Nuñez, the Ambassador of Ukraine, Z.E. Vsevolod Valeriyovych Chentsov and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Z.E. Dirk Bringelmann.

[Principessa]

13 July - Visit to the jubilee Brabants Dagblad

King Willem-Alexander visits the editorial board of the Brabants Dagblad in 's-Hertogenbosch on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the newspaper. The daily newspaper reaches 280,000 newspaper readers and 347,000 visitors via the website or app. The BD works with almost two hundred regional reporters, eighty of whom are permanent employees of the newspaper.

The king spoke with several reporters, photographers and a representative of the police about the increasing aggression against journalists and the risks and dilemmas associated with reporting on location. The King also spoke with an investigative journalist and a regional reporter about following local government and companies in the region, transparency and the considerations that are made in this regard.

After a short tour of the editorial floor along the news service, the online editorial team, the final editing and design, the King spoke with employees about diversity at the newspaper. Finally, the King met some readers of the Brabants Dagblad, both readers of the paper edition who are mostly older than fifty, and young people who read the newspaper via the free website and app.

[Principessa]

King not to the Olympics

King Willem-Alexander is not going to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The reason is the corona pandemic, according to the Government Information Service. The decision comes as no surprise. The Games are held in front of empty stands because a state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo.

The king will open the TeamNL Olympic Festival on July 23 on the sports beach in The Hague. Visitors can play sports there under the supervision of sports associations and follow the matches in Tokyo on large screens. The Dutch Olympic medalists are also honored there when they return from Japan.

The king has attended virtually all Olympic Games since 1994. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) between 1998 and 2013 and has been an honorary member since 2016.