Willem-Alexander - News & Events 2024

[Principessa]

Today marks ten years since flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine.

https://www.nu.nl/binnenl...-bij-mh17-herdenking.html

Loosely translated as:

King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Schoof present at the MH17 commemoration

By our news editors
Jul 8, 2024 at 6:02 pm


Prime Minister Dick Schoof and King Willem-Alexander will attend the commemoration of the MH17 disaster on Wednesday, July 17. It is exactly ten years ago that day that the scheduled flight was shot down. The commemoration takes place at the National Monument in Vijfhuizen. Schoof gives a speech there, which is attended by approximately thirteen hundred relatives. Various ministers from home and abroad are also present.

During the meeting, the names of all 298 victims are read out. In addition, two minutes of silence will be held. Afterwards, the king and the prime minister will speak with relatives and those involved.

Several television broadcasts focus on the disaster of flight MH17. For example, KRO-NCRV will start a documentary series next week and NOS will produce an interview program with music fragments.

[Principessa]

A picture of earlier today of WA arriving at the MH17 memorial

[Principessa]

[ralf103]

Nice to see WA there, I had a horrible feeling he wouldn't attend as they jet off for Greece days ago. I assume he flew back and forth for it.

[Principessa]

Nice to see WA there, I had a horrible feeling he wouldn't attend as they jet off for Greece days ago. I assume he flew back and forth for it.

IMO it would have looked (very) bad for him not to show up here....

[Principessa]

https://www.nu.nl/achterk...che-spelen-in-parijs.html

Willem-Alexander, Máxima and princesses visit the Olympic Games in Paris

By our entertainment editors
Jul 18, 2024 at 11:54 am
Update: 4 hours ago

The royal couple and their daughters Amalia and Alexia will visit the Olympic Games in Paris later this month. King Willem-Alexander has been invited as an honorary member by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Willem-Alexander will be there from July 25 to 30, the Government Information Service reports. Máxima and the couple's two eldest daughters arrive a day later.

They will attend the opening ceremony together with Prime Minister Dick Schoof. They also visit the Olympic village.

It is tradition for the royal couple to travel to the Olympic Games. They skipped the previous Games due to the corona pandemic.

State Secretary Vincent Karremans of Youth, Prevention and Sport will also visit the sporting event, which takes place from July 26 to August 11.

[Principessa]

Article of July 17:

https://www.vorsten.nl/vo...g-terug-naar-griekenland/

Loosely translated as

King with government aircraft on his way back to Greece

King Willem-Alexander is on his way back to Greece, where he is currently on holiday with his family. The king returned briefly on Wednesday for the commemoration of the victims of the MH17 air disaster.

While Willem-Alexander flew with the private jet PH-UZI on the way there, he opted for the government aircraft PH-GOV for the return journey. The plane took off from Schiphol Airport around 5 p.m.

Wednesday marks ten years since the passenger plane was shot down over Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists. During the commemoration of the 298 passengers, King Willem-Alexander laid the first sunflower, which symbolizes the memory of the victims. Prime Minister Dick Schoof gave a speech.

[Principessa]

https://www.linda.nl/nieu...-koningspaar-griekenland/

Loosely translated as:

HOLIDAY FOR WILLEM-ALEXANDER AND MÁXIMA: GOVERNMENT AIRPLANE LANDED IN GREECE
ROYAL HOUSE | BE RIGHT BACK

08-07-2024
NEWS EDITORIAL

The government aircraft of the Netherlands, the PH-GOV, landed in Athens on Monday afternoon. It has not been officially confirmed why the plane flew to Greece, but we do know that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima spend an annual holiday in that country.
They have owned a luxury villa on the Greek Peloponnese peninsula since 2012.

GREECE
19-year-old Princess Alexia has announced that she and her sisters Amalia and Ariane will also be present again this holiday. “It's really nice to be on holiday with my parents, it's still a lot of fun,” said Alexia during the photo session last June. “And because everyone in the whole family is everywhere, all year round, it is nice to celebrate a little summer together.”

The public agenda of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima is virtually empty until August 27. Willem-Alexander will be present on Wednesday, July 17, at the commemoration of the air disaster with flight MH17 at the National Monument in Vijfhuizen. It will be exactly ten years ago that the plane was shot out of the sky over Ukraine.

[lyndell75]

The King is at the 75th anniversary celebration in Mirns in Fryslân. Together with a Sunflower participant, the King is cycling on the Sunflower Bike, which allows people with disabilities to go on bicycle trips
https://x.com/koninklijkhuis

[Principessa]

The King is at the 75th anniversary celebration in Mirns in Fryslân. Together with a Sunflower participant, the King is cycling on the Sunflower Bike, which allows people with disabilities to go on bicycle trips
https://x.com/koninklijkhuis

FYI

The organisation is called De Zonnebloem ( Dutch for The Sunflower):

which is a Dutch national volunteer organization that is committed to helping people with physical limitations due to illness, age or disability.

With approximately 30,000 volunteers in 2021, it is one of the largest volunteer organizations in the Netherlands. The association has more than 1,000 local branches that organize activities individually or in collaboration. Every year, approximately one million home visits are made to people who have difficulty leaving the house due to a physical disability. Zonnebloem organizes customized holidays in the Netherlands for thousands of people, with care and medical supervision in accessible accommodations. The river cruise ship MPS de Zonnebloem sails 42 weeks a year through the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

De Zonnebloem originated from a radio program especially for the sick and disabled. Presenter Alex van Wayenburg started it in 1945 at Radio Herrijzend Nederland. A year later, the KRO took over the program, which was now called Radioziekenbezoek De Zonnebloem. Van Wayenburg's goal, a society in which more attention is paid to the sick and disabled, was a success. On January 17, 1949, the De Zonnebloem Foundation was established. Local committees were established all over the country to visit the sick and organize other activities. In 1964, the foundation became an association with supporting members who provided the necessary finances with an annual contribution. The number of members, as well as the number of volunteers, increased, so that more and more activities could be organised. In 1985, an adapted hotel ship for holiday trips with sick and disabled people was put into use. The money for the ship was raised through massive participation of the Dutch public in a game show, the 1-2-3-show, which was broadcast by the KRO. Queen Beatrix launched the motor passenger ship Zonnebloem. A new ship, again called Zonnebloem, was put into use in 2006. This ship can accommodate 2850 people with a physical disability on holiday each year.

Since 2014, Zonnebloem has been renting out wheelchair cars at a reduced rate. This makes it possible for people who use a mobility scooter or wheelchair to go out with their own family or friends. There are approximately 50 Zonnebloem cars for rent throughout the Netherlands. In 2022, the Zonnebloem bicycle was also introduced according to a similar concept, a wheelchair bicycle that is also rented out at various locations in the Netherlands.

De Zonnebloem is well known in the Netherlands, at least in my surroundings.

It was one of the organizations my parents donated to, or maybe still do. Years ago I had some spare time and was looking for volunteer work, especially during the holidays. At the time I asked De Zonnebloem for information, but we couldn't find a match.

[thecrownjewelthief]

The King is at the 75th anniversary celebration in Mirns in Fryslân. Together with a Sunflower participant, the King is cycling on the Sunflower Bike, which allows people with disabilities to go on bicycle trips
https://x.com/koninklijkhuis

Awww, super cute pictures! They all seem to be having a blast.

[Principessa]

https://www.nu.nl/nujij/6...paralympische-spelen.html

Loosely translated as:

Where is the king? Interest groups miss head of state at Paralympic Games

By Nienke Groenewoud and Danja Koeleman
Sep 5, 2024 at 05:00
Update: 22 hours ago

Advocacy groups for people with disabilities and inclusion regret the absence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima at the Paralympic Games. It is a stark contrast to the enthusiasm that the royal couple showed at the Olympic Games.
"This shows that disabled sports are not considered equal. These are also top athletes who put everything aside," Taco Nijhoff of the association Inclusie Nederland told NU.nl. Nijhoff himself was a wheelchair tennis player. To him, it feels as if Paralympians are seen as inferior. "And that hurts." Umbrella organization Ieder(In), interest group WijStaanOp! and knowledge institute Movisie are also critical. More about that later.

At the end of July, the king spent a week in Paris to attend the Olympic Games. He was invited as an honorary member by the International Olympic Committee. He was accompanied by his wife Máxima and daughters Amalia and Alexia for the vast majority of that week. The Paralympic Games have now been underway for over a week. On NU.nl, some readers wondered why the royal family is not in Paris to cheer on the Paralympians.

We put that question to the Government Information Service, the king's spokesperson. They announced that Princess Margriet was in Paris from 27 to 29 August for the Paralympic Games. Margriet is the sister of Princess Beatrix and was previously a member of the honorary board of the International Paralympic Committee.

"In addition, the king and queen express their support for the participants of the Paralympic Games on social media," the RVD emphasizes. The king will also receive the medal winners at Noordeinde Palace on Tuesday 10 September, together with Margriet, just as he did with the Olympians.

The RVD does not want to answer the question of why the royal couple is not in Paris themselves to express their support.

'I think it's a bit awkward'
Royalty expert Rick Evers has a hunch as to why the royal family is absent. "It's a bit awkward," he notes. "The Olympic Games took place in the summer. In the meantime, normal life has resumed. The king is busy with meetings and his normal agenda."

"It's very nice for him that his aunt can still do it, because she does it with heart and soul," he continues. "It wouldn't be nice to deny her that visit either."

'Painfully clear that it is viewed differently'
But according to Nijhoff of the association Inclusie Nederland, it still shows a symbolic difference. "The king is our head of state. You expect that if he comes to the Olympic Games, he will also go to the Paralympic Games. Then it is equal," he explains. "It is all well-intentioned, but there is a difference between the king's arrival and the arrival of Princess Margriet."

Umbrella organization Ieder(In) would prefer to see the Royal Family cheering on all Dutch athletes, "both athletes with and without a disability," according to a spokesperson. "It would be good if they were more prominently present at the closing ceremony or at the next Paralympic Games."

Joris Berkers of the interest group WijStaanOp! agrees. "It is of course very nice that Princess Margriet was there," he says, "but we think it is a shame and regret that the king is not there." The fact that Willem-Alexander was at the Olympic Games makes it "painfully clear" to him that the Paralympic Games are viewed differently. "They weigh up their interests in their busy schedules and that is clearly different here." Chef de mission of Paralympic TeamNL Esther Vergeer says she can understand that the royal couple cannot visit the Games. "The Royal Family is very involved in Paralympic sports and I have always felt that support as a player and as chef de mission," she says. "We understand that they are not visiting the Paralympic Games, they cannot be everywhere."

Knowledge institute: 'Show that there are gradations'
But according to Berkers of WijStaanOp!, the king and his family are a unifying factor in the country and could play an important role at the Paralympic Games. This is emphasized by program director Lou Repetur of Movisie, a Dutch national knowledge institute that conducts research into social issues.

"It is also important that the king is present at the Paralympic Games as head of state. At the Olympic Games, you see him constantly cheering and being happy with his wife and daughters. He shows that it is important," says Repetur. "And then there is hardly anyone from his family at the Paralympic Games. Princess Margriet is there, but that shows that there are gradations when it comes to who is important and who is present. The contrast is too great."

According to Repetur, it is important for our society that people are made equal. "In the Netherlands we are concerned with security of existence for different types of people, with a labor market in which everyone has a talent that can be used. Then it starts with the fact that we consider the Paralympic Games just as important as the Olympic Games. The king has an exemplary function for all of us."




Congratulations from the royal couple
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were not in Paris, but did congratulate the Paralympic medal winners. The royal couple spoke of "a real shower of medals in Paris" and "beautiful and impressive performances".

[Principessa]

https://nos.nl/artikel/25...en-megasluis-in-terneuzen

Loosely translated as:


NOS News
•
today, 05:00
Adjusted today, 11:56

Kings Willem-Alexander and Filip open mega lock in Terneuzen

With a symbolic push of a red button, King Willem-Alexander and the Belgian King Filip opened the New Lock in Terneuzen. The construction of the sea lock took more than seven years. The New Lock is located on Dutch territory but is mainly intended to make the port near the Belgian city of Ghent more accessible for seagoing vessels.

Dozens of spectators were already standing along the side early in the morning, writes Omroep Zeeland. "I think two kings here is very special", says Nel from Terneuzen. But she is not coming just for that. "All those cranes and constructions, it is really something to be proud of."

For project director Eric Marteijn it is a special day: he was involved in the construction of the New Lock for years and now that the job is done, he is retiring. "I didn't need an alarm clock this morning. After getting married, I think this is the most exciting day of my life. I feel proud. And enjoying, that's the trick today."

The lock is 427 metres long, 55 metres wide and almost 16.5 metres deep. This makes the structure one of the largest locks in the world. It is just as large as the locks in the Panama Canal and a fraction smaller than the IJmuiden Sea Lock, which will be put into use in 2022.

The first plans for the lock date back to 2011. Four years later, the Netherlands and Belgium signed for the construction. The demand for a larger sea lock came mainly from Belgium. The complex at Terneuzen had become too small to allow large seagoing vessels to sail through to Ghent.

It is therefore not surprising that Flanders is paying for around 80 percent of the costs. In total, around 1.2 billion euros was paid, about a quarter more than was previously budgeted. The Netherlands is paying a few hundred million euros and the European Union is contributing a modest amount.

Corona
The opening of the lock was initially planned for 2022, but unforeseen problems threw a spanner in the works. Due to corona, fewer people were able to enter the construction site due to the social distancing rules and certain lock components that were made in China arrived with delays.

In addition, the discovery of PFAS in the soil and inflation as a result of the war in Ukraine led to further delays and a significant increase in costs. "You can't budget for that in advance. So that costs extra money," said the project director last year.

It became a project in which the Netherlands and Flanders were only too happy to emphasize the cooperation. That is why both King Willem-Alexander and King Filip were present today to open the lock together.

A special committee was set up to name the lock. In the absence of a better name, it was decided in November last year to stick to the working title 'De Nieuwe Sluis'. A new name was devised for the entire Terneuzen lock complex: Noordzeesluizen.

Too much explosives
The construction of the lock went smoothly, until an incorrect calculation suddenly led to a lot of damage and national media attention. The more than one hundred year old Middensluis had to make way for the construction, but that did not go according to plan. Too much explosives were used when blowing up the walls.

The explosion could be heard for miles and nearly 200 people reported damage, such as cracks in buildings and broken windows. The project leader called that moment "a stain on our reputation" in a retrospective for Omroep Zeeland. Only after new research could the rest of Middensluis be demolished months later.

Employment
Terneuzen mayor Erik van Merrienboer calls the opening an important milestone. "It is not only a logistical new link in terms of infrastructure. It is much more than that for Terneuzen and our region." He hopes that the lock will ensure growth along the canal from Ghent to Terneuzen and more employment in the region in the coming century.

The lock will also shorten the waiting time for inland vessels, which mainly use the canal on the route from Rotterdam to Ghent and Paris. They do not always sail directly to Belgium, but also load and unload their cargo at companies along the canal from Ghent to Terneuzen

Final phase
The opening today does not mean that the new lock will immediately be operating at full capacity. "That is not possible," a spokesperson explains. "This lock is so big that the employees have to practice first." That will take a few months. A slightly larger ship will sail through the lock each time until everyone can work with it.

Work is also continuing around the lock complex. The service port where tugboats and other nautical services will be moored, for example, is not yet ready. "That will take months," says the spokesperson, "but the largest part of the project is finished."











A video of the event:

https://www.nu.nl/311849/...e-sluis-in-terneuzen.html

[Principessa]

https://www.nu.nl/konings...akt-het-ons-moeilijk.html

Loosely translated as:

DPG addresses king at office opening: 'Your cabinet is making things difficult for us'

By our entertainment editors
10 Oct 2024 at 14:10
Update: 20 hours ago

Philippe Remarque, journalistic director of DPG Media, has addressed King Willem-Alexander about the increase in VAT on newspapers that the Schoof cabinet wants to implement. He did this today during a visit by the king to Mediavaert, the Dutch headquarters of DPG Media.
"Your cabinet is making things much more difficult by simply levying much more VAT on newspapers," said the former editor-in-chief of de Volkskrant. The coalition agreement includes the intention to increase VAT on printed and digital media from 9 to 21 percent. The increase must also apply to hotels, books, sports competitions, festivals and gyms, among other things.

According to Remarque, other European countries understand that the levy is not beneficial to journalism. He also looked back on his visit to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima fourteen years ago. "You lived a bit more modestly back then," he noted, which made the king laugh. "Back then, you mainly expressed your complaints about the delivery of newspapers. And now that you are head of state, I hope that problem has been solved."

DPG Media director Erik Roddenhof emphasized in his welcome speech that journalists are known for their critical view of the Royal House. At the same time, he noted that they are also enthusiastic about informing the king "with pride" about their work. Willem-Alexander opened the new headquarters of the media company in Amsterdam on Thursday. DPG Media includes 25 media brands, including de Volkskrant, Donald Duck and NU.nl.

During the opening of Mediavaert, which employs around seventeen hundred people, the king spoke with journalists and editors-in-chief about the challenges in journalism. For example, he discussed the digitalization of the media world and the freedom of the press that is under pressure.

[Principessa]

https://nos.nl/artikel/25...en-megasluis-in-terneuzen

Loosely translated as:


NOS News
•
today, 05:00
Adjusted today, 11:56

Kings Willem-Alexander and Filip open mega lock in Terneuzen

With a symbolic push of a red button, King Willem-Alexander and the Belgian King Filip opened the New Lock in Terneuzen. The construction of the sea lock took more than seven years. The New Lock is located on Dutch territory but is mainly intended to make the port near the Belgian city of Ghent more accessible for seagoing vessels.

Dozens of spectators were already standing along the side early in the morning, writes Omroep Zeeland. "I think two kings here is very special", says Nel from Terneuzen. But she is not coming just for that. "All those cranes and constructions, it is really something to be proud of."

For project director Eric Marteijn it is a special day: he was involved in the construction of the New Lock for years and now that the job is done, he is retiring. "I didn't need an alarm clock this morning. After getting married, I think this is the most exciting day of my life. I feel proud. And enjoying, that's the trick today."

The lock is 427 metres long, 55 metres wide and almost 16.5 metres deep. This makes the structure one of the largest locks in the world. It is just as large as the locks in the Panama Canal and a fraction smaller than the IJmuiden Sea Lock, which will be put into use in 2022.

The first plans for the lock date back to 2011. Four years later, the Netherlands and Belgium signed for the construction. The demand for a larger sea lock came mainly from Belgium. The complex at Terneuzen had become too small to allow large seagoing vessels to sail through to Ghent.

It is therefore not surprising that Flanders is paying for around 80 percent of the costs. In total, around 1.2 billion euros was paid, about a quarter more than was previously budgeted. The Netherlands is paying a few hundred million euros and the European Union is contributing a modest amount.

Corona
The opening of the lock was initially planned for 2022, but unforeseen problems threw a spanner in the works. Due to corona, fewer people were able to enter the construction site due to the social distancing rules and certain lock components that were made in China arrived with delays.

In addition, the discovery of PFAS in the soil and inflation as a result of the war in Ukraine led to further delays and a significant increase in costs. "You can't budget for that in advance. So that costs extra money," said the project director last year.

It became a project in which the Netherlands and Flanders were only too happy to emphasize the cooperation. That is why both King Willem-Alexander and King Filip were present today to open the lock together.

A special committee was set up to name the lock. In the absence of a better name, it was decided in November last year to stick to the working title 'De Nieuwe Sluis'. A new name was devised for the entire Terneuzen lock complex: Noordzeesluizen.

Too much explosives
The construction of the lock went smoothly, until an incorrect calculation suddenly led to a lot of damage and national media attention. The more than one hundred year old Middensluis had to make way for the construction, but that did not go according to plan. Too much explosives were used when blowing up the walls.

The explosion could be heard for miles and nearly 200 people reported damage, such as cracks in buildings and broken windows. The project leader called that moment "a stain on our reputation" in a retrospective for Omroep Zeeland. Only after new research could the rest of Middensluis be demolished months later.

Employment
Terneuzen mayor Erik van Merrienboer calls the opening an important milestone. "It is not only a logistical new link in terms of infrastructure. It is much more than that for Terneuzen and our region." He hopes that the lock will ensure growth along the canal from Ghent to Terneuzen and more employment in the region in the coming century.

The lock will also shorten the waiting time for inland vessels, which mainly use the canal on the route from Rotterdam to Ghent and Paris. They do not always sail directly to Belgium, but also load and unload their cargo at companies along the canal from Ghent to Terneuzen

Final phase
The opening today does not mean that the new lock will immediately be operating at full capacity. "That is not possible," a spokesperson explains. "This lock is so big that the employees have to practice first." That will take a few months. A slightly larger ship will sail through the lock each time until everyone can work with it.

Work is also continuing around the lock complex. The service port where tugboats and other nautical services will be moored, for example, is not yet ready. "That will take months," says the spokesperson, "but the largest part of the project is finished."











A video of the event:

https://www.nu.nl/311849/...e-sluis-in-terneuzen.html

https://www.hln.be/royalt...is-in-terneuzen~abd23b7e/


Loosely translated as:

WATCH.
King Filip and King Willem-Alexander open New Lock in Terneuzen

Royalty

King Willem-Alexander and King Filip opened the New Lock in Terneuzen on Friday from the electric ship Z9. The monarchs opened the sea lock by pressing a red button. The joint opening underlines the cross-border importance of the lock.

11-10-24, 11:08 Last update: 12:02

After the opening, clouds of smoke suddenly appeared in the colours of the Belgian and Dutch flags. Willem-Alexander and Filip were then taken to the lock complex to be given a tour. With the opening of the New Lock in Terneuzen, the two kings are also following in the footsteps of their predecessors Juliana and Boudewijn, who opened the current sea lock (the Westsluis) together on 19 December 1968.