King Willem-Alexander is present today at the twentieth edition of Veterans Day. He appeared in uniform, and it suits him so well! Veterans Day is a tribute to the more than 100,000 Dutch veterans who have dedicated themselves to the cause of peace.
The King will give a speech at the start of the ceremony, which will be held in the Royal Theatre in The Hague. Various medals will be awarded and this afternoon the King will take a parade on the Kneuterdijk, in which more than a hundred detachments will participate. These are both veterans and active-duty military personnel from all branches of the armed forces. The parade will be heralded by a fly-past. The parade will end on the Malieveld, which has been set up as a music square and where public activities will take place all day long.
King’s awards
When the king visits the army, or in this case during his presence at Veterans Day, he usually wears seven decorations. The closer the decoration is placed to the heart, the higher the rank. On the far left you see the Grand Cross of the Military Order of William, the highest Dutch order for bravery. The king is Grand Master of the order and therefore also wears the Grand Cross himself. This also goes on four of the other decorations.
Willem-Alexander also wears the ribbon for Long Service as an officer. Far left
you see the only award that he really earned all by himself: the Eleven Cities Cross. He received this in 1986, when he skated the tour of tours, as WA van Buren. The Eleven Cities Cross is his great pride, he even wore it during his inauguration ceremony as King of the Netherlands.
Uniform
The king is wearing his uniform today. Before he became king in 2013, he himself explained a few things about wearing his uniform, in the Defensiekrant. He said about that that the king is part of the Dutch government. That is why he can no longer be an active military officer, which was the reason for his resignation. As king, however, he continues to express his pride in and connection with the Dutch armed forces. In word, in deed, but also ceremonially. The ceremonial is evident from wearing his uniform. The king no longer wears rank insignia. He does, however, wear the Royal Distinctive with the regalia (see the sleeves of the uniform).
