On May 5, 2012, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, accompanied by German President, Mr. Joachim Gauck, attended a concert on the river of Amstel to celebrate National Liberation Day.

According to NRC.nl the concert was:

… moderated by the Noord Nederlands Orkest (North Dutch Orchestra) led by Swiss conductor, Michel Tabachnik. Soloists included Guus Meeuwis, Sabrina Starke and mezzo-soprano Karin Strobos. Students from the Fontys Dance Academy and the Lucia Marthas Dance Academy of Tilburg participated in the event.

Click the links below to watch videos as well as to view photos.

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• Gallery One

Source: RVD and NRC.nl

On Friday, May 4, 2012, Her Majesty Beatrix of the Netherlands, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Willem-Alexander of Oranje and Princess Maxima of the Netherlands participated in National Remembrance Day held at Dam Square in Amsterdam.

According to the online newspaper, Radio Netherlands, roughly 20,000 people joined the royal family in Dam Square “…in memory of war victims during and since World War II.”

During yesterday’s event Her Majesty Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander presented a wreath at the National Monument.  Then, the there was a two-miniute silence in remembrance of those who passed.

On Saturday, May 5, 2012, His Royal Highness Prince Willem-Alexander attended the National Liberation Day service alongside German President, Mr. Joachim Gauck, held at the Grote Kerk in Breda.

Click the links below to watch videos, in Dutch, as well as to view photos.

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• Article (in English)

Sources: Radio Netherlands, RVD/HKH, and Telegraaf.nl

On April 30, 2012, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands along with Their Royal Highnesses Prince Willem-Alexander of Oranje and Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, and other members of the lovely Dutch royal family celebrated Koninginnedag 2012 in the Utrecht province of Rhenen and Veenendaal.

Sadly, His Royal Highness Prince Johan Friso did not attend nor did his wife, Princess Mabel.  The prince is still at Wellington Hospital in London where he is in treatment following his accident in Lech, Austria in February 2012.

For more information about Koninginnedag 2012 please click here (in English; more articles to come.)

Click the links below to watch several videos as well as to view photos from today’s event.

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Source: RVD

On April 25, 2012, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was in Oranienbaum, Germany where she attended the inauguration of the exhibition, Dutch Design: Huis van Oranje, held at the newly restored Schloss Oranienbaum.

Her Majesty was accompanied by the President of Germany, Mr. Joachim Gauck, as well as local dignitaries.  According to RVD:

The exhibition includes hand-made pieces such as furniture, jewelry, glass and ceramic utensils, accessories and handmade couture pieces, complemented with various crafts and historic objects from the Royal House Archives. The exhibition was  commissioned and organized by the Kulturstiftung DessauWörlitz, in close cooperation with the Dutch Embassy in Berlin and the Royal House Archives.

 Click here to view photos.

For more information about the exhibition, Dutch Design: Huis van Oranje, please visit their official website here.

Source: RVD/HKH

On April 24, 2012, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands opened the Klok & Peel Museum in Asten.  According to RVD, the museum displays:

… a comprehensive international collection of loud bells and carillons (clocks games). The second collection in the museum includes the natural and cultural history of the area.

The original museum was opened in 1975 by Prince Bernhard.  In 2008 the restoration of the museum began. The museum building is completely renovated and was extended to 1100 square meters. Beside a large, new exhibition hall as the focal point of the museum, there is a glass Orangery in the museum gardens which offers space for workshops, educational projects and events. The museum has also a new entrance, a movie room with education space and gotten a new museum café.

Click here to watch a video. (in Dutch)

Her Majesty also visited the National Bricklaying and Building Championships in Barneveld this afternoon.  Again, according to RVD:

Since 1953, this event is organized and supported by the Dutch brick industry to get the youth interested in masonry.

The industry organizes the championships in cooperation with VMBO schools, training in the construction industry and civil society organizations. The Dutch brick industry is represented by the Association Koninklijke Nederlandse Construction ceramics (KNB).

Click the links below to view photos.

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Sources: RVD

Her Royal Highness Princess Maxima of the Netherlands was in Zoetermeer where she visited the Stichting Piëzo (Foundation Piëzo) on April 12, 2012.  The princess was accompanied by the director of the Oranje Fonds, Mr. Van der Giessen and the mayor of Zoetermeer.

According to RVD, Stichting Piëzo is an “… organization that encourages participation, emancipation and integration with the inhabitants of  Zoetermeer…”  

Any way, Princess Maxima met with volunteers as well as students at one of the Piëzo Centrum (the foundation’s center) who are participating in a Dutch language program which is funded by the Oranje Fonds.  According to the official website for the Stichting Piëzo there are four center’s in:

… four districts in Zoetermeer where a large amount of activities are offered to the inhabitants of Zoetermeer. A team of 12 professionals in these centres supports a group of more than 220 volunteers. A wide range of language courses and activities are organized in these centers daily.

For more information about Stichting Piëzo please visit their official website here.

Click the links to view photos.

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• And, another photo

Sources: RVD, Stichtingpiezo.nl and Dichtbij.nl