This afternoon in the Aalburg, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands inaugurated a new center that provides assistance to the those in need especially the elderly.
When she arrived at the zorgplein Maawaarden Center she was greeted by hundreds of people dressed in orange ponchos and waving the Dutch flag.
After receiving her lovely bouquet of flowers she unveiled a new statue, then proceeded into the care center where she meet with residents as well as staff.
To watch a video as well as to view photos please click the links below:
On Saturday October 8, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was at the Grote Sint Laurenskerk in Alkmaar to attend the reveal the newly restored painting of Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen’s, The Last Judgement.
Known as the “Michelangelo of the North” van Oostsanen’s painting dates back to 1518 and is one of the largest in the Netherlands. It took eight years to complete the restoration by various conservators.
Any way, the queen along with 700 guests were inside the church to witness this grand event and after pressing a button a large white cloth fell to the floor revealing the painting in all its glory.
To view photos from the event please click the links below:
On October 5, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, H.R.H. Prince Willem-Alexander of Oranje, and H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands attended the inauguration of the newly renovated Raad van State (Council of State) building in Den Haag.
Per a press release about the Raad van State and Her Majesty Queen Beatrix:
In the spring of 2005 saw the RGD with the construction and renovation of the buildings of the Council of State. Reason was the increased number of members and staff of the Council and the need for major maintenance and improvement of safety within the buildings. The new accommodation now offers an integrated, modern working environment. The design and redesign of Merkx + Girod come from Amsterdam.
The Council of State is an independent adviser to the government and parliament on legislation and administration and general management is the highest court in the Netherlands.
The Queen is chairman of the Council of State. The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima both have a seat on the Council of State.
On October 1, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands attended the re-opening of the Scheepvaartmuseum (Netherlands Maritime Museum) in Amsterdam. Arriving on the royal yacht, De Groene, Queen Beatrix was warmly greeted by the mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van deer Laan, museum employees, and other guests.
The Scheepvaartmuseum had undergone major renovation for the past four years; now the museum is in tip-top shape and ready for visitors to view their artifacts, paintings, and so on.
To view photos as well as to learn more about this great museum please click the links below:
On September 30, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was in Utrecht to participate in the 55th anniversary of the Princess Beatrix Fund jubilee symposium entitled, Ensure Independence. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, during the event awards will be given to:
… individuals or organizations that have deployed a special way for people with muscle disease or a movement disorder. At the symposium “Care for Independence” focuses on issues regarding the housing, care and environment of patients with complex care needs. Patients, healthcare professionals and policy makers to consider the possibilities and limitations surrounding the independent living and work. source
On September 29, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands met with the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Tan Dung and his wife at Den Haag. The couple are in the Netherlands for a five-day official visit. To view photos please click here.
In other news, on Friday, September 30, 2011, Queen Beatrix will attend the re-opening of the Netherlands Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. Later on in the day, she will participate in the 55th anniversary of the Princess Beatrix Fund jubilee symposium entitled, Ensure Independence, to be held in city of Utrecht, Netherlands. According to the official site for the Dutch royal family, Het Koninklijk Huis, during the event awards will be handed out to:
… individuals or organizations that have deployed a special way for people with muscle disease or a movement disorder. At the symposium ‘Ensure Independence’ focuses on issues regarding the housing, care and environment of patients with complex care needs. Patients, healthcare professionals and policy makers to consider the possibilities and limitations surrounding the independent living and work.
The Princess Beatrix Fund is committed to people with muscle disease or movement disorder. The PBF invests in scientific research and is committed to improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The past ten years the fund has over € 25 million available for research. This has also led to a treatment for Pompe disease. source
On September 23, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands opened the first Dutch LNG (liquified natural gas) terminal in Rotterdam. The purpose for the creation of the LNG terminal is due to the “…rising demand for and declining production of natural gas in northwest Europe.”
Per a press release regarding this afternoon’s event:
Developed by N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and Royal Vopak. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries, national and international guests amongst others attended the official opening ceremony.
The terminal will serve as an independent distribution point for European energy companies to address the rising demand for and declining production of natural gas in northwestern Europe. As an independent import terminal for LNG, Gate terminal will be an important factor for the European receipt of gas from other overseas territories. The terminal will both increase the security of supplies and enable new players to enter the European gas market.
Gate terminal has already began to receive LNG by ship, which is subsequently regasified and prepared for distribution to the Dutch gas transport network and further transport to northwestern European markets. With an initial throughput capacity of 12 billion cubic meters per annum (equals 25% of annual Dutch gas consumption), the terminal consists of three storage tanks with a total storage capacity of 540,000 cubic meters, two jetties and a process area where the LNG is being regasified. In the future, the terminal’s throughput capacity can be increased to 16 billion cubic meters per annum by building a fourth tank. Gate terminal dovetails with Dutch and European energy policies, built on the pillars of strategic diversification of gas supplies, sustainability, safety and environmental awareness.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Maxime Verhagen, ‘Gate terminal marks a crucial next step in the development of the Netherlands as the gas hub of Northwest Europe. Over the last decade, gas has changed from a local energy source into a global commodity. More and more countries are linking into a worldwide gas web – a web in which the Netherlands as home to Gate terminal, the Gas Access To Europe, can play a pivotal role.’
Paul van Gelder, Chairman of the Executive Board of Gasunie and Eelco Hoekstra, Chairman of the Executive Board of Vopak, jointly commented, ‘Gate terminal fits perfectly with the aims of the Dutch gas roundabout: LNG can be transported from all over the world, providing additional sources of supply for Northwest Europe. This diversification improves not only the security of supply, but also liquidity in the market, a factor which is becoming increasingly important in the European gas market. This first LNG terminal in the Netherlands was initiated by Gasunie and Vopak because we saw the perfect opportunity to offer new services to our customers. Our shared vision has certainly been one of the success factors of the project.’
The Royal Correspondent 