Queens Day in The Netherlands. Every year the royal family celebrates Queen's Day in a different location. This year, they came to Middelburg. The day started with a twinge of suspense due to the tragic end of last year's celebration in Apeldoorn which ended abruptly when a speeding driver made an assassination attempt. (Read: Dutch drama in 2009) For this 2010, this meant heightened security. However, despite extra security measures, the celebration was a great success. As the Queen mentioned in her speech, "the people of Zeeland have given Queen's Day back to the royal family and to its people". It was a fantastic day according to Her Majesty.
The Queen, along with her sister Prinses Margriet, and their children, first visited a small town called Wemeldinge, after which they arrived in Middelburg. Along the route citizens waited to catch a glimpse and possibly even a hand shake from a member of the royal family. Along the route there are also musical performances, sports activities and cultural events for the royal family to enjoy and sometimes even take part in. At the Abdij their was a horse show as well as women wearing traditional costumes from various time periods. On the Markt, where the City Hall is, the Queen was welcomed by thousands and there were choirs that sang as she neared them. There were also various children's sports clubs that showed their skills and even had the pleasure of having some of the royal family join them. Princess Laurentien joined the children playing hockey while a number of the Princes joined the soccer team. The event ended with a speech by the Mayor of the city, followed by the Queen's speech. It was a successful day.
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