The King and his family show up on the balcony of the palace, but first they ride through the city of The Hague in a golden coach. When they arrive on the balcony, most eyes are on what the queen is wearing. These days people are also looking at what the princesses are wearing, since the king has three daughters. Amalia is the one who will follow her father to the throne.
Another tradition is all about the politics. This day (the third Tuesday in September) is when the government presents their budget for the coming year. The prime minister carries a suitcase with the plans which he is supposed to present to parliament. But tradition in the last years has been that all of the information in the plan is leaked to the media before it is ever presented to the parliament.
In the end, the king goes to the Knight’s Hall in The Hague and reads a statement about how the government is going to help things along in the coming year. The statement he reads was written by the governing coalition - not by the king. Of course the current coalition is a fragile mix of left, right, middle and green. It was an interesting speech. Lately the news has told us that the prime minister uses AI to write his speeches, which is why they are so boring or seemingly inappropriate when feelings are needed.
Still, most people simply enjoy looking at the hats, dresses, and shining gold on display. The kids get a day off of school and everyone enjoys a holiday of some sort.
