Birthday games for Dutch royals
Dutch princess Annette, front, and princess Maxima, rear, take part in games during festivities marking Queen’s Day in Veenendaal in the Netherlands yesterday.
The Dutch celebrate Queen’s Day, which is a national holiday, marking the birthday of the Queen’s mother.
It was first observed in 1885 as Princess’s Day, the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, heiress to the Dutch throne.
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Hide AdOn her accession, it acquired its present name and was switched to its present date on the accession of her daughter Queen Juliana in 1948.
Her daughter Beatrix retained the celebration on April 30 after she took the throne in 1980.
Traditional activities linked to the celebrations are held outside, with many adopting national colours of orange.