Queen's Day turns into Abdication and Investiture Day - Orange Day in Holland

 Queen's Day, the traditional celebration of the birthday of Queen Beatrix falling on April 30. Queen's Day means going to Holland, visit nice friends and go bargain hunting on the national day of flea markets. On this special day, everybody can put up a stall and sell stuffs from used clothes, vases and homemade cakes and cookies in all the big Dutch cities from Amsterdam to Utrecht.
Queen's Day this year is doubly special as it celebrates the abdication of Queen Beatrix (she is now called Princess Beatrix) and the investiture of the new king, Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, head of the Dutch Royal House and the House of Amberg. He became the first male monarch of the Netherlands since the death of William 111 in 1896. (Source:wiki)

The whole country is flooded with orange colors. Loyal cities and  villages have their own ways of celebrating April 30 with loud music not missing and beers flowing.
For this especial celebration, I was invited with another group of visitors to watch the "coronation" program in a Dutch bar/resto - first in the front row, so to say giving us "larger than life" taste of the ceremony. We had fun naming recognized faces among the VIPs and wanted to know one particular stunning beauty wearing a heavy necklace which competes with her radiance. We were also curious to know who has been invited from the home country to join the
ceremony. Fortunately or unfortunately, no Rajah nor Sultana could represent Filipinas. Sabah is still a hot issue I think to be able to send its own Sultan or Sultana. Below are some of my own photos taken during this special Queen's Day.

Quess who's coming to Queen's Day, from Milano to Portugal

How about lerning how to cook Tajine and Couscous?

Orange, orange everywhere

Siguro isip niya: Kailan kaya ako magiging King?

Celebrating the Day with Special Treat Courtesy of King George

She said it's okay to take her photo...thank you Little Princess

Selling your angel or your cups - wait for Queen's Day

Orange People posing willingly for souvenir shots

Did you ever play Marbles?

Cotton candies to pacify future princess-one could never know

Piyesta ng Orange

The older, the better

Non stop dancing orange queens

Can you guess their names and kingdoms? (Photo Source: dailymail.co.uk)

Signing of the Abdication Documents (Photo Source:dailymail.co.uk)

The First Family (Photo Source:dailymail.co.uk)

Will it still be celebrated as King's Day every year on  April 30? Will it be blue or orange?  We will know from King Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand. Wish you well and hope your people will be grateful to have you as the new King of The Netherlands. Hip, hip, hooray! (They actually said those words during the investiture.)