Prinsjesdag
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Prinsjesdag (English: Little Prince's Day) is the day on which the reigning
The occasion is prescribed by the constitution, article 65 of which states: "A statement of the policy to be pursued by the Government shall be given by or on behalf of the King or the Queen before a joint session of the two Houses of the States-General that shall be held every year on the third Tuesday in September or on such earlier date as may be prescribed by Act of Parliament."[1] Article 105, paragraph 2 of the Constitution adds that this coincides with the submission of the budget.[2]
After the speech from the throne, the budget is later presented to the House of Representatives by the Minister of Finances.
Speech from the Throne
The first part of Prinsjesdag is the
At around 12:30 on Prinsjesdag, the members of the
They sit opposite and to the left and right of the
Outside the enceinte are seats for the other High Councils of State, senior civil servants, high-ranking officers of the armed forces, senior members of the judiciary, the King’s or the Queen's Commissioner of the province of South Holland, the mayor of The Hague and specially invited guests.
At the stroke of one, the King or the Queen, normally accompanied by other members of the Royal House, leaves Noordeinde Palace in the Golden Coach (Glass Coach sometimes) for the Binnenhof, escorted by court dignitaries and a military escort of honour. Outside the palace stand an escort of honour and a military band.
As the King or the Queen arrives at the Binnenhof, a band by the steps strikes up the Wilhelmus (national anthem). The King and other members of the Royal House salute the colour of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (the most ancient regiment in the Dutch armed forces) and mount the Ridderzaal’s steps, above which hangs a canopy.
The president of the
The ushers receive the King or the Queen and the members of the Royal House at the entrance to the Ridderzaal. The president of the joint session then announces the arrival of the head of state: a signal for all those present to stand. The King or the Queen then proceeds to the
When the Speech is finished, the speaker of the
When the King or the Queen leaves the Ridderzaal, the escort of honour again forms in the Binnenhof, and the procession returns to Noordeinde Palace where he traditionally salutes the gathered crowd from the balcony.
Proposal of the next year's budget
After lunch, the Minister of Finance proposes the next year's national budget and the
The presentation is followed by a cycle of parliamentary debates on the budget. These are called the algemene beschouwingen (general deliberations). It is the most important moment for parliamentary policy making, as MPs can amend the budget to finance specific plans.
History
In the 18th century, Prinsjesdag was one of the country's most popular public holidays and was originally used to celebrate the birthday of Prince William V on 8 March.
Between 1780 and 1797 — known as the
Historically, the constitution has stated that the opening of parliament should take place on a fixed date. The opening of parliament was originally held on the first Monday in November in the first half of the 19th century, and then the third Monday in October, but when a constitutional revision introduced annual budgets in 1848, more time was needed to debate the budget, so the date was brought forward a month. Monday was considered inappropriate, because many parliamentarians in distant parts of the country needed to leave their homes on Sunday to make it to The Hague in time, so in 1887 Prinsjesdag was moved to Tuesday.
Throughout the years 1815 to 1904, the speech from the throne was given in the assembly room of the House of Representatives, but it was moved back to the Hall of Knights after an extensive restoration of the building at the start of the 20th century.
The pomp and circumstance is still very much part of the day.
See also
- State of the Nation (disambiguation) – for similar speeches in other countries
References
- ^ "Artikel 65: Troonrede; Prinsjesdag - Nederlandse Grondwet". www.denederlandsegrondwet.nl. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Artikel 105: Begroting; budgetrecht; rekening en verantwoording; comptabiliteit - Nederlandse Grondwet". www.denederlandsegrondwet.nl. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ https://www.government.nl/topics/budget-day/contents/budget-day/history-of-budget-day[permanent dead link]