Cees Bansema, Dutch Ambassador to Luxembourg;
Credit: Jazmin Campbell / Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 25 April 2024, the Dutch Ambassador to Luxembourg, Cees Bansema, held the traditional King's Day reception at his official residence in Luxembourg City.
A national holiday in the Netherlands, King's Day (Koningsdag) is an orange-filled celebration (the colour is a nod to the royal family) held each year to mark the birthday of King Willem-Alexander on 27 April.
The Dutch Ambassador's reception in Luxembourg also saw a couple of hundred guests don orange accessories, from ties to handbags, to mark this festive occasion.
The guests - fellow ambassadors / diplomats and politicians (including current and former government ministers), as well as other members of the Dutch and Luxembourg communities - gathered in the Ambassador's verdant, tulip-dotted gardens for a festive evening of music, food (including Dutch specialties such as "Bitterballen", herring and cheese cubes), drinks and networking.
Amid the threat of April showers, the main part of the event was held under the shelter of a pop-up canopy. Ambassador Cees Bansema joked in his speech that he would not have to worry about such cold conditions for next year's King's Day celebration, as he will take up his new post in Myanmar.
His speech, delivered following the playing of the Dutch and Luxembourgish national anthems, particularly highlighted the importance of King's Day for Dutch people, not least those living abroad. He described the reception as an opportunity to "let the communities mix" and reflected on the "deeply rooted" friendship that the two countries share.
The Ambassador then switched from English to Dutch, directly addressing members of the Dutch community in Luxembourg. He praised their contributions, for example voluntary work at the Dutch stand of the International Bazaar (Bazar International de Luxembourg).
Reflecting on the past four years in Luxembourg, he thanked his colleagues at the ministries, his fellow ambassadors and his team at the Dutch Embassy for their cooperation. He also welcomed his successor to Luxembourg.
In addition to the Ambassador's reception on Thursday, members of the Dutch community plan to celebrate King's Day with a festive party at Tube Bar in Luxembourg's city centre on Friday evening (26 April). Entry is free for Dutch nationals but everyone is welcome to join in the festivities.
On King's Day itself, on Saturday 27 April, the Dutch community is invited once again to the Ambassador's residence for a "free market" (vrijmarkt), where children will have the opportunity to sell various items. Similar events are taking place across the Netherlands.
