Ambassador Cees Bansema and his wife welcoming guests;
Credit: Geoffrey Thompson
At lunchtime on Tuesday 26 April 2022, the Dutch Ambassador to Luxembourg, Cees Bansema, hosted a reception at his residence in Luxembourg-Kirchberg on the occasion of Kingsday, the Dutch national day.
Around 300 guests attended, including Luxembourg's Minister of Family and Integration and also for the Greater Region, Corinne Cahen, as well as various other ambassadors, including those from the UK and Spain. Also in attendance were representatives of government ministries, arts and culture and civil society, local business leaders, as well as representatives of the Dutch community (both business and social) in Luxembourg.
On what was the first national day celebrated in Luxembourg post-pandemic, Ambassador Bansema spoke briefly, first in Luxembourgish to welcome everyone, then he switched to English, wishing King Alexander a happy 55th birthday which he will celebrate in Maastricht tomorrow, 27 April. He stated that today we should feel blessed for living here in safety in the centre of Europe and referred to 131 years of Luxembourg-Dutch relations.
He addressed the invasion of Ukraine, with the people of Ukraine displaying extraordinary resilience and sacrifices; he added that we should all continue to help with both humanitarian aid and military support.
He closed his speech in Dutch, addressing the Dutch community resident in Luxembourg, before presenting the Military band from Diekirch which performed both the Dutch and Luxembourgish national anthems (the words of both had been handed out upon arrival).
The event was held under cover (three marquees had been erected) due to the changeable weather; luckily the worst it got in the end was a light drizzle.
The reception continued with trays of traditional Dutch snacks including raw herring.
The garden was as colourful as ever during this traditional event, with red, yellow, orange, pink and purple tulips as well as other Dutch flowers in bloom.
