Dutch King’s Day Celebrated in Luxembourg

On the evening of Thursday 24 April 2025, the Dutch Ambassador to Luxembourg, Carin Lobbezoo, hosted a reception at her residence in Luxembourg-Kirchberg to celebrate King’s Day, the national day of the Netherlands (Sunday 27 April).

The event, held under marquees erected in the garden of the residence, saw around 250 guests attend, including First Alderman of the City of Luxembourg, Maurice Bauer, as well as other ambassadors. Also in attendance were representatives of government ministries, arts, culture and civil society, local business leaders, as well as representatives of the Dutch community (both social and business) in Luxembourg.

In her speech, Ambassador Lobbezoo welcomed attendees who had come to celebrate the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who will turn 58 on Sunday 27 April 2025. She then spoke of her sadness that the event would be taking place against the recent passing of Pope Francis, whom she had met on his recent visit to the Grand Duchy. She quoted King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, who had said in a statement after the Pope’s death that: “He was a committed guardian of the listening and loving Church and as a result he succeeded in winning the hearts of many, both within the Roman Catholic Church and outside it.”

Ambassador Lobbezoo then reflected on her first months in Luxembourg. She said: “Coming to Luxembourg is a new adventure for John and me. We have been warmly welcomed by you all, we have met many new people, made new friends, reconnected with old ones.” She then spoke of the backdrop of her move to Luxembourg and noted: “The global order has been shifting more deeply than at any time since the end of the Cold War and although we will be celebrating the liberation of the Netherlands 80 years ago on 5 May, we see that the post-World War II institutions are under pressure.” She added: “However, I, as a diplomat, am paid to be an optimist and to persevere. So, despite the challenges, there are always silver linings and new opportunities and that is what we are witnessing today.”

Ambassador Lobbezoo also spoke of Luxembourg’s historic links to the Netherlands, noting that it is 135 years since the union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands came to an end and Grand Duke Adolf became the Sovereign of Luxembourg. She remarked that one of her predecessors, Baron Gericke van Herwijnen, had first presented his credentials to Grand Duke Adolf on 4 March 1891, meaning that 2026 will mark 135 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In closing, Ambassador Lobbezoo returned to the subject of King's Day and said: “The bonds between countries and people have become more relevant today than ever, in this fast-changing world. That is also what makes King's Day in the Netherlands, for me personally, such a very special day. It is one day where Dutch people feel more connected with each other than maybe at any other moment in the year.” She then invited guests to enjoy the food and refreshments chosen for the occasion, which included fresh fruit juices from the Zeeland province of the Netherlands, “haringhappen” (raw herring with chopped pieces of raw onion) from the Scheveningen district of The Hague and the popular Dutch snack “bitterballen” (breaded meatballs).

Guests were then invited to enjoy the national anthems of both the Netherlands and Luxembourg, which were performed by a quartet of saxophonists from the village of America in the Dutch province of Limburg. Additional music was provided for the remainder of the event by Dutch musical duo Edith van den Heuvel and Paolo Simoens.

SM