For Princess Amalia, two special weeks start today. The Crown Princess is going on a working visit with her parents for the first time; the Oranges visit the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The program includes many cultural activities and conversations with the inhabitants of the six islands, but also more serious themes are discussed.
As heir to the throne, it is important that Amalia gets to know the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. Like her, her father Willem-Alexander made his first work trip at the age of nineteen, with his parents Beatrix and Claus. The destination was then also the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Just like his daughter, the (then) prince traveled to the various islands and talked to the population.
Now that Amalia is of age and officially heir to the throne, the islands are (re)introducing themselves to the Oranges. The population of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius has drawn up their own programme. The agenda includes a mix of all kinds of activities, including culture, history and nature.
The princess will experience the beautiful and positive aspects of the islands, but also the concerns that live there. “I especially hope that she can meet a lot of people: young people, people with official functions, especially many inhabitants of the islands. That she can enjoy the art and culture and the beautiful nature,” says Alexandra van Huffelen. The State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitization will travel with the Oranges in the coming weeks.
Many people find it remarkable that the princess is now traveling because of the threat to Amalia. She is not allowed to leave her house because of the threat, but she will go to the Caribbean for two weeks. The Government Information Service does not want to tell NU.nl whether additional security measures have been taken.
Ontvang meldingen bij nieuws over het Nederlandse koningshuis
For this reason and because it is Amalia’s first big trip, this working visit has received a lot of attention from the press. NU.nl is also traveling along: from Monday 6 February we will report from Sint Maarten and we will follow the Oranjes (literally) closely. We do this in text, video and via NUjij and our social media channels.
In conversation with the accompanying press, Van Huffelen said that equality becomes a major theme during the trip. Many residents notice that there is little knowledge in the Netherlands about the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, while this is the case the other way around. And when the islands are written about, they are often articles with a negative connotation. Such as the economic blow Sint Maarten suffered after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
By also highlighting positive points such as the thriving culture during the trip, the Netherlands also gets a lot from this. The islands hope that people might discover an Aruban singer, an artist from Saba or a designer. Or that people are inspired by the beautiful nature and book a holiday to one of the islands.
Het reisschema van de Oranjes
- Vrijdag 27 januari: aankomst op Bonaire
- Maandag 30 januari: naar Aruba
- Donderdag 2 februari: Curaçao
- Zaterdag 4 en zondag 5 februari: twee dagen vrij
- Maandag 6 februari: Sint-Maarten
- Woensdag 8 februari: Sint Eustatius
- Donderdag 9 februari: Saba
- Vrijdag 10 februari: weer naar huis
Amalia and her parents talk to the residents on all islands. For example, lunches and dinners are planned and they talk to young people about topics such as nature conservation. The rich culture of the Caribbean is not to be missed: the Oranges visit the Bon Bini music festival in Aruba. And on Curaçao, carnival is now being celebrated, which they also benefit from. So there is a good chance that we will see the dance-hungry Máxima in the festivities.
More serious themes also have a place in the program. During the visit to Sint Maarten, several activities are planned that have to do with the slavery past. For example, the group will visit Landhuis Knip on Curaçao. The slave revolt of 1795 started here. There is also a lot of attention for the reconstruction of the island after Hurricane Irma.
The big question is whether Willem-Alexander says anything about the excuses for the slavery past during these visits. Several cabinet members already did so in December, but the hope is that the king will itself also does. In his New Year’s speech, Willem-Alexander said that he remains committed to “connection, reconciliation and progress” throughout the Kingdom.
