Oranges step onto the dance floor when visiting Bonaire

With a day full of activities, which even included a dance, the visit of the royal family to the Caribbean Netherlands has officially started. Princess Amalia, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima kicked off their day on Bonaire yesterday with Edison Rijna, who has been governor of the island since 2014. It is the first official work trip of 19-year-old Amalia.

The Oranges saw with their own eyes an important part of Bonaire’s slavery past. They visited the slave huts on Witte Pan, where the enslaved people lived at the time. There they learned that the young generation nowadays dares to discuss the subject, while in the past it was often kept silent about it.

During lunch, the royal delegation spoke with residents of Bonaire, among other things about agricultural development and poverty reduction. Influencer Meralney Bomba was invited to dinner. The 31-year-old Bonairean calls attention to climate change, which could result in large parts of the island being flooded in the future.

“It was an honor to be invited to this,” she said afterwards. “The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone was open to listen.”

For the rest of the day, the royal family became acquainted with Bonairean traditions, and Amalia seemed to find her way. During a visit to the Nos Zjilea festival in Cultural Park Mangazina di Rei, they tasted local specialties. Amalia also helped bake sandwiches according to a secret family recipe, even though she warned in advance that she was rather clumsy.

When the Leerorkest then started the music, the Oranges took to the dance floor. Amalia and her parents joined arms with the locals and danced to the music together:

A few dance steps later, another visit to Sorobon Bay was scheduled. They attended a windsurfing demonstration there and toured the mangrove area. The trio discussed nature conservation in the coastal area with the Junior Rangers of the National Parks Foundation.

The day ended with the Taste of Bonaire event, where local dishes were on the menu. King Willem-Alexander was fanatical about a game of Bon Ku Ne, a card game that resembles bingo. Finally, Amalia and her parents attended a concert, where there was again cheerful clapping and dancing.

The visit of the royal party will last from January 27 to February 9. Today Willem-Alexander, Máxima and Amalia have a day off. After Bonaire, they will travel to Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. There, too, plenty of attention will be paid to the slavery past.

What makes the trip more than just a working visit, we explain in this video: