As much as we have the idea that orange is the color of the royal family, that has not traditionally been the case. “There is no link between the royal family and the color,” royal reporter Philip Dröge tells Editie NL.
The name ‘Van Oranje’ comes from the principality of Orange, a town in the south of France. Willem I inherited the principality of Orange in 1544, and so he received the title ‘Van Oranje’.
When the Beggars fought against the Spaniards, they were looking for a symbol. “That became the color orange, because William of Orange was their great hero. They made the pennant at the top of their ships that color. That is how the link to orange was created.”
Protocols
The color is not laid down by law, but it is in protocols. “There is a color code, just as companies record it, for example. One shade of orange is not the other. So there is only one real royal orange. That is the orange of the prince’s flag,” Dröge explains. “In 1958 it was established by royal decree: this is how that color looks, and not otherwise.”
In the same way, in 1937 it was determined which colors red, white and blue belong in the Dutch flag: clear vermilion, clear white and cobalt blue.
Party shop
Yet those official protocols make little difference to the partygoers on King’s Day, thinks Linde Boelens, owner of a party shop in Den Bosch. “People are just looking for something fun. Whether it’s neon or another shade. The customer really doesn’t care if it’s royal orange or not.”
2023-04-27 11:19:59
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