Car strikes Dutch Queens day crowd

Posted on Apr 30, 2009 in News | 1 comment

All Queen’s Day festivities in Apeldoorn organized for the royal visit to the city were canceled, when a car struck the Queen’s Day crowd in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn.

Seven victims including the perpetrator have died and 8 wounded when a car careered into a crowd of people watching the Dutch royal family riding past in an open-top bus.

The visit of the royal family to Apeldoorn was disrupted Thursday morning when a speeding car broke through the barricades. The driver plowed his car through a crowd with high speed.

People had gathered in Apeldoorn to see the Queen’s Day parade, when the small black car plowed into the crowd. The car came to a stop when it hit against the monument of Apeldoorn ‘The Needle’ at the Loo Palace.

Queen Beatrix was in the open bus with the royal family when the small black car zoomed past. The historical parade on the Boulevard to the Palace was full of people.

Spectators had to jump away when a car plowed into the crowd with high speed. People hit suffered from open wounds and leg wounds.

The Royal family was escorted to safety. “The shock and the images that the family have witnessed, lead to canceling all further celebrations for the rest of the day.”

The car was driven by a 38-year-old man who had recently lost his job and had given up his flat because he could no longer pay the rent.
Neighbours describe him as a polite pleasant man who had become more withdrawn in recent weeks.

Queen’s Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is supposed to be a day of national unity and “togetherness”. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is sometimes called “orange craze.

Next year Queen’s Day will also be celebrated in the traditional way, with a walk-about by the royal family. Queen Beatrix is determined there will be no changes.

More at The Dutch Daily News

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  • Jamie

    I can safely say, as a Dutch citizen living abroad in England for over 12 years, that The Dutch do not view their royal family as being anachronistic. At least, that is the sense that I have with my rooted understanding of Dutch culture from having lived there most of my life, having family there and having an objective perspective living overseas. They are seen as a symbol for national pride, unity and goodwill.
    Of course there is a sense of nationalism attached to that, however, why must there always be such negativity attached to that word?
    It is true to say that the Dutch have had problems facilitating minority groups to become part of their society, yet they embrace that difference without being patronising and without a paranoid sense of political correctness that can be even more offensive and divisive. Which could perhaps be said about the U.K.? However, I would not like to presume that I know as much about English culture and would not be so hasty as to make sweeping generalisations that are ignorant and offensive, like yourself