Queensnight is not a tradition. The Hague has a tradition of Koninginnenach (spelling in The Hague slang) but this does not gofor the rest of thecountry. Amsterdam and Utrecht have been populair Free-market cities on Queensday, where the trade would start very early in the morning at hotspots, even late in the evening on the previous day. The Hague never used to be a place for a free-market, there was only a quite boring geranium market and that was it.

Queensday as-we-know-it with it's free-markets on the street, started out in the early 70ies. Before that in the 60ies youth demanded festivities for themselves, which resulted in performances of 'beat-bands' on Dam square in Amsterdam. The day always ended with riots between youth groups, Hells-Angels and the police.

30 years ago Queen Juliana announced her abduction on queensday and Beatrix was announced to be queen. The day ended in the biggest riots that Amsterdam had seen, because squatters and other activists demonstrated against the monarchy: "Geen Woning Geen Kroning" (No Housing No Crowning).

Queensday is celebrated on the bithday of the former queen Juliana. Traditionally there was a sort of parade at the palace Soestdijk, like her mother Wilhelmina had done too, and that was it.

By queenie | April 30, 2010 4:14 PM

You mention the rubbish but fail to mention the thousands of people who either failed or struggled to get into Amsterdam yesterday because of cancellations of trains?
A normal one hour journey into Amsterdam took me 4 and a half hours after all trains were cancelled into Amsterdam from Hillegom & Haarlem & police at Haarlem stopping people from getting onto trains...what happened? Shouldn't the train company be better used to Queens Day? At least the cleaners actions did not affect our enjoyment of the day.

By Carol Turnham | May 1, 2010 10:26 AM

someone pulled a emergency break at a train close to amsterdam central, and when passengers started to walk around on the tracks they had to close off the whole place. you can't really blame anyone else than the people walking around on the tracks, Carol.

By j.s.e. | May 2, 2010 7:00 PM

Re J.A.E. comment - when I lived in the UK, everyone used to moan about the rail service & how they wished it could be like Europe.......in the UK, if trains are stopped, no matter what the reasons, rail replacement buses are provided as they are providing a rail SERVICE - I have had rail replacement transport in UK even when someone has jumped in front of the trains.....perhaps you have lived in the Netherlands too long and are used to no or poor service but we got no information on what had happened, no information on how to get into Amsterdam and we had all bought tickets.....J.S.E probably has his own transport so does not suffer being transported like animals

By Carol Turnham | May 3, 2010 8:07 AM

"30 years ago Queen Juliana announced her abduction on queensday"

REaaly?

By CW | May 3, 2010 10:29 AM