Queen Beatrix used her traditional Christmas speech on Saturday to call on all the people of the Netherlands to work together to solve society’s problems.

‘It is important to identify what binds us,’ she siad. ‘We cannot deny our differences but must see them as a starting point for social dialogue… that is the basis for mutual respect.’
The queen said everyone needs a safe haven and to live in harmony.
‘The danger is that society will weaken and the differences will grow,’ she warned. ‘Treat others are you would like to be treated yourself.’
‘By focusing on society as a whole we can overcome fear and mistrust and find a good balance between ‘us’ and ‘them’,’