In total, 2,830 people have been given an award in the 2023 king’s birthday honours list, mainly people who are recognised for their charity or community work.

This year’s recipients include the first Cliniclowns, who cheer up sick children in hospital and Mitchell Esajas, one of the founders of the Kick Out Zwarte Piet protest movement and the Black Archives. He was recognised for his ‘services to diversity and inclusion and for combating discrimination and racism.’

The oldest recipient is 93-year-old Harrie Saes uit Weert who has been recognised for his volunteer work for a choir in Oudkarspel and for years of visiting dementia patients.

The youngest is Marco Peters (32) who has been on Heerlen city council for 12 years and is therefore automatically entitled to an honour.

Like last year, 64% of those given an honour are male, despite the expressed wish of the organisers to improve the balance. Just 5% of the awards are made to people in recognition of paid jobs.

Most people were made members of the Order of Oranje-Nassau – which has six levels. That honour was introduced in 1892 for foreigners and the ‘lower classes’. Just 9 people were given an honour in the more exclusive Order of the Dutch Lion.

The first Dutch honour was introduced by king Willem I in 1815.