Dutch crown Prince Willem-Alexander wiped away a tear on Tuesday as he, along with his brothers Prince Johan Frison and Prince Constantijn, watched the coffin of his father Prince Claus enter the palace where he will lie in state. The body of Queen Beatrix’s late husband, who died last Sunday aged 76, will lie in state in the Paleis Noordeinde until his funeral next week.
The German-born prince’s solemn procession began at the royal couple’s main residence at the Huis ten Bosch palace, where a dark hearse arrived to carry the flag-draped coffin to Paleis Noordeinde in the centre of the Hague. Queen Beatrix and her three sons then accompanied the car in a motorcade as traffic was stopped and subjects gathered along the route to pay their respects.
Diplomats and officials were invited to the Paleis Noordeinde on Wednesday; the historic building will be opened for public mourning beginning Thursday.
Prince Claus’s funeral will be held on October 15. After a memorial service, his remains will be interred in the 14th-century royal vault in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
The royal family's engagements, such as Crown Prince Willem-Alexander’s planned visits to Vietnam and Turkey with wife Princess Maxima, have been postponed, and official parties and functions have been cancelled.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
