DUTCH ROYALS MARK KING’S DAY AMIDST GLOBAL MOURNING, PRINCESS’S ACADEMIC PURSUIT
DOETINCHEM, Netherlands – The dutch Royal Family, resplendent in shades of orange, celebrated Koningsdag (King’s Day) on Saturday in Doetinchem, a municipality in the eastern Netherlands, even as the world mourned the passing of Pope Francis. The annual celebration of King Willem-Alexander’s birthday was tempered this year by the pontiff’s funeral in Rome,wich drew numerous royals from across the globe.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima,while sending condolences to the Vatican,opted to remain in the Netherlands to honor the national holiday. In a gesture of respect, however, the official program was delayed untill after the funeral service in Rome concluded.
“We canceled our participation with a heavy heart in order to celebrate the royal day as planned,” Queen Máxima said in a statement released earlier in
