MILITARY CEREMONIAL

Over 9000 members of the Dutch armed forces assisted at the funeral of His Royal Highness Prince Claus of the Netherlands. Approximately 4500 are members of the Royal Netherlands Army. Of the remainder, half represent the Royal Netherlands Navy and half the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The Royal Military Constabulary was involved in a number of crucial tasks. The majority of them, over 6000, formed a guard of honour on either side of the nine-kilometre route.

The guard of honour in the forecourt of Noordeinde Palace was mounted by hundreds of soldiers of the Royal Netherlands Army and the Trumpet Corps of the Mounted Regiments. The guard of honour in Markt square in Delft comprised 525 personnel from various branches of the armed forces including the Royal Marine Corps and the Royal Marine Band.

An escort of honour of 825 personnel took part in the funeral procession, comprising the Cavalry (mounted), the Royal Military Constabulary (mounted) the Royal Military Band, the Royal Air Force Band and two companies of honour representing each branch of the armed forces.

Two saluting batteries of the 11th Horse Artillery were formed up in Delft. The 80 members manned eight 25-pounder cannons. They fired a shot every 60 seconds from the time that the funeral procession approached Delft until the body was interred.

Before the funeral, military personnel took part in the vigil and the torchlit vigil at Noordeinde Palace.

All military personnel assembled at four locations early in the morning of 15 October, the day of the funeral. A fleet of 125 buses took them to their positions from the Feijenoord Stadium in Rotterdam, the sports centre on Brasserskade in Delft, and the Frederik barracks and Waalsdorp complex in The Hague.

The guards of honour at the Brasserskade sports centre and Frederik barracks changed into ceremonial uniform before being taken to their respective positions. The mounted escorts assembled near Waalsdorp.

At that moment many officers were preparing for the event by inspecting routes and calling up units.