THE CIVIL WEDDING

Thursday May 17th, 2001

The guests arrived between 11:00 and 11:30 at the former Town Hall of The Hague at the Javastraat no 26. Most family members arrived with the blue royal bus. For all Máxima Zorreguieta, the fiancée of Willem-Alexander Prince of Oranje who had her 30th birthday today, was cheered loudly and some school children even sang for her. Not present were Princess Juliana, the children of Princess Christina and Prince Floris, who couldn't leave his current trainee job but will be there on Saturday. Afterwards the car with Queen Beatrix, Prince Claus and Prince Bernhard, and the car with Laurens-Jan en Jantien Brinkhorst arrived at the Town Hall. Queen Beatrix went inside with her father. All guests were greeted by Burgomaster Deetman. Next to most members of the royal family, the wedding was also attended by some foreign guests and the members of the Dutch Cabinet.

While the guests were talking to each other animated, bride and groom arrived before 12:00 in a semi-open car. Laurentien wore a pink shantung dress with coat and an enormous light pink hat. As soon as the bride and groom had taken their seats Burgomaster Deetman started his speech, that mainly was about The Hague, the Oranje-Nassau family in The Hague and the fact that both bride and groom spent part of their lifes in The Hague.

Then the moment came that the couple said yes to each other, first Laurentien and then Constantijn, and as soon as they had done that the Burgomaster declared they had entered into matrimony. Constantijn gave Laurentien an emotional kiss on her hand. Then they signed the matrimonial certificate. They took their seats again under loud applause while their witnesses signed the certificate also. For Prince Constantijn that were his brother Johan Friso and his good friend Mikkel Hofstee, and for Laurentien her best friend Sophie van de Wouw and her brother Marius Brinkhorst. On television they said that Mrs van de Wouw's son Floris will be one of the bridal pages on Saturday. Also Burgomaster Deetman signed and afterwards handed over the certificate and the fountain-pens they had signed it with to the bride and groom while wishing them all the best for the future.

By request of the marrying couple 86-year-old Max Kohnstamm, a godfather of Prince Constantijn, made a speech. As a pioneer in European thinking, Mr Kohnstamm in his speech among others said that in the 21st century we all have to be at home in several worlds, surely people as Constantijn and Laurentien, who are internationally orientated. He said to be convinced that the couple will find the ways to find a place for all those worlds in their big hearts.

Finally the family had the occasion to congratulate bride and groom. Very shortly Constantijn and Laurentien met with the press, but didn't answer a lot of questions. They said they are waiting with the real kiss until Saturday. Several family members and friends lined up along the blue carpet outside and when the couple left they were bombed with rose leafs. They stepped into the car and left for Palace Huis ten Bosch where a private reception with lunch was held.

A big party took place at Palace Noordeinde in The Hague on 18 May 2001. Among the people present were Princess Christina of the Netherlands with her children Bernardo and Juliana Guillermo, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his fiancée Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, Princess Astrid of Belgium and Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein.