If you leave the railway station of Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, this statue is about the first thing you see. A silhouette of two people kissing each other up in the air. Easy to pass when you don’t know a bit more about its history. But it has very much to do with the person, who soon will celebrate his 50th birthday, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
This art work is actually called “The Kiss” and was a present of the city of Apeldoorn to Prince (now King) Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his bride Máxima Zorreguieta. A symbol of love also. The artist who created it, is Jeroen Henneman. It took until 2007 before the 21 metres high and 11 metres broad work was actually to be seen, just before the renewed station square was opened.
It refers to the memorial needle near Palace Het Loo that Apeldoorn gave as a gift to Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands on the occasion of their wedding in 1901.