Tuesday September 17 is Prince's Day

17 September 2013

Tuesday September 17 is Prince's Day in The Netherlands.

The third Tuesday in September is 'Prince's Day' (Prinsjesdag) in the Netherlands. On that day, in his capacity as Head of State, the King delivers the so-called 'King's Speech' (Troonrede) in the Hall of Knights in the Binnenhof in The Hague. Subsequently, the Minister of Finance presents his famous 'Third-Tuesday-of-September'-briefcase to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This briefcase contains the Budget Memorandum and the National Budget. Prince's Day is an important day in Dutch politics, as it marks the start of the parliamentary year. The King delivers his speech before a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament in the Hall of Knights. The members of the Cabinet and the Council of State, as well as a number of invitees are present too. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima come to the Hall of Nights in the 'Golden Coach', accompanied by a large royal escort.