The Credentials Ceremony is regularly held on Wednesday mornings (Photo: Royal Collections, The Hague / Maarten Schuth)
The Hague – Horses and carriages ride towards the palace, military guards of honour beat drums and national anthems resound across the Noordeinde. The more than 200-year-old credentials ceremony is a recurring spectacle that visitors can now discover more about in the new display exhibition ‘Royal Traditions in Pictures: Credentials’.
To the left of the front of Noordeinde Palace, at Noordeinde number 64, you will find a shop window, where royal traditions are central. The first shop window exhibition opened six months ago with the theme of Prinsjesdag. A second exhibition, which can be seen from now on, is about the credentials ceremony.
George Washington
The Royal Collections exhibit special objects in the display case. For example, you can now see a replica of the letter of credence that the first American president George Washington gave to hereditary stadtholder William V at the end of the 18th century. He opens his letter with ‘Very good friend’ and ends with ‘your good friend’, emphasizing the warm relationship.
The display case also contains a uniform of an adjutant of the king who accompanies the embassy team during the ceremony and represents the armed forces. The uniform can be recognized by the gold-yellow braid over the right shoulder. Flags represent all countries with an embassy in the Netherlands. In addition, two large photos visualize important moments of the ceremony; the arrival by carriage and the presentation of the credentials.
The Credentials Ceremony
After the appointment of a new ambassador, the presentation of the credentials marks an important moment. It shows good cooperation between the Netherlands and the country of the diplomat. The new ambassador offers the king two letters, the first stating that the previous envoy has been recalled and the second letter authorizing the new ambassador.
The arrival of the ambassador by carriage at Noordeinde Palace can be seen from the square in front of Noordeinde Palace. After four rolls of honour, the national anthem of the new ambassador’s country sounds. The new diplomat then enters the palace to meet the king and present the credentials. The ceremony takes place approximately once a month on a Wednesday morning. The next dates of the ceremony are: 9 April, 23 April, 28 May and 18 June.
Royal Collections
The credentials come from the collection of the Royal Collections. On behalf of the king, the Royal Collections manage the private heritage of the House of Orange-Nassau. The collections vary from personal objects to received gifts and from old photos and books to important historical documents. This year, the institution is celebrating its 200th anniversary: in 1825, King William I decided that the management of the Orange documents had to be carried out in a professional manner.