Prinsjesdag is the day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the States-General of the Netherlands to give the Speech from the Throne, similar to the annual State of the Union in the United States or the British State Opening of Parliament. This speech sets out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session.
The Golden Coach on Prinsjesdag 2014.
Spectators are photographing the Golden Coach, as farmers protest the controversial government nitrogen policies by raising an inverted Dutch flag. Prinsjesdag 20 September 2022.
The Central Royal Military Band of the Netherlands Army during Prinsjesdag 2013.
Ridderzaal in The Hague, Netherlands, 2003.
A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or their representative, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened. The address sets forth the government's priorities for its legislative agenda, for which the cooperation of the legislature is sought. The speech is often accompanied by formal ceremony. It is often held annually, although in some places it may occur more or less frequently, whenever a new session of the legislature is opened.
Charles III reading the speech from the throne at the 2023 State Opening of Parliament in the United Kingdom
King Henry VIII at the opening of the Parliament of England at Bridewell Palace, 1523
Queen Elizabeth II (L, seated with Prince Philip, R) on the throne of the Parliament of Canada, from where she delivers the speech from the throne, 1957
In the 2020 Barbados Throne Speech, the government announced the end of the country's monarchy.