The Funeral of Queen Juliana
(The Hague) I first met Queen Juliana of The Netherlands on a postage stamp in the 1950’s. Almost half a century later, I bowed my final farewell at the foot of her coffin in a small room at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. For myself… and for thousands of others in line to do the same… this represented a heartfelt tribute to a grand lady who stood for social justice and peace among all nations.
Most touching to this correspondent was that each citizen… if he or she chose… was allowed a private three or four seconds with their queen to say their final goodbye. Tens of thousands waited in line for hours… over several cold Dutch days… to pay their final respects. People came from every walk of life… by foot, by car, by train, by bus. Some mourners were dressed in their finest clothes; some were dressed in regional costume… most were dressed as ordinary workers and farmers from the field. Tears flowed freely.
The crowds were mostly middle-aged and elderly. Some made their way shakily on crutches, some shuffled with walkers, others maneuvered in wheelchairs… most had sore feet. Young school kids dispensed free hot chocolate from heavy, giant size backpacks. The grounds at Noordeinde Palace were beautiful, even in the cold and dreary days of very early spring. Undercover agents from the Dutch secret police scouted the crowds and eyed every camera case and backpack, young soldiers… men and women… stood as an honor guard at the palace door. Huge bouquets of flowers from the royal houses of Europe filled the foyer. The hush in the palace was deafening.
Through the whole emotional process, the Dutch seemed more introspective than usual… or so it seemed to this observer. Those who cared to talk told their stories. They were proud of their nation, proud of its place in the world… and proud that they, at some point in their lives, had seen their queen. Fellow mourners told tales of Juliana’s bicycle, her grand sense of humor and her open defiance of government ministers over issues that she felt were important. A few remembered the Greet Hoffman affair… some talked about Indonesian… others remembered the sadness of Lockheed. Juliana spoke to the US Congress… Juliana sloshed through the great flood… Juliana wouldn’t sign death warrants. Juliana liked to laugh… Juliana like Heineken and his beer… Juliana went to see old people in the hospital. When forces on both sides of the so-called Cold War World were headed towards mutual destruction, Juliana stood for mutual survival. She helped rebuild her nation after a devastating war… and led her proud people through an era of profound change. The depth of real affection for this monarch was quite unexpected and very touching to see.
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As a writer, Michael David McGuire has covered numerous news and feature stories from across North America, Europe and Asia.
