Princess Catharina-Amalia unveiled the Plaza de Oriente commemorative plaque on Monday in a small bed of tulips in front of the Royal Palace as a way of expressing her gratitude to all the people who made her stay in the city possible in exceptional circumstances.
Upon arrival, the heir to the throne was greeted by Madrid Mayor José Luis MartÃnez-Almeida, after which she gave a brief speech of thanks. She also took a walk around the neighbourhood.
The event was short but filled with emotion. The princess was very outgoing and natural. She chatted with the mayor in Spanish.
On November 11, the Dutch Ambassador to Spain, Roel Nieuwenkamp, planted the first bulbs together with the Mayor. With the arrival of spring, the tulips of the varieties Hakun, Orange Sherpa and Liting Sun revealed their full splendour.
Princess of Orange gave details of her stay in the capital. She said in a statement:
“Due to special circumstances, I had the honour of living for a year in your beautiful Madrid. The warmth with which I was received made me consider Madrid my home for a while, so I want to express my deep gratitude to Madrid, its inhabitants and all those who made this possible.”
Catarina-Amalia lived in Madrid in 2023 after she had to leave Amsterdam due to threats that put her safety at risk. From the Spanish capital she was able to continue her studies and despite the exceptional and difficult circumstances, she found a home here and remembers this time as “beautiful.” The Princess wanted to express her gratitude to the city and people of Madrid for their warm welcome by giving her tulips last November.
