The heads of state and government leaders present in the Netherlands for the NATO summit are welcome to a dinner at Paleis Huis ten Bosch on Tuesday evening. This is what the Oranjezaal looks like then.
During the dinner, special tableware is used, which was designed by a Dutchman and made by a Dutch manufacturer. This tableware with Delft Blue decorations is used approximately six to eight times a year for large official dinners, such as state banquets during state visits. The nine-piece tableware was purchased in 2017 because the old tableware was no longer complete enough to offer dinners with a maximum of 250 guests.
The tableware features the king’s monogram – a crown. An ice bird is also depicted. That bird refers to the text on the back of the tableware: ‘Saevis tranquillus in undis‘, which means something like ‘standing firm in turbulent waves’. That text was the motto of Willem van Oranje and refers to the turbulent waves on which the kingfisher builds its nest.
The crystal glassware that will be used was given to Willem-Alexander and Máxima as a wedding gift in 2002. In 2017, it was expanded so that it can be used for large official dinners.
The Oranjezaal is furnished with nine round tables, at which approximately eight guests will be seated. A table host or hostess from the court will be seated at each table. The partners of the heads of state and government leaders are also invited to the dinner.
The menu remains (for now) a surprise
The guests will be served a three-course menu, which is prepared by approximately twenty chefs from the Dienst van het Koninklijk Huis and served by eighteen footmen.
What’s on the menu remains a surprise for now. “We do not share information about the menu in advance,” a spokesperson for the Government Information Service (RVD) told NU.nl. A press photographer is present, who “very likely” captures the dinner. The RVD does say that as much use as possible has been made of seasonal, local and regional products.
The king will deliver a speech at the start of the dinner. As head of state, he represents the country at national and international events at the highest level. “In addition, the members of the Royal House have a connecting function,” writes the RVD.
“With this dinner, the royal couple, on behalf of the Netherlands, demonstrates optimal hospitality at the highest level. It is also an expression to underline the importance of multilateral relations.”