Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Royals gather for Juliana and Bernhard's Silver wedding

Embed from Getty Images 
 May 1, 1962

Royals are flocking to the Netherlands to celebrate the Silver Wedding of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, reports Reuters from Amsterdam.

Members of the British, Iranian, Norwegian, Greek, Sweden, and Luxembourg royal families have already arrived.   According to the dispatch, "120 foreign visitors of royal blood," are all staying at the same hotel.

Queen Elizabeth II arrived to great cheers from "thousands of persons" on the rooftop of the airport.  She was dressed in a fur coat "lined with white fur over a floral dress with a white hat of fur and tulle."  Crown Princess Beatrix welcomed the British sovereign, and "kissed her on the cheek as she left the plane."

Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, arrived later in the, "piloting a two-engine plane from Scotland."   Other guests who arrived earlier include Shah Reza Pahlavi and Empress Farah of Iran, King Olav of Norway, and Prince Bertil and Princess Margaretha of Sweden.

The royal guests are staying at the Amstel Hotel, where they and their jewels are guarded by dozens of detectives.

Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard hosted dinner at the hotel for their guests, which was preceded by a boat ride through Amsterdam's canals.  The evening ended with a grand ball at the royal palace.

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