At first Queen Beatrix hesitated. She didn't want to be caught red handed, with a smoking gun. She wasn't sure how to use the gun, and declined the offer to start the 25th Palace Relay, connecting Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn with the former royal residence Soestdijk Palace, some 70 kilometers away.
But in the end the Dutch Queen showed herself up to the task.
The eager runners are usually the ones carrying guns. The Palace Relay, with some 43 teams of 7 runners each participating, are made up of the Queen's and foreign royal's security personnel.
In one of the Dutch teams, of the Royal Military Police ("Koninklijke Marechaussee") ran Prince Pieter-Christiaan, son of Beatrix' younger sister Princess Margriet. He is employed by the Marechaussee and works in Den Haag. His aunt gave him a warm welcome.
© GPD; Photos by © Dutch Photo Press, Patrick van Katwijk; Capital Photos, Frank van Beek
Comments