Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands welcomed the successful Dutch football team to Noordeinde Palace in The Hague to look back on the World Cup competition in South Africa which saw the 'Oranje' team finish as runners-up behind Spain.
After the meeting behind closed doors - but not closed windows, as several players had a peek at the crowd in fron of the palace, also taking pictures of them - the queen and the football team made a brief appearance on the Palace's doorstep.
Earlier Tuesday morning outgoing Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had greeted the players and staff at his official residence Catshuis in The Hague. Team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who retired from football after Sunday's final in Johannesburg, and head coach Bert van Marwijk were knighted, and went proudly to the palace with a royal decoration.
The squad was whisked by Air Force helicopters to the capital Amsterdam, where an estimated half a million orange clad fans lined the streets and canals to cheer the team, as it cruised the waters of Amsterdam swigging beer and blowing vuvuzelas, in an open-top boat.
"I expected some people to come, but this is unbelievable", coach Bert van Marwijk said. "Can you imagine what it would have been like if we'd won." In front of about 200,000 fans at Museum Square, winger Arjen Robben said: "Spain may have won the World Cup, but we have the best supporters in the world." © GPD; Photos by GPD © AP
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