It was never going to be easy. Princess Mabel reappeared in public for the first time since her husband prince Friso's skiing accident. Accompanied by Queen Beatrix she attended the awards ceremony for the Prince Claus Price in the Amsterdam Royal Palace, Wednesday.
Friso together with his younger brother Prince Constantijn is honorary chairmen of the Claus Fund that awards the annual cultural price. It was his turn to hand out the Award. "Here is where he should have been standing", Prince Constantijn said during the Awards ceremony, himself having taken position next to the podium and not on it.
'We dearly miss him, his contribution, his knowledge and his humour", the Funds chairwoman of the board had said earlier. Friso remains in coma in the Wellington Hospital in London, were he was brought after an avalanche hit him while he was skiing near Lech in Austria.
Princess Mabel, who lives with the couple's two daughters in London, had not made any public appearances in her native Holland since the accident, although she accompanied her sister-in-law Princess Máxima during an engagement in London's Barbican Hall and she was among the spectators during the Netherlands-UK field hockey game at the recent London Olympics.
Mabel looked distraught as she entered the Palace, but during the ceremony and afterwards at the reception she seemed more relaxed and was seen talking and smiling as well.
© RB Hans Jacobs; Photos by © Royal Press Europe
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