Dutch King awards honorary ribbons to 3,026 today

"It has pleased His Majesty the King to appoint you,” that sentence was heard by thousands of people in the Netherlands on Tuesday. It is once again the annual Lintjesregen, where people are appointed as a member, knight, or officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau or the Order of the Dutch Lion.

Well-known Dutch people receive the ribbon for their career, while everyday citizens may receive recognition for their contributions to society, for example by doing volunteer work over many years. A total of 3,026 people received the ribbon today, more than last year. The increase is due to more people doing volunteer work. Last year, 2,700 people were honored for volunteering. This year there are 2,900. 

To keep the surprise alive as long as possible, those involved are often lured somewhere under false pretenses, after which the mayor pins the ribbon on the recipient on behalf of the King. 

Most laureates become members of the Order of Orange-Nassau. People can also become knights or officers due to special merit. There are three degrees in the older Order of the Dutch Lion, these awards are intended for people with special merits. Of these, the highest degree is Knight Grand Cross.

The oldest decorated person today is the 97-year-old Piet Schreuder from Arnhem. He dedicated himself to Park Presikhaaf in his hometown and wrote a 360-page book about it, which was published in 2012. The youngest is 33-year-old breakdancer Menno van Gorp from Rotterdam. He became world champion several times and plans to participate in the Olympic Games in 2024 when breakdancing will be on the Olympic program for the first time. 

Last year 2,832 people received a ribbon. That was less than the 3,060 in 2020 and the 2,858 in 2019.