Royals won't go to Pope's funeral on King's Day; PM Schoof will represent Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will not attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. The royal couple and their family will celebrate King’s Day in Doetinchem as planned, though the festivities will start later, the government information service RVD announced. Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Minister Caspar Veldkamp of Foreign Affairs will represent the Nehterlands at the funeral.

The Pope died on Monday at the age of 88. He will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Schoof called the Pope “an example for many” and “in everything a man among men.” Veldkamp found him “a source of inspiration.”

Belgium and Spain decided to send their royal couple to the funeral, but the Dutch royals will stay in the Netherlands to celebrate King’s Day as planned.

The festivities in Doetinchem will start an hour later, but the program will remain the same, a spokesperson for the municipality said. “We respect the situation that has arisen and are happy with the cooperation of everyone who makes it possible to start the program an hour later,” said mayor Mark Boumans.

The King’s Day broadcast was scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m., but will now begin at noon due to Francis’s funeral. The farewell to the Pope starts at 10:00.

Willem-Alexander and Máxima said on Monday that they were “deeply affected” by the Pope’s death. “We remember our personal encounters with him with warmth, including during our state visit to the Holy See in 2017. Pope Francis radiated compassion in everything.”