The queen is going, long live the King

Last year was a pretty momentous 'Royal' year in the UK with Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee  with frenetic activity and press coverage. This year looks to be equally busy with another heir approaching  and I thought I'd escaped some of the Royal brouhaha by moving to Holland.

Turns out that I was wrong, as Queen Beatrix chose to abdicate in favour of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander.  Each year, the Dutch celebrate 'Queen's Day' on the 30th of April - marked by a Royal visit to two locations - but predominantly by the lifting of the need to have a permit to sell on the streets, or pay tax on the earnings. As a result, Queen's Day turns the entire country into a giant fleamarket, with a sea of shoppers in orange. This year however, Queen's Day marks the passing of the throne with all due pomp and cermony and will become King's Day (on a new birthday date) hence forth.

It does beg the question - if one looks around near a Royal residence will you find a collection of 'carefully maintained, no longer required due to retirement' bric-a-brac for sale? The odd 'worn once, dress coronet, does not fit new owner'? I, for one, plan to go shopping for bargains!