Royalty in the News

It was supposed to be a national holiday honoring Queen Beatrix, but instead it turned into a day of tragedy.

Five people were killed and 12 others were hurt when a car plowed into a crowd watching a parade of the Dutch royal family in the city of Apeldoorn.

A small black car was travelling at high speed towards the open topped bus carrying the royal family, already dented from hitting spectators.

Witnesses say people were thrown into the air as the car went through a six feet deep crowd. After speeding past the bus, it then hit a stone monument.

It it not clear how the car managed to get through the parade, since the area was closed off by police hours before.

The driver was injured with a bleeding forehead and was taken to the hospital.

It has been reported that the driver recently lost his job and was set to be evicted from his home. Police say the 38 year old man has no history of mental illness or criminal behavior.

He did however have a map of the royal family’s route in the parade.

“The man said that his action was aimed at the royal family,” said prosecutor Ludo Goossens.

No Dutch royal was hurt in the crash, but they did see it occur.

Dutch television showed footage of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Maxima standing at their seats in the bus’s high open platform and watching with surprise. Maxima held her hand over her mouth in apparent horror.

Apeldoorn Mayor Fred de Graaf said all festivities were being canceled. “The scare and the images that the family has seen are reason to break off the official program,” he said. Holiday programs also were called off in the port city of Rotterdam, and more were likely to be canceled around the country.

Journalist Peter von de Vorst told RTL television that the bizarre incident was like watching a horrible movie.

“It was a really nice day. Then you hear a bang. Everyone looks up and you see people indeed flying through the air. This must be a joke or a strange prank. Then suddenly panic, and you realize that something really terrible has happened,” he said.

A visibly shaken Queen Beatrix extended her sympathies to the victims in a brief nationally televised address. “What began as a great day has ended in a terrible tragedy that has shocked us all deeply,” she said.