DUTCH ROYALTIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 April 1937, Page 14

DUTCH ROYALTIES

SABBATH-BREAKING RESENTED.

AMSTERDAM, April 18.

On returning to Amsterdam after a three months’ motoring honeymoon in Europe, Princess Juliana, the future Queen, of Holland, and' Prince Bernhard were greeted by frank newspaper criticism for their Sabbath pleasure-seeking. The censure was led by the mouthpiece of the Prime Minister, Dr. H. Colijn, and his party, the “Rotterdammer.” “Heartily the Dutch people send prayers to the Lord for the health of the body and soul of the Royal couple,” it stated. “But they cannot conceal sadness at their desecration of the Sabbath. We have to remind even Princes of Royalty of the law of the Lord. If the Royal couple continue travelling and visiting places of amusement on Sundays, they may lose the love of many of the true people of Orange.” Disapproval is also expressed by many leading ministers of religion. Much of their honeymoon the couple spent in Germany, thie country of Prince Bernhard, where observance of the Sabbath is now. nominal. Before their wedding they were often seen cycling together on a tandem machine through the Dutch countryside, Both are enthusiastic motorists.

To “brighten Court life,’’ Prince Bernhard brought back from Paris many novelties, which included explosive cigars, dissolving spoons and magic handkerchiefs.