PHILIPSBURG--Be co-hosts along with Governor Eugene Holiday and the Council of Ministers for the visit of Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess M�xima on Thursday, protocol expert Henrik de Groot advised residents. "Be an active co-host."
De Groot, who is advising government on protocol for the upcoming visit, told The Daily Herald in an interview at Holland House Beach Hotel that a visit such as this came only once every six or seven years and the country needed "to help the Governor and Prime Minister with making it a pleasant and charming visit for the royals."
The National Organising Committee for the Royal Visit and several other people involved with the visit have undergone training with De Groot in the past days.
A dry run for the arrival of the royal party at Princess Juliana International Airport and the resulting police-escorted motorcade were carried out on Friday. De Groot commended the people involved, especially the police who were able to control the traffic flow despite the congestion. Only one hiccup was encountered when a woman driving in a compact car ended up amidst the motorcade.
De Groot instructed officials on more subtle aspects of hosting the royal party, such as not to approach the monarch, the prince or princess with an outstretched hand and to wait to be addressed by them. Also officials, staff members and people who will meet the royal party during the visit must remember to address them as "Your Majesty" and not, for example, Princess M�xima.
For the public, De Groot advised that photography should be left to the press. "Everyone has a cell phone with a camera and would want a photo. It is better to give the Queen space to walk and talk to you. Don't stand with your camera two metres from her. Just enjoy your moment and forget about the photo."
Protocol also plays a huge role for those fortunate enough to score an invitation to the state dinner hosted by Governor Holiday. All guests will be introduced to the royal visitors via a receiving line on arrival. This, De Groot explained, will make it easier for the queen and the royal couple to circulate and have conversations during the buffet-style dinner.
The royal party requested a buffet-style stand-up dinner to allow them to meet more people than a sit-down dinner would have made possible. The queen will be accompanied around the room by the Governor, the prince by the Prime Minister and the princess by First Lady Marie Louise Holiday.
As for the dinner dress code, the protocol expert, who once worked as the protocol director for the Dutch Minister of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, said guests should keep it "pleasant, elegant and tasteful. Do not dress like a movie star." National costumes such as saris are acceptable for the governor's dinner.
The protocol training has been intense, with even the staff of the hotel where the royal party will be staying receiving instructions from De Groot. He urged everyone involved to act as normally as possible and to remember that protocol is intended to ensure that the visit is "smooth and memorable."
Talking about the press, De Groot said that while he understood that everyone wanted the best photo, journalists and photographers should display some decorum and show due respect to the royal party. "Remember, the queen is a head of state and should be treated as such."
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