The list is pages long. His Majesty has been pleased to present three thousand, three hundred and seventy-five awards this year. To people who have contributed something to society, the majority (3,287) through volunteer work.
But how is it determined who gets a ribbon? And above all: who isn’t?
First of all: you don’t nominate yourself, someone else does that. The mayor and then the King’s Commissioner provide advice on the nomination. That advice ends up with the Chapter for the Civil Orders, which reviews the nominations and in turn advises the various ministers on the nominations. Their decisions ultimately end up on the King’s desk for signature.
Most people, including this Friday (87 percent), are appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau. This is intended for people with “personal special merits for society”, whereby someone must have made an effort for “a considerable period of time” or have delivered “one or more notable achievements” or “activities that have a special value for society”.
If you look through the list, you will see that many of the decorated people do volunteer work in multiple areas. They are committed to combating poverty or integration. For care for the elderly, youth, disabled or foster children. Do something for the shooting community, carnival or other cultural heritage, animal welfare or nature conservation. Cohesion is a word that is used a lot: social cohesion, village cohesion, neighborhood cohesion. And very often – 970 times – the decorated people do something for or from the church, mosque or synagogue.
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about the Chapter: Who actually decides whether you get a ribbon
Open Government Act
But on what criteria exactly do the mayor, commissioner and Chapter base their judgment? Invoking the Open Government Act, someone wanted to know, all the way to the Council of State.
He was proven wrong at the end of last year: the Administrative Jurisdiction Division found that if the criteria were public, there was a risk that if a nominated person were not decorated, those around him could ask questions about the reason. One of those reasons is a criminal record – a decorandus must be of ‘impeccable conduct’. A serious traffic violation already results in a criminal record, although the Chapter will then take it to heart after some time.
Without someone knowing it – after all, he does not nominate himself – others may think that he has something to hide. And that, the Council of State decided, is an infringement of personal privacy.
While the fact that someone does not receive a ribbon could also be because he or she does not want to be decorated. This is usually carefully selected well in advance. Sometimes things go wrong. For example, in 2020 Bram Boelhouwers (then 75) from Fijnaart heard that the mayor had called: “Then I knew what was going on. When he called back, I told him I didn’t want a ribbon.” He said to Omroep Brabant: “I don’t need to be rewarded for all the work. I do that for the people. And their appreciation is enough.”
Also read
who received a royal honor this year on the Chapter’s website
Decorated people
This year the youngest decorator is 29-year-old Jeron Groeneveld from Zwammerdam. Since he was sixteen, he has been a volunteer at Studio Alphen, the local broadcaster where he started as a cameraman. And he helps as a volunteer with the holiday children’s games, the amateur theater, the brass band and with the interest group that stands up for the quality of life in the South Holland municipality.
Albert Gooijer (98) from Utrecht is the oldest decorated person. He has been a volunteer since “about 1966,” the Chapter writes. Gooijer was treasurer for “various” scouting associations and the Wilheminakerk.
Famous scientists have been decorated, including co-founder of the first Dutch internet provider NLnet, Frances Brazier, professor at TU Delft. She has been appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion for her “exceptional contribution to the digital infrastructure and the internet landscape”. Professor of geriatrics Marcel Olde Rikkert and professor of surgery Johan Lange have both been appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
In the cultural corner, awards go to Sjarel Ex, former director of the Boijmans van Beuningen museum (Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau), Paul Bronkhorst, who helps dancers find a new career, saxophonist Arno Bornkamp and Jan Six X, manager of the monumental family building in which the famous portrait of Jan Six I, painted by Rembrandt, hangs. They all become Knights in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Order of Orange-Nassau
Boi Antoin, the Bonairean journalist who last year told the King, Queen and Princess Amalia about the Netherlands’ slavery past, will become an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Dennis and Mariska van der Kraats, founders of the Veterans Search Team, which assists the police in cases of missing persons, become Knights in the Order of Orange-Nassau. Just like some members of the USAR search and rescue team, which helped after the earthquake in Turkey.
TV presenter Yvon Jaspers, known for farmer seeks wife, also becomes a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, because she “has become an ambassador of the agricultural sector”. Just like entrepreneur Marcel Boekhoorn, known for his purchase and sale of Telfort and Hema. He received the award for his voluntary activities at football club NEC and Ouwehands Zoo, among others.
The highest award goes to the Japanese Kenzo Hiroki, for sharing his knowledge about water management and disaster relief. He is appointed Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
On Thursday, outside the rain of ribbons, Jaap van Dissel was appointed Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau upon his retirement as director of infectious disease control at the RIVM. Outgoing Prime Minister Rutte, who presented him with the award, praised Van Dissel for his role in the corona years, “in which he was an unflappable rock for the cabinet. An inexhaustible source of knowledge and facts, even if we sometimes preferred not to hear them. He just kept explaining it politely and patiently. To us, to the House, to the whole of the Netherlands.”
Also read
who received a royal honor this year on the Chapter’s website
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