AMSTERDAM — The Noordeinde Palace in The Hague opened its doors to the public on Thursday morning as 2,000 people gathered to pay their last respects to the deceased Princess Juliana.

The public can sign the condolence register and view the body of the former queen in a special palace chapel until Sunday 28 March. Juliana will then be interred in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft on 30 March.

The palace will be open from 9am to 10pm each day until Sunday and the early morning crowd started to grow at about midday on Thursday. Crowd numbers are expected to swell in coming days, news agency ANP reported.

The Hague’s public transport company, HTM, will operate a special bus route to take people to and from Central Station and Noordeinde. HTM will also operate a bus to transport people in wheelchairs.

The City Council has also set up seats, toilets and walking routes to assist people wishing to see the body of Juliana before her funeral.

Soldiers will hold watch over the princess’s body on a  24-hourly basis in the chapel. Soldiers will also stand guard at night with torches outside the palace. The soldiers will remain in place until Monday.

The body of Princess Juliana was taken from Soestdijk Palace on Wednesday morning to the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. The 94-year-old died in her sleep at Soestdijk on Saturday morning.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news