Dutch Crown Princess Celebrates 18th Birthday With 21 Guests Amid Covid, Palace Says 'Wasn't A Good Idea'
The Netherlands government has asked people not to have more than four guests at gatherings amid the surging Covid-19 cases and concerns about the new Omicron variant.
New Delhi: Dutch Crown Princess Amalia hosted her 18th birthday party last week and invited 21 people though the country’s government has asked people to not have more than four guests at such gatherings amid the surging Covid-19 cases, news agency Reuters reported.
Amalia had cancelled indoor festivities because of the Covid pandemic, and organised a “last-minute” gathering in the palace gardens last Tuesday, The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte wrote to parliament on Wednesday, according to the report.
Amalia, the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander, is heir to the Dutch throne and is known as Princess Of Orange.
"Guests were asked to take a test. All were vaccinated. The assumption was that they would keep an acceptable distance," the report quoted Rutte's letter to lawmakers about the party.
He also wrote that King Willem-Alexander "informed me that in hindsight, it was not such a good idea. I think that's a sensible reaction".
According to the Reuters report, though no social distancing or other rules seemed to have been broken, Amalia was expected to have a quiet celebration.
The event came at a time hospitals in the country are struggling to allott beds as Covid-19 cases surge and there are concerns about the new Omicron variant.
On Sunday, the Dutch palace said former queen Beatrix (83), Amalia's grandmother, has contracted Covid.
The Netherlands has social-distancing restrictions in place across the country, with restaurants and non-essential shops closing early every day. All professional sporting events are out of bounds for the public, and people have been asked not to have more than four guests at any gathering.
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