Toespraak van Prinses Máxima - in haar functie als beschermvrouwe van Scouting Nederland - tijdens de Presentation Ceremony van Orange 2011 in de Ridderzaal te Den Haag
Your Majesties,
Your Royal Highness,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Scouting Nederland,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today is a day of joy for you for you, but a difficult one for us in the Netherlands. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families of the tragic shooting that occurred today in Alphen aan den Rijn.
Given that you have decided to name your visit to the Netherlands 'Orange 2011', I think it is only appropriate that you are welcomed today by a member of the Orange family.
Not only I welcome you as an Oranje, but also as a proud Patron of Scouting Nederland.
I took over this task from my late father-in-law Prince Claus, who in turn had inherited it from our late Queen Juliana.
But I can assure you, this was no automatism. Our involvement, as a family, with Scouting Nederland underscores the importance of this organization for our youth and the forming of our youth.
In my many visits, I have seen the profound effects that scouting has on girls and boys today.
What has always surprised me, is their sense of leadership, their attitude of service, their great responsibility and their resourcefulness with all the skills they have acquired.
If this is so important to Dutch girls and boys, I can just imagine how important it is in other parts of the world where such opportunities do not exist.
I therefore would like to commend the work of the World Scout Foundation and the Olave Baden-Powell Society that allows many more children to have access to scouting. And thereby helping them to improve their lives, that of their community, their country and the whole world.
I hope you had fruitful discussions here in the Netherlands. At least we arranged the best of weather for you - what we call the Oranje-zon!
And I hope you will leave my country inspired, ready for action, and full of energy, because a lot of children and youth would like to be given this opportunity.
Thank you.