Visit delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, 13 September 2024

 

Your Royal Highness,

Excellencies,

Honourable guests,

 

Thank you very much for the presentation of the House Order of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.

I am a bit surprised, to be honest.

To what do I owe this honour?

I am not an active member of a church community.

And my background also differs from yours.

I was raised in a liberal reformist environment.

My paternal grandmother was an active member of the church.

Although Protestant, of course.

I wonder what she would have thought had she seen me standing here now…

But, again, I feel most honoured and indeed, moved by this gesture.

The Hague is a city where the world is at home, where many languages are spoken and many faiths practised.

As Mayor I see it as my task to be there for everyone living here in our city.

And to bring people together, also people who would not normally so readily meet one another.

Most certainly in these times, as polarisation is gaining ground, it is all the more important to listen to each other.

Without prejudice or passing judgment beforehand.

To always see one another as fellow citizens, fellow human beings.

And not just those ‘other people’.

The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is one of the oldest orders of chivalry in the world.

Your visit to our city is therefore not an everyday event.

Did you happen to know that the Order of the Golden Fleece met in The Hague in 1456, led by Philip the Good?

The members‘ shields hanging in the Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk, near to this town hall, are a reminder of that meeting.

Fortunately, the shields survived the ‘purge’ of the church following the French Revolution.

The United Nations’ Economic and Social Council has bestowed a special advisory status on the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.

As you know, The Hague also has close ties with the United Nations.

The highest legal body of the UN, the International Court of Justice, is housed in the Peace Palace.

I understand you have just been there on a visit.

The Peace Palace is the symbol of everything The Hague stands for: peace and justice.

Both worldwide and close to home, in the neighbourhoods and on the streets of our city.

In that respect, too, I see similarities with the humanitarian work that your Order does in many places.

Once again, thank you so much for coming and for the great honour bestowed on me today.

I wish you a pleasant further stay in our country, a worthy investiture in Haarlem and a safe journey home.