Church Blessing

Carel A. ter Linden, emeritus minister of the Kloosterkerkgemeente church community in The Hague, will conduct the church ceremony in the Nieuwe Kerk church in Amsterdam on 2 February 2002 to bless the marriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange and Ms Máxima Zorreguieta. After the bridal couple have pronounced their wedding vows before the minister, he will affirm and bless the marriage.

Monseigneur A.H. van Luyn, Bishop of Rotterdam, whose diocese includes The Hague, Ms Zorreguieta’s place of residence, has granted a Roman Catholic dispensation from canonical form for her marriage to the Prince of Orange. This means that the Roman Catholic Church has released Ms Zorreguieta from the obligation to marry in accordance with the rules of canon law. It also means that the Roman Catholic Church recognises the civil marriage as a sacramental marriage.

As announced on her engagement to the Prince of Orange, Máxima Zorreguieta is familiarising herself with the Protestant faith; this should not however be seen as a preparation for any move to the Dutch Reformed Church. In the fullness of time she herself will decide on her chosen religion on the basis of her beliefs. Any children to the marriage will be baptised within the Dutch Reformed Church.

The service on 2 February 2002 will be held under the ecclesiastical responsibility of the Inner City (East) parish of the Amsterdam Dutch Reformed Community. Musical accompaniment to the ceremony will be provided among others by the organist Bernard Winsemius, the soprano Miranda van Kralingen and the Netherlands Chamber Choir, together with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra conducted by Ed Spanjaard.

23 November 2001