The article reflects on the royal wedding of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands to Claus von Amsberg, which took place 60 years ago and was marked by considerable public opposition. The announcement of their engagement on June 28, 1965, sparked a sharp reaction from the Dutch public, still sensitive about their German neighbors due to the Nazi occupation during World War II. Prime Minister Jo Cals' lamentation over the choice of a German for the future queen underscored the negative sentiment surrounding the event at that time.

The strong reactions included protests predominantly led by students, who took to the streets of Amsterdam to express their discontent. They painted orange swastikas on walls, a symbolic gesture referencing the Dutch royal family’s House of Orange. The public outcry was significant enough to prompt a petition against the marriage, gathering over 65,000 signatures, demonstrating that the wounds of war and occupation had not fully healed in Dutch society.

Overall, the wedding of Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg not only strained existing notions of loyalty and national identity but also represented a turning point in how Dutch society grappled with its past. It challenged the norms of royal marriages and raised questions about the complexities of love intersecting with national history, ultimately paving the way for evolving perceptions in future royal alliances.