"It's quite a tradition and I don't think that people would like to make cuts in the ceremony", that's what many people in the streets of The Hague answer when asked if the ceremony is not too expensive.

Speech from the Throne
The highlight of Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day) is the Speech from the Throne. Queen Beatrix reads a text written by the prime minister setting out the government's goals for the year to come.

The ceremony takes places in the 500-year-old Hall of Knights. Members of both houses of parliament are there, as are hundreds of other distinguished guests, both Dutch and foreign. The men are in tuxedos, the women in their finest dresses.

Infamous hats
And it's not just the dresses. The hats many women wear on Budget Day have become infamous. Perhaps inspired by Queen Beatrix's own love of hats, many female politicians seem to spare no expense when it comes to covering their heads.

It's quite a sight. Though not admired by everybody: "Of course you can cut some of the glitter. The extremely expensive clothes they wear for instance. For one day! It could be a bit less, I think."

Golden Carriage
Another major part of the ceremony around Budget Day is the parade. The Queen travels from her palace to the Hall of Knights in the Golden Carriage, drawn by eight horses. When the carriage passes, it is the climax of the whole parade, which includes numerous elite equine military regiments and bands.

The parade should stay, say spectators in the city centre. "I don't think you should cut anything. In the Netherlands there is not a lot of ceremonial costs because of parliament, so it's good to put them in a picture once a year."

As for budget cuts, very few people who came to see the parade think it’s necessary to save money on the ceremony. The recession has yet to severely affect the Dutch purse. And people are proud of the modest nature of their royal family. So even if everyone else has to pinch their pennies, “Prince’s Day” seems safe from budget cuts.