Some 3,300 Royal honors were handed out to those in the Netherlands who have become important supporters of society. The awards were largely presented by the country’s mayors, with Rotterdam home to a plurality of recipients. While men also represented the largest proportion, the gender gap has also narrowed further.

It marks the highest total since 2010, when 3,746 honours were awarded in Queen Beatrix’s name. The number of decorations has increased for three consecutive years: over 2,800 in 2023, nearly 3,400 the year after, and more than 3,400 last year.

The Chancellery of the Dutch Orders says it cannot explain the rise, though a spokesperson suggests it could be related to the growing amount of volunteer work in the Netherlands. People who are awarded a decoration can choose to decline it, meaning the final number of honours may vary.

Once again, Rotterdam had the highest number of recipients. A total of 60 residents of the city received a royal decoration during Friday’s honours list announcement, up from 50 last year and 49 the year before.

The Hague follows closely with 57 honours, which is also higher than last year. At that time, 42 residents of The Hague were recognised on the final working day before King’s Day, the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. The year before that, 38 residents of The Hague received a decoration. In third place this year is Tilburg with 39 honours, compared with 27 last year.

In Amsterdam, the number of royal honours is declining. In 2024, 45 residents of the capital were awarded a decoration, followed by 43 last year and 38 this year.

Further up the list are Den Bosch with 31 honours, Bergen op Zoom with 30, Altena with 29, and Land van Cuijk with 28. The mayors of Utrecht, Katwijk, and Hoeksche Waard each presented 27 decorations.

In three municipalities, no royal decorations were handed out on Friday: Schiermonnikoog, Rozendaal (near Arnhem), and Tytsjerksteradiel in Friesland. Last year, Vlieland was the only municipality without any recipients, while the year before that it was Mook en Middelaar in the northern part of Limburg. In 2023, eight municipalities had no decorated residents at all.

More than six out of every ten royal decorations awarded during the annual honours list went to men, while fewer than four went to women. Although the difference is gradually decreasing, the change is happening in very small steps.

Out of the 3,633 people who were awarded a royal decoration during Friday’s honours list, 2,279 were men (62.7%) and 1,354 women (37.3%). Last year, women accounted for 37.1% of recipients, marking the first time in years the share had exceeded 37%. In 2019, the figure stood at 34.99%, rising to 36.13% in 2022.

Women are relatively more often awarded the lowest rank of distinction, Member in the Order of Orange-Nassau, which is mainly given to people who do extensive volunteer work in their local community. Of all women honoured this year, 91.9% received this award, compared with 87.7% of men.

In the Dutch Caribbean, 41 people were awarded a royal decoration. This is slightly lower than in previous years. The highest decoration went to Bill Winkel, a former neurosurgeon at Sint Elisabeth Hospital in Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao. He has been appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his contributions to healthcare. 11 others were appointed Knight in the Order, while the remaining 29 were made Members of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Aruba saw 19 residents receive a royal decoration, while Curaçao had 14 recipients. Sint Eustatius recorded five honours and Bonaire three. No decorations were awarded on Sint Maarten or Saba.

In the previous year, 47 people across Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, and Saba were awarded a royal decoration. In 2024, the combined total for these parts of the Kingdom stood at 42 honours.

This year’s total is higher than in 2023, when 30 people were awarded decorations across the six Caribbean islands. The figure was 58 in 2022 and 80 in 2021.