Tuesday, September 17 is an important day in Dutch politics. It is the day that ministers present the financial plans of the government for next year. Traditionally, it is a day filled with ceremony, with the centerpiece being when the King drives through the Hague in a golden carriage.
But there is also a northern side to “Prinsjesdag” this year, as the day is called. The politicians will be styled on Tuesday by a 19-year-old hairdresser from Coevorden in Drenthe, as reported by the regional broadcaster RTV Drenthe.
All politicians naturally want to look tip-top on Prinsjesdag, and so their hair must also be perfect. Indeed, they are constantly in front of the cameras. Luckily, 19-year-old Britt Sturing from Coevorden is one of the hairdressers on hand to make sure that everyone is looking their best.
Sturing participated in the so-called ‘Skill Heroes’, which is a professional competition for MBO students, coming third. The prize she won was a surprise to her: “I was chosen to style the members of the Lower House.”
Hats
Prinsjesdag is also known for the hats that the female politicians wear during the ceremonies. Sturing was asked if this poses a problem for hairdressers such as her: “No, that’s really great”, she replied, “then you can show that a hat can be hip. It’s a challenge to make a nice haircut work with the hats.”
She will travel to The Hague on Monday with a suitcase full of hairdresser’s tools. She does not yet know whose hair she is to style on Tuesday, but that does not matter to her. “I like everyone,” says Sturing. “I will only hear who I will deal with on Tuesday”, she said.
