A gifted craftsman has built an ornate golden carriage by hand in a five-year labour of love.
Riny Assink was inspired after seeing the Dutch royal family’s famous Golden Coach up close.
The original, which dated back to the late 19th century, was used by monarchs on Prince’s Day and other state occasions.
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But it was retired in 2022 by King Willem-Alexander after public outcry over the colonial imagery on its side panels, which was branded by critics as “racist” and “colonialist”.
“I was born and raised in the heart of Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, where poverty was rife just after the war,” Riny, 76, told Need To Know.
“At a young age, I heard that the people of Amsterdam had raised money to give Queen Wilhelmina a golden carriage for her inauguration.
“Given the poverty at the time, that gave me a strange feeling.
“But when I saw the carriage in person around the age of 12, the vague feeling turned into admiration for the craftsmanship of its builders.
“Later, when my wife and I were invited to ride in one of our carriages for Queen Beatrix’s 25th anniversary celebrations, we saw the golden carriage up close.
“I decided right then and there that after my retirement, I wanted to design a golden carriage myself and actually build it from scratch.”
Already experienced in restoring horse-drawn carriages, Riny – from the quaint village of Haringhuizen – was determined not to make an exact copy.
Instead, he designed and built every part himself – including the wheels and ornate decorations.
He even topped it with horse heads modelled after his and his wife’s own steeds.
Entirely self-taught, Riny started out making furniture at 17 and picked up new skills over the years to complete his passion project.
Now, after half a decade of meticulous work, the carriage is finally complete.
He added: “It will be unveiled in a special way on 15 August.”
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