Science - April 7, 2011

Lindeboom receives royal honour

Han Lindeboom, a researcher with Wageningen IMARES , received a very special bronze medal from Queen Beatrix on 6 April.

Lindeboom was decorated with the order of Oranje at Ten Bosch Palace, for his special services to art and sciences. This honour is bestowed by the queen on only one person every year. He received it for his polar research on and near Antarctica.

'We know each other personally', said Lindeboom. 'I chaired the Dutch commission on polar research and was involved in the International Polar Year. I got to know her there. Then I gave a symposium on polar research at the palace. As a result, Alexander and Maxima visited Antarctica two years ago - I was the driving force behind that. Last year I went along on the royal visit to Norway, on which one of the topics discussed was the management of the North Sea. She really valued my input on that.'

Queen Beatrix has invited about 25 guest to the ceremony,  including Lindeboom's proud parents, his family and several colleagues from Wageningen IMARES.

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