The NRC website turns its attention today to the photograph of the new cabinet and the queen on the steps of the royal palace which traditionally follows the swearing-in ceremony. The tradition dates back to 1971 and is subject to strict protocol.

The queen stands in the middle of the front row, with the prime minister to her right, the first deputy PM to her left and the second deputy PM to the right of the prime minister. The rest of the cabinet are then arranged according to how old their department is, so home affairs is followed by foreign affairs, then defence etc.
Sometimes, however, there is a deviation from protocol because there are not enough women in the front row, the paper says. The dress code demands that ministers wear a business suit and tie. Women may wear trousers.
Originally ministers had to wear morning dress but Queen Juliana put a stop to that when, for the first group photo in 1971, she refused to be photographed with ‘a bunch of undertakers’, the website says.