Carnival is just around the corner. In other words: five days of celebration in the south of the Netherlands, filled with costumes, polonaises, and exuberant festivities. For Laura Schaffers, our accounts receivable employee and office manager, this is the moment when the real work is about to begin. As Princess Laura d’n Urste, she reigns over Keiendonk – the carnival name of her hometown, Megen.
“Do you want to be princess?” When Laura was asked this question by carnival association De Keiendonkers, she didn’t have to think twice. Of course, she wanted to. “I said I’d check with my family first, but that was mostly for show, haha,” she says. “This is the highest honor one can achieve in our town. And it’s a great privilege.”
“I Always Say Yes”
For the representatives of De Keiendonkers, Laura’s acceptance probably didn’t come as a surprise. By now, they know her well. “I pretty much always say ‘yes’ when they ask me for something,” Laura says with a smile. “That’s why I’m also a board member at football club VITA and a volunteer at the Megen Youth Interests Foundation. I’ve been a member of the Council of Eleven at the carnival association for years and I organize the activities on Carnival Monday. Maybe that’s why they thought I deserved the role of princess.”
“What I’m looking forward to most? Seeing the entire village turned upside down for five days.”
Two Adjutants: Marieke and Kim
Normally, a prince or princess has one adjutant by their side. But not Laura. She has two: Marieke van Druenen and Kim van der Aa. “Honestly, I couldn’t choose. And I like doing things a little differently. It’s going to be a huge party, experiencing this together. What I’m looking forward to most? Seeing the entire village turned upside down for five days. Almost everyone joins in.”
An Ancient Tradition
or those who know carnival and Laura, it’s no secret what these days will look like. Still, she sometimes has to explain it, for example, to CSE’s international partners. Laura: “No problem. I also have family in America who don’t know about it. Carnival is an old Catholic tradition where we have one last big celebration before the forty days of Lent. We do it with lots of joy, creativity, and, among other things, a symbolic prince or princess.”
“To everyone celebrating carnival, I say: Alaaf!” concludes Princess Laura d’n Urste. “Enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!”
