Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange christened the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder on 22 February 2025, a special and symbolic milestone for the new replenishment ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
The ceremony at the shipyard of main contractor Damen Naval in Vlissingen was attended by 1,100 guests, including the State Secretary for Defence, Gijs Tuinman, Damen Shipyards CEO Arnout Damen, Deputy Commander of the Materiel and IT Command, Major General Harold Boekholt, and Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy, Vice Admiral René Tas.
During her first solo working visit, Princess Amalia spoke the traditional words, “I name you Den Helder and wish you and your crew safe travels,” before smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull of the CSS.
As the ship’s christener, the Crown Princess will have a special connection with the vessel for the duration of its service life. After ceremonially cutting the final mooring line with a small ceremonial axe, the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy played the Wilhelmus, the Dutch national anthem.
“This is a special day for Damen Naval. It is a great honour to welcome the Princess of Orange to our shipyard. In doing so, she сontinues a long-standing tradition of the Royal Family’s connection to ships for the Royal Netherlands Navy, designed and built by De Schelde, now Damen Naval,” said Damen Naval Managing Director Roland Briene.
He also highlighted the successful collaboration between the Netherlands Ministry of Defence and the Dutch naval shipbuilding industry, with Damen Naval as the main contractor and national Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
“The christening of the CSS marks the beginning of a large-scale fleet replacement and reinforcement programme for our Royal Netherlands Navy. It underscores our longstanding and strategic partnership with the Ministry of Defence, which is now focused on renewal and acceleration.
“Here in Vlissingen, the heart of Dutch naval shipbuilding, we are dedicating resources and capacity to this urgent fleet modernisation. To achieve this, we work closely with a wide range of Dutch companies, research institutes, and, of course, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. We have been doing this for 150 years—and we will continue to do so.”
Exactly 48 months after the first steel was cut, the ship successfully completed its maiden sea trials in December 2024. Following the christening, Damen Naval will carry out the final work before handing the vessel over to the Materiel & IT Command (COMMIT) of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.
During the first sea trials, the ship has proven to be a valuable addition to the Netherlands naval fleet. Since the contract was signed in 2020 – and even before that – all parties have worked on this ship with dedication.
