Radio Oranje (Dutch:[ˈraːdijoːoːˈrɑɲə]; "Radio Orange") was a Dutch radio programme on theBBC European Service broadcast to theGerman-occupied Netherlands duringWorld War II. It was transmitted fromLondon and broadcast programmes of approximately 15 minutes. It consisted of brief commentaries on current affairs and political speeches, as well as news on theFree Dutch Forces, colonies, and merchant navy. It was distinct from the BBC's own Dutch Service which only broadcast news programmes and which, unlike Radio Oranje, was not controlled by theDutch government in exile.
Radio Oranje made its first broadcast on 28 July 1940, consisting of a rendition of the nationalist songMerck toch hoe sterck, followed by a speech byQueen Wilhelmina. In total, Wilhelmina spoke onRadio Oranje 34 times during the course of the war. The name, Radio Oranje, was a tribute to the Dutch monarchy'sHouse of Orange-Nassau.
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