De Naald, Apeldoorn

De Naald (English: The Needle) is an obelisk-shaped monument at the side of the Zwolseweg road in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn, near Het Loo Palace.

[1] The project was funded through a collection campaign among residents of Apeldoorn, who donated 3,518 Dutch guilders and 37 and a half cents.

The monument was intended to be a gift from the people of Apeldoorn to Queen Wilhelmina and her fiancé Prince Hendrik, the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on the occasion of their marriage.

On April 30, 2009, a driver who attempted to attack the Dutch royal family, leaving eight dead and injuring nine, drove into the monument at high speed.

De Naald is a 17-meter-high (56-foot) obelisk-shaped stone monument, surrounded by a low iron fence.