Photo of Netherlands PM riding bicycle to meet the King goes viral

A photo of a cycling Netherlands Prime Minister to the Royal Palace has gone viral on the Internet – and for the good reasons.

Mark Rutte, who has led Netherlands since 2010, rode on his bicycle to the palace of the King of Netherlands for a meeting.

A photo showed him locking his bicycle upon arrival at the palace with palace guards manning the entrance already adorned with red carpet.

Humility

Bicycle, which is one of the most healthy and eco-friendly modes of transportation, has been popular amongst the Dutch for decades.

Mr. Rutte’s frequent use of bicycles rather than the clichéd bulletproof automobiles popular amongst political officeholders underscores a lifestyle of humility even in a country that is ranked amongst the wealthiest in the world.

Extravagance

His modesty and simplicity is in sharp contrast to some countries which are extremely extravagant when it comes to securing their leaders.

Sierra Leone for example which is not particularly rich has an outlandish presidential convoy despite its GDP being among the lowest in the world. The World Bank puts Sierra Leone's GDP per capita at $325.