Amsterdam - A serious road accident which left at least 14 injured Thursday overshadowed a public appearance of The Netherlands' Queen Beatrix.

A black car broke through barriers, injured bystanders and crashed in to a monument in the city of Apeldoorn not far from where members of the royal family were celebrating Queen's Day.

Beatrix cancelled a ceremonial march-past which had been scheduled in memory of her mother the former Queen Juliana who died in 2004 to mark what would have been her 100th birthday.

Beatrix and her family including Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima were in an open-top bus not far from the scene of the accident.

The royal family was horrified by the accident, the mayor of Apeldoorn said. The queen was especially upset because people were injured. (dpa)