Netherlands: Queen abdicates in favor of her son
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced her abdication on January 28 to hand over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.
The BBC reported that in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on television, the queen said she would officially abdicate on April 30. Queen Beatrix, who is about to turn 75, said she had been thinking about this moment for several years. She said it was now time to “put down my crown.”
Queen Beatrix and Crown Prince Willem Alexander - Photo: torontosun.com
Queen Beatrix has been head of state of the Netherlands since 1980, when her mother abdicated. In a brief speech, the queen said it was time for “a new generation” to take over the throne. Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, 45, is married to Maxima Zorreguieta, a banker from Argentina. They have three children.
The crown prince, a trained pilot and water resources specialist, will become the Netherlands' first king since Willem III, who died in 1890.
Immediately after the Queen's speech was broadcast on television, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte made comments praising her. "She is in the heart and soul of Dutch society," Mr. Rutte said.
Queen Beatrix is the sixth monarch of the House of Orange-Nassau, which has ruled the Netherlands since the early 19th century. She is very popular, but her abdication has been long-awaited. Under Dutch law, the monarch has little real power beyond a ceremonial role.
Recent decades have seen a tradition of abdication in the Dutch royal family. Queen Beatrix's mother, Juliana, abdicated in 1980 on her 70th birthday, and her grandmother, Wilhelmina, abdicated in 1948 at the age of 68. Queen Beatrix will turn 75 on January 31.
Queen Beatrix is considered by many Dutch people to be a true “mother of the land” with most government buildings and universities proudly displaying her portrait, lavishly decorated and reverent. She is also one of the most popular monarchs in Europe. Dutch law still prohibits insulting the queen.
According to Tuoi Tre - DT
