Royals of Europe: Abdication and Accession in the Netherlands

Monday, April 29, 2013

Abdication and Accession in the Netherlands

Finally! After more than a century, The Netherlands has a King!

Today, April 29, 2013, as the sun goes down, the reign of Queen Beatrix will also come to an end. She has been on the Dutch throne for 33 years since 1980, she abdicated in favor of her son, Wilhelm-Alexander, the Prince of Orange.

One of the Netherlands' most popular tourist attractions is the country's canal in the capital city

where the new King and Queen believe to be travelling following the inauguration ceremony

Joy, happiness and great anticipation for the future will be celebrated all through out Netherlands and royals around the world confirmed their attendance to attend the historic event, first at the state dinner marking the end of the reign of the Queen, second at the inauguration ceremony of the new King.

Queen Beatrix will finally step down on April 30, 2013 and from then on, she will be known as Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrix, Princess of Orange-Nassau, the original title she assumed upon the ascension of her mother, Queen Juliana, to the throne. Princess of Orange-Nassau is a title reserved for the future Danish Queen. It can never be used by a wife of the Prince of Orange, thus, Maxima, the wife of Prince Wilhelm-Alexander is only titled Princess of the Netherlands.

The young royal family, a day before the abdication and accession

Prince Wilhelm-Alexander and wife Princess Maxima with three daughters

Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Arianne

Upon his accession to the throne, Wilhelm-Alexander becomes the youngest crown head in all Europe and his wife, Maxima, the youngest Queen Consort. They have three daughters, Princess Amalia, the Hereditary Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia and Princess Arianne.

Members of the royal family are expected to be in full attendance for the historic event except for Prince Friso, the second son of the Queen, who is still in deep coma at a London clinic. He was struck by avalanche while skiing last year, February 2012. If one day, Prince Friso will still be given a second life, he will awake to find out his mother is no longer the Queen and his brother, the new Dutch King.

Royals arrived for the last state dinner in honor of Queen Beatrix:

They arrived together at the state dinner. Queen Beatrix,

Princess Maxima and Prince Wilhelm-Alexander

Princess Mabel, the wife of Prince Friso (second son of Queen Beatrix who is still in deep coma

at a London clinic), Prince Constanjin, the Queen's youngest son, and wife Princess Laurentien

THE SECOND GENERATION ROYALS

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall attending her very first major royal engagement outside Britain. The accession of the Prince of Orange to the throne might be the pondering moment of the Prince of Wales, who, at 64, is the oldest King-in-waiting in present-day Europe. But the Prince might still wait few more years before he could take the British crown because his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at 87, is still very active and shows no sign of slowing down.