Netherlands Crowns a New King
April 30, 2013
A new king of the royal house of Orange-Nassau was sworn in today in the Netherlands. No king has served in the Netherlands since the death of William III of the Netherlands in 1890. King Willem-Alexander (1967-…) succeeded his mother, Beatrix (1938-…), who will now be known as Princess Beatrix. The role of monarch is ceremonial in the Netherlands.
The Dutch flag and coat of arms. The coat of arms with the crown and red cloak is the personal arms of the royal family of the Netherlands. (Flag artwork © 2013 Dream Maker Software; World Book illustration)
Beatrix, who had reigned since 1980, signed an act abdicating the throne and passing it to her son. In some royal houses, there is no tradition of a monarch abdicating, and he or she serves until death. The United Kingdom’s house of Windsor, currently headed by Elizabeth II (1926-…), has such a tradition. The Netherlands, however, has a modern history of older monarchs giving up rule for the younger generation. Beatrix’s mother, Juliana (1909-2004), gave up the throne in her 70′s, and Juliana’s mother, Wilhelmina (1880-1962), abdicated in her 60′s.
Wilhelmina had been a tremendously popular figure to the Dutch. They still remember her courage during World War II (1939-1945), when the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany. Wilhelmina fled to the United Kingdom and formed a government in exile. She broadcast radio messages to her people during her five-year stay in the United Kingdom. Juliana took her young children to Canada for the war.
Willem-Alexander was crowned in Amsterdam in the Nieuwe Kerk, a church built in the 1400′s. The decommissioned church, now used as exhibition space, has been the site of the inauguration of all the rulers from the Orange-Nassau house, which has ruled the Netherlands since 1813. It is also the burial site of the royal family.
Willem-Alexander’s wife, Argentine-born Maxima Zorreguieta, holds the title of queen of the Netherlands from today. The couple has three daughters. The eldest, Catharina-Amalia, becomes heir to the throne of the Netherlands.
Additional World Book articles:
