The Netherlands: The Queen has abdicated, long live the King!

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (now Princess Beatrix) signed the abdication document earlier today, 30 April 2013, and was immediately succeeded by her eldest son, King Willem-Alexander. The investiture ceremony, in which the new king took his oath, took place at 2 p.m. More information on the abdication and investuture can be found at the official website.

In connection with the events in the Netherlands today, I have updated my Longest reigns website. Queen Beatrix' abdication meant that King Mswati III of Swaziland now is no. 8 on the list, while King Willem-Alexander has started his reign on the bottom (as no. 30)...

The succession also meant that Princess Margriet's two eldest sons Prince Maurits and Prince Bernhard lost their membership in the Royal House as well as their succession rights, cf. the Constitution of the Netherlands Article 25, which says:

On the death of the King, the title to the Throne shall pass by hereditary succession to the King’s legitimate descendants in order of seniority, the same rule governing succession by the issue of descendants who predecease the King. If the King has no descendants, the title to the Throne shall pass in the same way to the legitimate descendants of the King’s parent and then of his grandparent who are in the line of succession but are not further removed from the deceased King than the third degree of consanguinity.

The updated line of succession to the Dutch Throne is as follows:

1. HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange
2. HRH Princess Alexia
3. HRH Princess Ariane
4. HRH Prince Constantijn
5. Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau
6. Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau
7. Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau
8. HRH Princess Margriet

No. 1-3 are daughters of the king, then follows his youngest brother Prince Constantijn and his children and finally the king's aunt Princess Margriet.

I had meant to cover the abdication and investiture in more detail, but as I have caught a severe cold as well as a mere touch of influenza, I have had to restrict myself... Normally I would have written about yesterday's events in Serbia, when the remains of Queen Maria of Yugoslavia were repatriated to Belgrade, as well, but this will have to do.  The state funeral of King Peter II, Queen Alexandra and Queen Maria is to take place on 26 May 2013.

Norwegian Crown Prince couple to attend inauguration ceremony in the Netherlands

The Norwegian Royal Court confirmed this afternoon that Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are going to attend the swearing in and investiture ceremony for King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 30 April 2013.

The program for the inauguration ceremony can be found at the Dutch Royal Court's official website.

The Swedish Royal House will be represented by Crown Prince Victoria and Prince Daniel.

Queen Beatrix to abdicate on 30 April 2013

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced in a televised address to the nation earlier tonight that she was going to abdicate on 30 April 2013, exactly 33 years after she succeeded to the throne on the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana. (The Queen's speech in English.)

After the speech the Royal Court issued a press release which contained quite interesting information about the many changes that will affect the members of the Dutch Royal House.

Time and place of abdication and investiture

The official programme for the abdication and investiture will take place on 30 April 2013. Her Majesty the Queen will sign the Instrument of Abdication at the Royal Palace, Amsterdam. The investiture of His Majesty the King will then take place at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

King's Day on 27 April from 2014

From 2014 onwards, King's Day will be celebrated on 27 April, the birthday of the Prince of Orange and future King Willem-Alexander. In 2014 it will be celebrated by the Royal Family in Amstelveen and De Rijp. These municipalities will be able to use the programme that has already been developed for the planned celebration of Queen's Day on 30 April this year, which will assume a different character because of the abdication and investiture.

Prince of Orange to become King Willem-Alexander

When Queen Beatrix abdicates, His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange will become King Willem-Alexander, and Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands will become Queen Máxima. They will both be addressed as 'Your Majesty'. After abdicating, Queen Beatrix will be called Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, etc. As soon as the Prince of Orange ascends the throne, his eldest child, Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia, will be the first in line to the throne. She will then become the Princess of Orange (under section 7 of the Membership of the Royal House Act).

The titles and names of the other members of the Royal Family will not change after Queen Beatrix's abdication. The membership of the Royal House and the line of succession will however change under the above Act.*

After the abdication, the line of succession will begin with the children of His Majesty the King: Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexia, and Her Royal Highness Princess Ariane. The next in line will be His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn, his children and finally Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet.

After the abdication, the children of Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven will no longer be eligible for the throne. They will also cease to be members of the Royal House.

A truly historical event is going to take place in April. Oh how much I would love to be present! It feels strange that Queen Beatrix will not longer be the Queen of the Netherlands. She has held that position for a little more than three quarters of my life, and she has always been one of my favourites. A Queen with capital Q. Devoted, loyal, constitutional, popular and distant at the same time. She deserves to take it a bit easier after all these years. And I am confident that the new king - who will use his name Willem-Alexander and not Willem IV - will do well in the position he has been groomed for and will also become a popular monarch as the years go by.

As of now the line of succession to the Dutch throne is as follows (all Prince or Princess of the Netherlands (and other titles) unless otherwise noted):

1. Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
2. Princess Catharina-Amalia
3. Princess Alexia
4. Princess Ariane
5. Prince Constantijn
6. Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau
7. Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau
8. Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau
9. Princess Margriet
10. Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau
11. Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau

Updated on Tuesday 29 January 2013 at 19:45 (link to the Queen's speech in English added).