Eurohistory - The European Royal History Journal, Vol. 16.1, February 2013

I received the latest issue of The European Royal History Journal (Issue XCI, Vo. 16.1, February 2013) at the Royalty Weekend in Ticehurst, East Sussex (separate blog article to be published later) earlier this month. The front page - in nice green colours (should perhaps have been orange!) shows Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who is to abdicate on 30 April 2013 in favour of her son, the Prince of Orange (Prince Willem-Alexander).

The latest issue provides many interesting articles. The first one out is the ERHJ regular contributor Ilana D. Miller, known among others for her book The Four Graces (2011). Her article is titled What's In a Photo. A Family Visit to the Court of Tsar Alexander III, and opens with the author's impression that the emperor doesn't look well... The photo was taken at The Cottage Palace in Alexandria Park in 1889, five years before he died. Besides the main photo of the article you may also enjoy 12 more photos of members and relatives of the imperial family.

The second article is written by QVD author Marlene Eilers-Koenig, who focuses on the marriage between Archduke Imre of Austria and Kathleen Walker. The wedding took place on 8 September 2012 in Washington, D.C. The article is illustrated by many photos of the guests taken outside the St. Mary Mother of God Church.

In the Royal Book Reviews section another ERHJ (and RDQ) regular contributor, Coryne Hall, covers the books The Last Days of Richard III and the Fate of his DNA (by John Ashdown Hill, The History Press, updated paperback edition, 2013) and Twilight of the Romanovs. A Photographic Odyssey Across Imperial Russia (by Phillipp Blom & Veronica Buckley, Thames & Hudson, 2013).

In connection with the forthcoming abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Arnout van Cruyningen has been given space to write about the Dutch inauguration ceremony, The "Inhuldiging". The Solemnization of the Dutch Monarch's Accession to the Throne. The author believes that the best English translation for the Dutch word "inhuldiging" ("Huldigung" in German) is "Ceremony of Homage".

Then Coryne Hall returns with her article Murder in Marseille - The Assassination of King Alexander of Yugoslavia. Its neighbour country Albania is also given attention in Lucas Szkopinski's article The Reburial of King Zog of the Albankians. Tirana, 17 November 2012. The reburial, which was also one of the topics at the Royalty Weekend, was attended among others by Grand Prince George of Russia, Prince Nikola of Montenegro and Radu Duda (Prince Radu of Romania).

Joe Spiteri (not the former Australian football (soccer) player, I presume!) then deliberates about among others changes to the usage of royal titles in his article What's in a Title, while the ERHJ editor and publisherArturo E. Beéche has written the obituary about Princess Margarita of Baden (1932-2013). Finally there is a Royal News section divided into First Section Almanach de Gotha and Mediatized Dynasties.

The publisher of The Europan Royal History Royal can be reached at erhj [at] eurohistory.com. The website Eurohistory.com could have been more updated, but on the other hand its blog is updated usually several times a week. The same thing can be said about its Facebook page.

Updated on Wednesday 17 April 2013 at 00:10 (link added).

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).

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to address the nation

The Dutch Royal Court has announced this afternoon that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, b. 1938, is going to address the nation on Dutch TV and radio at 7 p.m. (GMT+2).

Not surprisingly the Dutch media, for instance De Telegraaf, has started to speculate about a possible abdication in favour of Queen Beatrix' oldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander, b. 1967. Queen Beatrix succeeded to the throne on 30 April 1980 following the abdication of her mother, Juliana, who had reigned since 1948 when Queen Wilhelmina abdicated. In other words, if Queen Beatrix, who is to celebrate her 75th birthday on 31 January, is going to announce he abdication tonight, she will follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother.

Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, is married to the Argentinian-born Princess Máxima and has 3 daughters.

If the time allows it I will return with more comments later today.