Days before her 75th birthday, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced her abdication from the throne, after 33 years as head of the country’s constitutional monarchy.
Her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange, will be inaugurated at the end of April. He will be the first king since 1890 and only the fourth king since the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815.
The monarch made her announcement in a short statement on television and prompted well-wishers from across the globe, including former Dutch colonies, to send messages of praise and support.
Although elsewhere in Europe abdication is not normal practice, Beatrix’s mother and grandmother both ceded their place at the head of the Dutch monarchy to their daughters.
