On this day in Dutch history
On the 30th of April 2013, Queen Beatrix officially abdicated in favour of her son. At 10:07, Queen Beatrix signed the Act of Abdication. At that moment, she became Princess Beatrix while her son became King Willem-Alexander. He will officially be inaugurated as King later this afternoon at 14:00 local time in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
The Act of Abdication was also signed by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and several other dignitaries, including those from the Netherlands Antilles.
Princess Beatrix, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima afterwards waved to the crowds on the square in front of the Paleis op de Dam. The new King and Queen were also joined by their three daughters.
Festivities will continue, not just in Amsterdam but in the rest of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles.
The 30th of April has been a national holiday, Queen’s Day, since 1949. With King Willem-Alexander on the throne, Queen’s Day will become King’s Day and will be celebrated on the 27th of April from now on.
Except next year, when the 27th of April is on a Sunday, so the festivities will be on the 26th of April 2014.
The history of Queen’s Day goes back to the 1885, when a local newspaper editor in Utrecht called for local celebrations on the 5th birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, the 31st of August. Princess Day would emphasise national unity. The year before some areas in Utrecht had also celebrated the Princess’ birthday, without calling it Princess Day. The year after, more and more cities joined in on the celebrations.
After King Willem III’s death in 1890, the national festivities on the 31st of August became known as Queen’s Day. It became a holiday for children, with games and festivities being organised for them. Queen’s Day remained on the 31st of August until 1948, when Queen Wilhelmina abdicated.
Queen Juliana’s birthday, the 30th of April, became the new Queen’s Day, although several towns still have celebrations on the 31st of August as well to this day. The end of August often coincides with the start of the schoolyear for children, making it a nice time for some games and festivities.
When Princess Beatrix became Queen, she kept Queen’s Day on the 30th of April. Her birthday is on the 31st of January, and since that’s usually a rather cold day to play games and celebrate outside, and to honour her mother, Queen’s Day remained on the 30th of April.
(Above: King Willem-Alexander, Princess Beatrix and Queen Máxima on the Paleis op de Dam’s balcony after the abdication this morning)
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