Beatrix of the Netherlands |
Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of Orange-Nassau (born
January 31, 1938) is the Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne in 1980. Beatrix is the daughter of the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and her surviving husband, Prince Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld. When Beatrix was a young girl, the Dutch royal family fled the
German invasion of the Netherlands in World War II, moving to Britain in May 1940 and then to Ottawa, Canada. They returned home in 1945.
In Canada, Princess Beatrix had attended nursery and primary school. On her return to the Netherlands, she continued her
primary education at The Workshop (De Werkplaats), Kees Boeke's progressive school in Bilthoven. In April
1950, Princess Beatrix entered the Incrementum, part of Baarns Lyceum, where she passed her
school-leaving examinations in arts subjects and classics in 1956.
On January 31, 1956, Princess Beatrix
celebrated her 18th birthday. From that date, under the Constitution of the Netherlands, she was entitled to assume the royal
prerogative. At that time, her mother installed her in the Council of State.
Beatrix began her university studies the same year, at Leiden University. In her first years at university, she attended lectures in sociology, jurisprudence,
economics, parliamentary history and constitutional law. In the course of her studies she also attended lectures on the cultures of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, international affairs, international law, history and European law.
While at university, the Princess visited various European and international organisations in Geneva, Strasbourg, Paris,
and Brussels. She was also an active member of the Leiden Women Students'
Association. In the summer of 1959, she passed her preliminary examination in law, and she
obtained her law degree in July 1961.
On March 10, 1966, she married the
diplomat Claus von
Amsberg. Initially, there was quite some opposition to the marriage. With fresh memories of the Second World War, a part of the Dutch people didn't appreciate a German prince. As time went on, however Claus became one of the most popular members of the Dutch monarchy and his 2002
death was widely mourned.
On April 30, 1980, Beatrix became Queen of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands when her mother
abdicated. She exercises her function with more formality than Queen Juliana. She has a lot of supporters because of her professionalism, but during the
1990s criticism increased. Beatrix's current challenge is to keep the Dutch monarchy
modern, efficient and most of all in tune with the wishes of the Dutch people. It is expected that like her two predecessors,
Beatrix will not remain on the throne for life, and instead respectfully abdicate when she is confident her son is ready to
assume the crown.
She has been a long-time member of the Club of Rome.
Beatrix has three children, all sons:
On October 6, 2002, her husband Prince
Claus died after a long illness. A year and a half later, her mother also passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Both deaths garnered a massive outpouring of national
grief, which no doubt provided comfort to Beatrix.
Beatrix is rarely quoted directly in the press, since the government information service (Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst)
makes it a condition of interviews that she not be quoted. This rule was introduced shortly after her inauguration, reportedly to
protect her from political complications that may arise from "off-the-cuff" remarks. It does not apply to her son
Willem-Alexander.
Hereditary titles of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
- Her Majesty Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard by the Grace of God Queen of the Netherlands
- Princess of Orange-Nassau
- Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld
- Marchioness of Veere and Flushing
- Countess of Katzenelnbogen, Vianden, Diez, Spiegelberg, Buren, Leerdam, and Culemborg
- Viscountess of Antwerp
- Baroness of Breda, Diest, Beilstein, the city Grave and the land of Cuyk, IJsselstein, Cranendonk, Eindhoven, Liesveld,
Herstal, Warneton, Arlay and Nozeroy
- Hereditary and Suzerain Dame of Ameland
- Dame of Borculo, Breedevoort, Lichtenvoorde, Het Loo, Geertruidenberg, Clundert, Zevenbergen, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe,
Naaldwijk, Polanen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest and Baarn
Queen Beatrix International
Airport is named after Queen Beatrix.
See also List of
Succession to the Dutch Throne
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