Queen beatrix of the netherlands biography
•
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess Lippe-Biesterfeld(Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard; born 31 January 1938[1]) is the former queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She reigned from 1980 to 2013.
Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.[2] In 1948, she became heiress presumptive to the throne of the Netherlands. Her mother abdicated (gave up) the throne on 30 April 1980. Beatrix succeeded her as queen.
In January 2013, Beatrix announced that she would abdicate on 30 April 2013.[3] This day is known as Koninginnedag (Queen's Day). Her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, succeeded to the throne as King.[3] He is the first King of the Netherlands in 123 years.[4]
Since her abdication, she is called Princess Beatrix.
Family
[change | change source]Beatrix was married to Claus von Amsberg, who died in
•
Marriage and family
On 28 June 1965, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard announced the engagement of Princess Beatrix and the German diplomat Claus von Amsberg (1926-2002) in radio and television broadcasts.
Permission to marry
Before the wedding could take place parliament had to be asked for permission. In autumn 1965, the two houses of parliament passed a bill consenting to the marriage. Claus von Amsberg immediately became a Dutch citizen.
Marriage
Princess Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966. The ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Gijsbert van Hall.
After the civil ceremony in Amsterdam City Hall, the marriage was blessed in the Westerkerk by Rev. Hendrik Jan Kater, with a sermon by Rev. Johannes Hendrik Sillevis Smitt.
On the same day, Claus von Amsberg received the title of Prince of the Netherlands and the designation Jonkheer van Amsberg.
Grandchildren
Princess Beatrix has eight grandchildren:
- Eloi
•
Beatrix, Juliana, and Irene returned home to the Netherlands on 2 August 1945 (along with a new addition to their family, Princess Margiet, born in Ottawa). Another sister, Princess Christina, was born in 1947. The family tree meant that, when Princess Juliana succeeded Queen Wilhelmina, Beatrix became the heir presumptive to the throne aged just 10.
Growing up, she underwent all the education one might expect of a future queen. At stad University, Beatrix studied parliamentary history and constitutional lag, but also took additional lectures on the cultures of then Dutch colonies including Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. She would later övervaka the independence of Suriname in 1975, and, as Queen, the dissolution of the Antilles in 2010.
The wedding of Princess Beatrix to Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966 was highly controversial
Keystone/Getty ImagesIt was at a pre-wedding party for Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse, in