Queen Beatrix abdicates throne, NL gets first king in over 100 years

On Monday, just 3 days before her 75th birthday, Queen Beatrix announced that she will step down on April 30 of this year, exactly 33 years after her coronation. Her son, Willem Alexander, will then become King of the Netherlands.

According to the Queen, she is not stepping down because she can no longer handle her duties, but because she believes it is a good time to hand the responsibility of the country over to a new generation.

Willem Alexander and his Argentinian wife, Princess Maxima, are to become King and Queen. He will be the first King of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather William III in 1890.

Willem Alexander's coronation will coincide with Queen's Day, the annual celebration of the Dutch queen and the birthday of Beatrix's mother, Queen Juliana.