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Dutch queen prepares to hand throne to son

Shanghai Daily, April 30, 2013

• Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (C) arrives on April 29, 2013 with her son Prince Willem-Alexander (R) and his wife Princess Maxima to attend a dinner at the National Museum (Rijksmuseum) in Amsterdam on the eve of her abdication. [Xinhua/'AFP]

  
  
  

  Queen Beatrix will pass the crown to her eldest son Willem-Alexander today, making him the first king of the Netherlands in 122 years.

  Orange, the royal color, is everywhere. Houses are covered in bunting and flags. Shop windows are stuffed with orange cakes, sweets, clothes and flowers.

  April 30, or Queen's Day, is always a day for partying in the Netherlands. But this year Amsterdam is putting on a special show to celebrate the investiture of the 46-year-old king and the abdication of his 75-year-old mother after 33 years in the job.

  Nearly a million are expected to join the street party with dancing to bands and DJs helping create a carnival atmosphere. As always, there will be people on the pavements setting up traditional makeshift bric-a-brac stalls.

  Britain's Prince Charles and Japan's Crown Princess Masako, who is making her first foreign trip since falling ill a decade ago, will be among 2,000 visitors at the official ceremony.

  "There will be tears on Tuesday," said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, paying tribute to "this formidable lady who has ruled this country for over 30 years".

  On her last evening as queen, Beatrix was set to hold a banquet in the newly renovated Rijksmuseum. This morning she will sign her abdication, and Willem-Alexander immediately becomes king and his wife Maxima, a popular former investment banker from Argentina, becomes queen.

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