On January 28, it became known that the Queen of the Netherlands Beatrix, in a video message to the nation broadcast by national television, abdicated in favor of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander. The Queen emphasized that "completely disappearing from the political arena is not part of her plans." Beatrix, 75, is the oldest ruling monarch in Dutch history.
Before her, this title was worn by King Willem III, who died in 1890 at the age of 73. Queen Juliana, mother of Beatrix, turned 70 when she transferred power to her daughter. According to the Dutch Constitution, the crown can be transferred to the blood relatives of the current monarch to the third stage of kinship.
The main heir to the throne of Beatrix is 45-year-old Willem-Alexander, followed by her granddaughters - Princess Ariana, Alexy and Katarina-Amalia, followed by Prince Constantine, then Princess Margrit (Queen's sister) and her sons.
In the Netherlands, the concepts of “royal house” and “royal family” are shared, so a member of the royal family is not necessarily a member of the house. According to the Royal House Act, which was approved in 2002, its members will not be members of the royal family who are not directly related to the monarch. By the way, distant relatives, formerly members of the royal house, retained their status.
Thus, the current royal house includes: Queen Beatrix, her sons - Prince Constantine and Prince Willem-Alexander, their wives - Princess Laurentina and Maxim, children, the Queen's sister Princess Margrit with her husband Peter van Wallenhoven, daughter-in-law and sons of Princess Margrit. When the throne will belong to Willem-Alexander, the situation will change - the daughter-in-law and sons of Princess Margrit will no longer be members of the royal house. And the queen herself will now become a princess.
