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Beatrix was born during the reign of her maternal grandmother,Queen Wilhelmina, and becameheiress presumptive upon the accession of her mother,Queen Juliana, in 1948. Beatrix attended a public primary school in Canada duringWorld War II, and then finished her primary and secondary education in the Netherlands in the post-war period. In 1961, she received herlaw degree fromLeiden University. In 1966, Beatrix marriedClaus von Amsberg, aGerman diplomat, with whom she had three children. When her mother abdicated on 30 April 1980, Beatrix succeeded her as queen.
When Beatrix was one year old, in 1939, her younger sisterPrincess Irene was born.[4]
Beatrix and Irene on board thePiet Hein in 1946
World War II broke out in the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 (Westfeldzug). On 13 May, theDutch Royal Family evacuated toLondon, United Kingdom. One month later, Beatrix went toOttawa, Ontario, Canada, with her mother Juliana and her sister Irene, while her father Bernhard and maternal grandmother Queen Wilhelmina remained in London.[4] The family lived at theStornoway residence (now the residence of theLeader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Canada).[7] With bodyguards and ladies in waiting, the family summered at Bigwin Inn onLake of Bays, Ontario, where four private stone cottages of the resort served as their retreat. While onBigwin Island, the constitution of the Netherlands was stored in the safe of Bigwin Inn's rotunda building. Princess Juliana and her family were remembered for their "down to earth" friendliness, general gratefulness and great reverence for their homeland and people, to whom they paid homage by refraining from all luxuries offered to guests at the resort that was once billed as the largest and most luxurious summer resort in Canada. To provide them with a greater sense of security, culinary chefs and staff catered to personal orders at meal time. Upon their departure, the hotel musicians of the Bigwin Inn Orchestra assembled dockside; and at every public performance afterward through to the end of World War II, theWilhelmus was played. In the years following the shuttering and neglect of the island resort, the "Juliana" cottages were well maintained and preserved in an informal tribute to Princess Juliana and her family. In appreciation for the protection of her and her daughters, Princess Juliana established the custom of delivery to the Canadian government every spring of tulips, which is the centrepiece of theCanadian Tulip Festival.
On 5 May 1945, the German troops in the Netherlands surrendered. The family returned to the Netherlands on 2 August 1945. Beatrix went to the progressive primary schoolDe Werkplaats inBilthoven run bypacifist social reformersKees Boeke andBeatrice Boeke-Cadbury. Her third sisterPrincess Christina was born in 1947.[4] On 6 September 1948, her mother succeeded her grandmother Wilhelmina as Queen of the Netherlands. Since she had no brothers, Beatrix became theheiress presumptive to the Dutch throne at the age of ten.
In April 1950, Princess Beatrix entered the Incrementum, a part of Baarnsch Lyceum, where, in 1956, she passed her school graduation examinations in the subjects of arts and classics.[11] Her tutor from April 1951 wasGertrude Büringh Boekhoudt [nl], who remained a close confidant until her death in 1982.[12]
In 1954, Beatrix served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Baroness van Randwijck and Mr. T Boey.[13]
On 31 January 1956, Beatrix celebrated her 18th birthday. From that date, under the Constitution of the Netherlands, she was entitled to assume theRoyal Prerogative. At that time, her mother installed her in theCouncil of State.[14]
The princess also visited various European and international organisations inGeneva,Strasbourg,Paris, andBrussels. She was also an active member of the VVSL (Female Union for Students in Leiden), now calledL.S.V. Minerva, after merging with the Leidsch Studenten Corps (which before then was male-only). In the summer of 1959, she passed her preliminary examination in law, and she obtained her law degree in July 1961.[11]
In 1965, Beatrix became engaged to the German aristocratClaus von Amsberg, a diplomat working for the German Foreign Office. There was a massive protest on their wedding day inAmsterdam on 10 March 1966. Prince Claus had served in theHitler Youth and theWehrmacht and therefore was easily associated with GermanNazism. Protests included slogans like "Claus 'raus!" (Claus out!) and "Mijn fiets terug" ("Return my bicycle" – a reference to German soldiers confiscating Dutch bicycles during WWII). A group ofProvos threw a smoke bomb at theGolden Coach, resulting in a street battle with thepolice.
As time went on, Prince Claus became one of the most popular members of theDutch monarchy.[15]
On 25 November 1975, Beatrix and Prince Claus attended the independence ceremony ofSuriname, held in the new nation's capital,Paramaribo, representingher mother the Queen.
As a monarch, Beatrix had weekly meetings with the prime minister. She signed all new Acts of Parliament and royal decrees, and until a constitutional change late in her reign, appointed theinformateur, an official who is responsible for chairing coalition talks in the formation of new governments. At the state opening of parliament each September, she made a Speech from the Throne, in which the government announced its plans for the coming parliamentary year. As Queen, she was president of the Council of State. Her role was largely ceremonial and as a focus of national unity, she did not make legislative or executive decisions.
On 28 June 1965, the engagement of Princess Beatrix to the German diplomat Claus von Amsberg was announced. Claus and Beatrix had met at the wedding-eve party of Princess Tatjana ofSayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg andMoritz, Landgrave of Hesse, in summer 1964. After Parliament consented to the marriage, Claus von Amsberg became a Dutch citizen, and upon his marriage became Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg.
Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966 in civil and religious ceremonies.[17] The bride wore a traditional gown with train induchesse silk satin, designed by Caroline Bergé-Farwick of Maison Linette, in Den Bosch, and the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara. The senior bridesmaids were the bride's youngest sister,Princess Christina of the Netherlands;Princess Christina of Sweden;Lady Elizabeth Anson; Joanna Roëll; Eugénie Loudon; and the bridegroom's sister, Christina von Amsberg. The junior bridesmaids wereDaphne Stewart-Clark and Carolijn Alting von Geusau, with page boys Joachim Jencquel and Markus von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff.[18]
The royal couple travelled to the ceremony together in thegold state carriage.[19] The civil ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Amsterdam,Gijsbert van Hall, at Amsterdam City Hall. The marriage blessing took place in the Westerkerk, conducted by the Rev. Hendrik Jan Kater, with a sermon by the Rev. Johannes Hendrik Sillevis Smitt.[20]
The royal couple had three sons. They lived atDrakensteyn Castle inLage Vuursche with their children until Beatrix ascended the throne. In 1981, they moved intoHuis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.
Princess Beatrix atRidderkerk, February 1980Beatrix during her inauguration in theNieuwe Kerk, 1980
From the 1970s, Beatrix began to prepare more intensively for her future position as head of state. She made many trips abroad with Prince Claus, including a controversial one to the Soviet Union.
Afterthe Lockheed affair, Beatrix and Claus began to delve into the royal household and made plans to adapt it. In addition, they asked advisers to prepare for Beatrix's reign. On 31 January 1980, the birthday of her eldest daughter and heiress presumptive, Queen Juliana announced during a live television speech that she wished to abdicate on 30 April in favor of her daughter Beatrix.
That Beatrix would succeed her mother as queen was not a matter of course when she was born. It was not until 1983 that the Constitution was amended in such a way that the eldest child of the head of state becomes the legal heir to the throne. Until then, it had been arranged that the eldest son always had priority over a daughter. It was only after it was clear that Juliana was biologically unable to have any more children, let alone a son, that Beatrix was certain that she was the intended successor.
On 30 April 1980, Juliana abdicated, and Beatrix became the 13th member of the House of Orange to reign over the Netherlands. She wassworn in and inaugurated as monarch during a joint session of the two chambers of the States General at a ceremony held in theNieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam later that day.
Beatrix's constitutional duties included those typically accorded to ahead of state; this includes having to sign every piece of legislation before it becomes law, formally appointing various officials, receiving and accrediting ambassadors, and awarding honours and medals, among others. Outside of these constitutional duties, her other informal roles included being the highest representative of the kingdom internationally and to be a unifying figure locally.
Beatrix was rarely quoted directly in the press during her reign, for the government information service (Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst) made it a condition of interviews that she should not be quoted. This policy was introduced shortly after her inauguration, reportedly to protect her from political complications that might arise from "off-the-cuff" remarks. It did not apply to her sonPrince Willem-Alexander.
Throughout much of her reign, Beatrix had a considerable role in thecabinet formation process; notably she appointed theinformateur andformateur, the person who leads the negotiations that ultimately lead to the formation of a government. However, this was changed in 2012, and now the largest party in theStates General appoints a "scout" who then appoints aninformateur.
The picture published on the front page ofDe Telegraaf, with the headline 'Geef me een zoen, meid' (Dutch: Give me a kiss, girl)
During 1988Queen's Day, Queen Beatrix was kissed by a bystander, later identified as Maarten Rijkers, when she walked through the crowd of people at a flea market in theJordaan. When Beatrix walked alongside Rijkers he said "Give me a kiss, girl", after which he gave her a hug and two kisses.[22] It received wide media attention and appeared to be a historic moment.[23][24] An image of this scene was published in large on the front page ofDe Telegraaf. Even 25 years later in 2013,NRC Handelsblad wrote an article about it and the impact of it.[23]
The reaction of the Queen was seen by people as very positive and was a boost for her reputation in the "Jordaan" region of Amsterdam. The visit was promoted as a "spontaneous visit" to boost her popularity as she was not very popular in the region. Historian and Dutch royalty watcher J. G. Kikkert said in a lecture that the kiss had been staged, based on what he called "usually very reliable sources".[23][24] He also noted that although the visit and the kiss might not have been her idea, but that of others, she certainly would have given her approval as she was known not to leave things to chance.
On 6 October 2002, the Queen's husband,Prince Claus, died after a long illness. A year and a half later her mother died after long suffering fromsenile dementia, while her father succumbed tocancer in December 2004.
On 8 February 2005, Beatrix received a rare honorary doctorate fromLeiden University, an honour the Queen does not usually accept. In her acceptance speech she reflected on the monarchy and her own 25 years as Queen.[25] The speech was broadcast live.[26]
On 29 and 30 April 2005, she celebrated the25th anniversary of her reign. She was interviewed on Dutch television, was offered a concert onDam Square inAmsterdam, and a celebration took place inThe Hague, the country's seat of government.
On 31 May 2006 the6th Polish Air Assault Brigade would receive theMilitaire Willemsorde der 4e klasse in The Hague. Beatrix was to tie the prestigious medal to the standard of the incumbents of the1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade.[27]
In 2009,Forbes estimated her wealth at US$300 million.[28]
On 30 April 2009, Beatrix and other members of the royal family weretargeted in a car attack by a man named Karst Tates. He crashed his Suzuki Swift into a parade inApeldoorn, narrowly missing a bus carrying the Queen, before dying as a result of his injuries. Five people were killed instantly, with two victims also succumbing to their injuries afterward. Other victims of the crash were critically hurt. One week after the attack, another victim succumbed to the injuries he had sustained. The royal party was unharmed, but the Queen and members of her family saw the crash at close range. Within hours, Beatrix made a rare televised address to express her shock and condolences. The man reportedly told police he was deliberately targeting the royal family.[29]
Princess Beatrix, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima waving to crowds during the balcony appearance following her abdication
In a broadcast on national media on 28 January 2013, Beatrix announced her intention to abdicate on 30 April (Koninginnedag), when she would have been on the throne for exactly 33 years. Beatrix stated that it was time to "place the responsibility for the country in the hands of a new generation."[30] Herheir apparent was her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander.[31] She was the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate, following her grandmother and her mother.[31] The broadcast was followed by a statement from Prime MinisterMark Rutte who paid tribute to Beatrix, saying "Since herinvestiture in 1980, she has applied herself heart and soul to Dutch society."[30]
Beatrix continues to undertake some royal duties and is a patron of many organisations. She lives in the smallmoatedDrakensteyn Castle near the village of Lage Vuursche, and a townhouse near Noordeinde Palace.[33]
It has been speculated that Beatrix isDe Onbekende Beeldhouwer (Unknown Sculptor), whose work has been appearing in Amsterdam since 1983. There has been no confirmation of this.[39]
31 January 1938 – 30 April 1980:Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld[40]
30 April 1980 – 30 April 2013:Her Majesty The Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld[40]
30 April 2013 – present:Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld[40]
Princess Beatrix has held titles throughout her life, as a granddaughter or daughter of a monarch, and eventually as the Sovereign. Beatrix's official title wasHer Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, etc., etc., etc.[40] The tripleetc. refers to the monarch'smany dormant titles. She signed official documents with only "Beatrix". In common parlance, she was referred to asThe Queen (de koningin orde vorstin) orHer Majesty (Hare Majesteit). But when in conversation with the queen the practice was to initially address her as "YourMajesty" or inDutch as "Uwe Majesteit"[41] and thereafter as "Mevrouw" (ma'am).[42]
Beatrix has received honours and awards from countries around the world, both during her life as a princess and as a monarch. In her capacity as the Sovereign she was Grand Master of the Military Order of William (Militaire Willemsorde) and the other Dutch orders of merit. She is a Stranger Lady of theMost Noble Order of the Garter and the 1,187thDame of theOrder of the Golden Fleece inSpain, and she has received numerous other medals and decorations.
From birth till her inauguration as queen, she had the following name and titles, to which she reverted after her abdication:Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld.[43]
Quarterly, 1 and 3, Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or (royal arms of the Netherlands, i.e. that of her mother, Queen Juliana), 2 and 4, Or, a horn azure, langued gules (arms of the formerPrincipality of Orange), on an inescutcheon argent, a rose gules, seeded vert (arms of theHouse of Lippe-Biesterfeld, i.e. that of her late father,Prince Bernhard)
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As Princess, Beatrix used a square and swallow tailed flag, with the Royal standard colours and their maternal arms (the horn of Orange) in the upper hoist and their paternal arms (the rose of Lippe) in the lower hoist. The arms of the Netherlands (which originates from Nassau) without the insignia of the Order of Willem within an orange circle.
Previous versions
Beatrix as monarch bore the Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm, (or "Grote Rijkswapen"). The components of the coats of arms were regulated byQueen Wilhelmina in a royal decree of 10 July 1907 and were affirmed byQueen Juliana in a royal decree of 23 April 1980:
Azure, billettyOr alion with acoronet Or armed and languedGules holding in his dexter paw aswordArgent hilted Or and in the sinister paw sevenarrows Argent pointed and bound together Or.
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