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In a short televised speech on January 28, Queen Beatrix announced that she intends to abdicate in favour of her son, Willem-Alexander (45), who will assume the throne on April 30, the date of the Queen’s Day national holiday. Her timing is symbolic, notes the daily: This year, the sovereign will be 75 years old, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will celebrate its bicentenary.
According to Trouw, “the political turbulence of recent years dissuaded her from abdicating” sooner, however, with the advent of the Rutte II government, “calm seems to have been restored in Dutch politics”. Finally, “the Queen apparently took an early decision so that Willem-Alexander would not have to wait in the wings for as long as Charles” in the United Kingdom.
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