Summary Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced her abdication before her 75th birthday.
NETHERLANDS: Dutch Queen Beatrix announced Monday that she will abdicate on April 30 after 33 years as head of state, clearing the way for her eldest son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, to become the nation s first king in more than a century.
The announcement, in a nationally televised speech, signalled an end to the reign of one of Europe s longest-serving monarchs, whose time on the throne was marked by tumultuous shifts in Dutch society and, more recently, by personal tragedy.
The queen s abdication from the largely ceremonial role had been widely expected, but it is sure to bring an outpouring of sentimental and patriotic feelings among the Dutch, most of whom adore Beatrix. In everyday conversation, many of her subjects refer to her simply by the nickname "Bea."
"Responsibility for our country must now lie in the hands of a new generation," Beatrix said in the speech delivered from her Huis ten Bosch palace just days before she was to turn 75.
"I am deeply grateful for the great faith you have shown in me in the many years that I could be your Queen," she added.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a staunch monarchist, paid his respects in a speech that immediately followed Beatrix on all Dutch television channels.
"Since her coronation in 1980s she s applied herself heart and soul for Dutch society," Rutte said.
