No Koninginnedag Queensday this year. The investiture of Koning Willem-Alexander will take place on April 30th in the Palace in Amsterdam.

From next year Koningsdag will be 27 April!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21237254

And the first Dutch king since 1891 the BBC article says!

Was it Willem's younger or older brother who had the skiing accident ?

It was his younger brother, Johan Friso, the second of Beatrix' three sons.

>>And the first Dutch king since 1891 the BBC article says!<<

And he only has daughters.

Indeed - it will take some getting used to having a Koningsdag Kings day. I expect there will be many a slip of the tongue next year. Must be annoying for calender makers who start printing a long time in advance too .

Anyway for anyone visiting Amsterdam on April 30th it will not be a normal Koninginnedag, and security will be tight. I expect the palace on the Dam and the Nieuwekerk will be closed for some time before the big event too.

It will be nice to have a royal neighbour again, though Beatrix won't be just round the corner like her mother was, and I don't expect to see her frequenting the local shops like Juliana did.

FWIW, many years ago, I was on the King's Road in Chelsea when a party of rather formally dressed people walked by and into one of the more radical-looking clothes boutiques - it was her and her entourage. I can't remember if Willem was with her, but I don't think either of them quite seemed the Vivienne Westwood type.

So the question is whether EII will take a hint. I hope that she goes on and passes succession straight onto William, but I'd guess that Camilla won't pass up the chance to be Queen.

On the day Beatrix became queen in 1980, there were riots in Amsterdam. Maxima's parents are not attending, probably a good decision if they want to keep things calm.

It should be an interesting day in Amsterdam on April 30; not something you see every day.

In the Netherlands there is a tradition of abdication. In Belgium they are wondering what King Albert will do.

I actually had a chance to see them both, Prince Wilhem and Princess Maxima, very up close when they visited NY in September 2009. They were at a museum function a couple of miles from my house.

Funny how Maxima's Father has been so scrutinized while Queen Beatrix husband's was a Nazi sympathizer, member of the Hitler Youth, captured by the Americans in Italy while serving in the German invading Army. Talk about a dark past....pleasssseee.

>>>So the question is whether EII<<<

For me, the real question is, why do we have heriditary monarchies in the 21st century?

Elizabeth will not abdicate. In the UK you take the throne for life - except for the last Edward, who left to marry Wally - though god knows why. (But probably a good thing considering how pro fascist the two of them were.)

I think Camilla will be Queen consort - not Queen - but who knows.

As for monarchies - nothing wrong with having a head of state separate from the head of government. A big tourist attraction - and if the locals want it - why not.

The Dutch sure know how to screw up a good thing. I took advantage of a number of opportunities to enjoy the real Queen's Day, and have the memories, http://tinyurl.com/yln3hrp.

Queen Elizabeth won't abidicate - she is Queen because it is God's will - which is why she is also crowned.
The Dutch monarch is monarch by will of the people, so isn't crowned (in fact the "crown jewels" are mostly silver gilt and paste) and is able to retire.

There was a huge uproar when Beatrix married Claus, and it was many years before he was accepted. There were lots of debates in parlaiment before he was allowed to marry her. There were enquiries into his wartime history. He was found to have committed no war crimes. He was a conscript in the German army at 16, and had joined the Hitler Youth when he was younger, as did vast numbers of young Germans, before realising exactly what an evil B Hitler was.
Claus acted as interpreter after being captured in Italy.
I think his past laid heavily upon him and he suffered from terrible depression for many many years.
In the end he was a good Prince consort and gradually won the hearts of the Dutch. Not an easy thing for a German to do.

>>For me, the real question is, why do we have heriditary monarchies in the 21st century?<<

Those that have them think there are more important things for governments and parliaments to spend their time on than reorganising their constitutional arrangements. As do most countries.

I read somewhere that part of her celebrations for the day included taking in Keukenhof -- I wonder, will she miss that or think, thank God, I've seen enough damn tulips to last six lifetimes.

" I hope that she goes on and passes succession straight onto William,"

It's none of her bloody business who succeeds her.

Queen Beatrix normally visits two towns in one of the provinces. This year she was due to visit Amstelveen and De Rijp in Noord Holland. That won't know take place. Afaik she never visits Keukenhof on Koninginnedag - her day is taken up with the visits to the towns, and after that she puts her feet up I suspect.

No idea what WimLex will want to do for Koningsdag. Maybe next year he will visit Amstelveen and de Rijp since they were promised the visit, and thereafter he will do his own thing. Juliana used to stand on the steps of Paleis Soestdijk whilst the people paraded past giving her flowers and other gifts.

As to hereditary monarchies - as I said in the Netherlands they are there by will of the people. Should the mood change then it will be easy to remove them. Can't see that happening though.

"why do we have heriditary monarchies in the 21st century?"

Because they work. half the world's 20 highest ranking countries in the United Nations' Human Development Index are constitutional monarchies.

If countries governed by the unchangeable whim of 18th century slave owners give their citizens the rights, medical care and safety that the people of New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Canada etc take for granted, it might be worth listening to claptrap about "outdated" modes of government.

Till then: look and learn how to run a country properly.

What do you really think. Flanner?
I heard an interview with the King of Norway. He agreed with you that the world's most stable democracies were constitutional monarchies. He wondered whether constitutional monarchies give rise to stable democracies or whether only stable democracies can tolerate monarchies.

Wow, there, Flanner, did you skip your Ritalin today? Why are you raging about the U.S. when the person who asked the question about hereditary monarchies is in Canada and the person who suggsted the succession go to William is in the UK?

Indeed I am in the UK LL. I support the idea of a monarchy, even though I wish they cost us a little less. I'd cut out the hangers on and reduce the state funded Royals to half a dozen or so.

I also have no wish (my opinion, nothing to do with HM's wishes) to see Camilla as Queen. I have a feeling that she wants that very much.

The British monarchy costs less than the Dutch, and is far more open about how much it costs.

Anyway getting back to the point of this post - it looks like most of the normal Koninginnedag events will go ahead, though it isn't clear yet whether the music on the Museumplein will go ahead or not. Obviously the area around the Dam will be a problem, but the "vrijemarkt" will be taking place as normal, not only in Amsterdam but in most towns and cities, on April 30th.
I expect it will also take place next year, on April 26th too. Not a tradition I can see changing just because the date has changed, though the weather is more likely to be bad just those couple of days earlier.

Many hotels are already fully booked for April29th and 30th so if you haven't already booked something you may have to look to another town or city for a hotel.

Being in Amsterdam for Queen's Day has been on my bucket list, so we finally made hotel reservations last year for 2013. Who would have thought that we would end up going for the last Queen's Day! And an historic event!!

hetismij - Please keep us posted with details of events planned for the day, as they become available. Our hotel is just a few blocks from Dam Square so I can imagine the area will be extra crowded/crazy. We're staying at the Nadia on the Raadhuisstraat, and have a covered balcony with a decent view of the Homomonument and the Keizersgracht. WOO HOO! We're excited.

BTW, thinking about planning a GTG. We'll be in Amsterdam for 3 days, 18-20 April, then back again for 4 days, 30 April-3 May. hetismij, I hope you will be available for a drink and lunch. Are there any other Fodorites travelling to Amsterdam during the same time we'll be there, we would welcome the opportunity to sit and talk about travel and Amsterdam.

Robyn

Good for you Robyn! Do post a trip report afterwards. It will be an interesting day in Amsterdam. I don't know the hotel, but that's a nice area.

Lucky you Robyn! I hope you have a good day on the 30th. I shan't be trekking in for it, but I should be around while you are over and would love to meet up again. I may even bring my newly retired DH with me .

Will you start a new thread and see if anyone else is around?
We can then decide on a date and a place and time.

"why do we have hereditary monarchies in the 21st century?"

Because they work. half the world's 20 highest ranking countries in the United Nations' Human Development Index are constitutional monarchies.>

Wow weird logic there and half of the other countries do not!

'the work' - rubbish - those countries would be just as well off sans any monarch - would France or Germany or Ireland be better off with a monarch - monarchs are so so passe and a symptom of a country sadly looking at past glories and not the modern world where every citizen should be born equal - not one born with the right to be king or queen and be head of state - instead of an elected head of state.

No so so primitive and medieval and just downright silly - heck what if Prince Harry became king - even more of a joke than Charles. Yup don't matter what kind of person it is they are God's choice says hetismij so that is it - well that is another incredibly primitive take on things.

I've always thought the Dutch were too too progressive and cereberal to have a monarch - the Brits I understood why - reliving past glories, pomp and circumstance, etc. all under the ruse that the monarchy 'works' - well most monarchs and royals have never worked a day in their lives save perhaps some often coddled military service.

Heads off to all monarchs or at least their removal from office and stripping all moneys and possessions gained thru merely being a monarch.

The British monarch believes she is there as Gods anointed monarch, which is why she will not abdicate, and is why she is crowned and anointed with holy oil at her coronation.
The Dutch monarch is not crowned and merely swears an oath.

The Dutch choose to have a monarch. The monarch is there at the behest of the people. Should the people change their minds the Netherlands will cease to be a monarchy. The Dutch like and admire their royal family, and they provide great stability, as do all other monarchies.
They often cost considerably less than an elected head of state too.

I can't see the point of a president such as they have in Germany, who does nothing politically - it is all left to the Chancellor. He might as well be a monarch except it costs a lot to elect a new one every now and then as well as pay for him and keep him once he retires.

I can't see the point of a president such as they have in the US either - a multi multi millionaire who spends other peoples millions to be elected, only to be frustrated at every turn by a house that is filled with the opposition, voted for by the very same people who voted him in! He spends maybe two years trying to undo what the previous incumbent succeeded or failed to do before he has to start defending his job or supporting his potential successor, and in actual fact gets very little done.

Oh and I'd like to see you get through Queen Elizabeth's work schedule at age 86.