Features

Why abdications should be the norm

With the news that Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will abdicate on 14th January 2024, the question many are asking is, should abdication be the norm? I argue yes. In The Netherlands, monarchs abdicate after reigning for a certain amount of years. Most recently, Queen Beatrix abdicated in April 2013 in favour of her eldest son, Williem-Alexander. Upon her abdication, Queen Beatrix reverted…
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The Netherlands

A royal debut on Prince's Day as King Willem-Alexander reflects on his reign

As King Willem-Alexander delivered the annual Prinsjesdag speech, his second daughter, Princess Alexia, attended the ceremony for the very first time. The King, celebrating 10 years on the throne, mentioned this in the opening of his Prinsjesdag (or Budget Day) speech from the throne, telling the gathered members of the government: “Ten years that I look back on with gratitude. Some events…
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BelgiumThe Netherlands

Biotech, Navy, art and a sad goodbye as the Dutch State Visit to Belgium draws to a close

Thursday marked the last day of the State Visit that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are paying to Belgium – but last doesn’t mean less busy. The day began in Leuven, where the four royals visited Imec. This facility works in research for the chip tech sector, which is assuming an increasing strategic relevance for the independence of Europe in the semiconductors…
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European RoyalsThe Netherlands

Princess Ariane to attend school in Italy

Princess Ariane of the Netherlands is set to finish high school in Italy. Princess Ariane, the third and youngest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, will attend the United World College Adriatic in Italy for the final two years of high school. At the end of those two years, she will have achieved the International Baccalaureate. The school has around 180 students from all over…
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