View source for Beatrix of the Netherlands

{{Short description|Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 to 2013}}
{{Redirect|Queen Beatrix}}
{{Expand Dutch|topic=bio|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Beatrix
| image        = Prinses_Beatrix.jpg
| caption      = Formal portrait, 2015
| succession   = [[List of monarchs of the Netherlands|Queen of the Netherlands]]
| reign        = 30 April 1980 – {{nowrap|30 April 2013}}
| coronation   = 30 April 1980
| cor-type     = [[Inauguration of the Dutch monarch|Inauguration]]
| predecessor  = [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]]
| successor    = [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1938|01|31}}
| birth_place  = [[Soestdijk Palace]], Baarn, Netherlands
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Claus von Amsberg]]<br/>|10 March 1966|6 October 2002|end=died}}
| issue        = {{ubl|[[Willem-Alexander]]
|[[Prince Friso]]|[[Prince Constantijn]]}}
| house        = {{ubl|[[House of Orange-Nassau|Orange-Nassau]] (official)|[[House of Lippe|Lippe]] ([[agnatic]])}}
| full name    = Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard
| father       = [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld]]
| mother       = [[Juliana of the Netherlands]]
| signature    = Beatrix of the Netherlands Signature.svg
| religion     = [[Protestant]]{{efn|group=a|Specifically, a member of the [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]]; previously a member of the [[Dutch Reformed Church]] before its 2004 merger.}}
}}
{{Dutch Royal Family}}

'''Beatrix'''<ref>[https://www.royal-house.nl/members-royal-house/princess-beatrix Members of the Royal House: Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands] – official website of the Royal house of the Netherlands</ref> (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, {{IPA|nl|ˈbeːjaːtrɪks ˌʋɪlɦɛlˈminaː ˈʔɑr(ə)mɡɑrt|-|Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, prinses van Oranje-Nassau.ogg}}; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the [[Dutch royal house]] who reigned as [[List of monarchs of the Netherlands|Queen of the Netherlands]] from 30 April 1980 until her abdication in 2013.

Beatrix was born during the reign of her maternal grandmother, [[Queen Wilhelmina]], and became [[heiress presumptive]] upon the accession of her mother, [[Queen Juliana]], in 1948. Beatrix attended a public primary school in Canada during [[World War II]], and then finished her primary and secondary education in the Netherlands in the post-war period. In 1961, she received her [[law degree]] from [[Leiden University]]. In 1966, Beatrix married [[Claus von Amsberg]], a [[Germans|German]] diplomat, with whom she had three children. When her mother abdicated on 30 April 1980, Beatrix succeeded her as queen.

Beatrix's reign saw the country's [[Netherlands Antilles|Caribbean possessions]] reshaped with [[Aruba]]'s [[Status aparte|secession]] and becoming its own [[Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands|constituent country]] within the kingdom in 1986. This was followed by the [[dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles]] in 2010, which created the new [[Caribbean Netherlands|special municipalities]] of [[Bonaire]], [[Sint Eustatius]], and [[Saba (island)|Saba]], and the two new constituent countries of [[Curaçao]] and [[Sint Maarten]].

On [[Koninginnedag]] (''Queen's Day''), 30 April 2013, Beatrix [[abdicated]] in favour of her eldest son, [[Willem-Alexander]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=de Jong|first1=Perro|title=The Netherlands' love and respect for Beatrix|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-22356534|access-date=5 June 2015|work=BBC|date=30 April 2013}}</ref> At the time of her abdication at age 75, Beatrix was the oldest reigning [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|monarch in the country's history]].<ref>Myrtille van Bommel, "[http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/beatrix-oldest-dutch-reigning-monarch Beatrix oldest Dutch reigning monarch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103110621/http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/beatrix-oldest-dutch-reigning-monarch |date=3 November 2013 }}", ''[[Radio Netherlands Worldwide]]'', 2011. Retrieved on 15 May 2012.</ref>

==Early life==
Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was born on 31 January 1938 at [[Soestdijk Palace]] in [[Baarn]], Netherlands, as the first child of [[Princess Juliana of the Netherlands]] and her husband, [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld]].<ref name="youth">[http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18162 Youth] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505005733/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18162 |date=5 May 2009 }}. The Dutch Royal House. Retrieved on 11 July 2008.</ref> Beatrix was [[baptised]] on 12 May 1938 in the [[Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk (The Hague)|Great Church]] in [[The Hague]].<ref>{{in lang|nl}} [http://www.grotekerkdenhaag.nl/index.cfm/grote-kerk-den-haag/grote-kerk/geschiedenis Geschiedenis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004012558/http://www.grotekerkdenhaag.nl/index.cfm/grote-kerk-den-haag/grote-kerk/geschiedenis |date=4 October 2015 }}, Grote Kerk Den Haag. Retrieved on 15 May 2012.</ref> Her five godparents were [[King Leopold III of Belgium]]; [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone]]; Beatrix's maternal great-great-aunt [[Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont|Elisabeth, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg]]; her paternal great-uncle [[Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg]]; and [[Allene Tew|Countess Allene de Kotzebue]].<ref>[http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/en/items/KONB05:1299 De vijf peetouders van prinses Beatrix]. The Memory of the Netherlands. Retrieved on 11 July 2008.</ref> Beatrix's middle names are the first names of her grandmothers, [[Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]] and [[Armgard von Cramm|Armgard, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld]].

When Beatrix was one year old, in 1939, her younger sister [[Princess Irene of the Netherlands|Princess Irene]] was born.<ref name="youth"/>

[[File:Prinses Beatrix, prinses Irene en prinses Juliana kijken naar voorbij varende sc, Bestanddeelnr 255-7629 (crop).jpg|thumb|upright|Beatrix and Irene on board the ''Piet Hein'' in 1946]]
[[World War II]] broke out in the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 ([[Westfeldzug]]). On 13 May, the [[Dutch Royal Family]] evacuated to [[London]], United Kingdom. One month later, Beatrix went to [[Ottawa]], Ontario, Canada, with her mother Juliana and her sister Irene, while her father Bernhard and maternal grandmother Queen Wilhelmina remained in London.<ref name="youth"/> The family lived at the [[Stornoway residence]] (now the residence of the [[Leader of the Opposition]] in the Parliament of Canada).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/royalty/ |title=CBC News |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=18 January 2008 |access-date=5 March 2010}}</ref> With bodyguards and ladies in waiting, the family summered at Bigwin Inn on [[Lake of Bays, Ontario]], where four private stone cottages of the resort served as their retreat. While on [[Bigwin 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, the ''[[Wilhelmus]]'' 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 the [[Canadian Tulip Festival]].

The second sister of Beatrix, [[Princess Margriet]], was born in Ottawa in 1943.<ref name="youth"/> During their exile in Canada, Beatrix attended nursery<ref name="education">[http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18163 Education] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505005950/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18163 |date=5 May 2009 }}. The Dutch Royal House. Retrieved on 11 July 2008.</ref> and [[Rockcliffe Park Public School]], a primary school where she was known as "Trixie Orange".<ref>{{cite news|last=Davison|first=Janet|title=Abdicating Dutch queen was a wartime Ottawa schoolgirl|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/abdicating-dutch-queen-was-a-wartime-ottawa-schoolgirl-1.1315871|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16298-10118-10120&lang=1&bhcp=1 |title=National Capital Commission |publisher=Canadascapital.gc.ca |access-date=5 March 2010 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013011225/http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16298-10118-10120&lang=1&bhcp=1 |archive-date=13 October 2009 }}</ref>

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 school ''De Werkplaats'' in [[Bilthoven]] run by [[pacifist]] social reformers [[Kees Boeke]] and [[Beatrice Boeke-Cadbury]]. Her third sister [[Princess Christina of the Netherlands|Princess Christina]] was born in 1947.<ref name="youth"/> On 6 September 1948, her mother succeeded her grandmother Wilhelmina as Queen of the Netherlands. Since she had no brothers, Beatrix became the [[heiress presumptive]] to the Dutch throne at the age of ten.

==Education==
[[File:Christmas - queen Juliana and princess Beatrix.jpg|thumb|Princess Beatrix and [[Queen Juliana]] in 1960]]
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.<ref name="studies">{{cite web |url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/Wie_is_wie/H_M_de_Koningin/Studie |title=Het Koninklijk Huis |publisher=Koninklijkhuis.nl |access-date=5 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225032242/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/Wie_is_wie/H_M_de_Koningin/Studie |archive-date=25 February 2010 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Her tutor from April 1951 was {{ill|Gertrude Büringh Boekhoudt|nl}}, who remained a close confidant until her death in 1982.{{sfn|Oltmans|1996|pp=4-7, 9, 12-13, 18}}

In 1954, Beatrix served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Baroness van Randwijck and Mr. T Boey.<ref>{{cite web|title=Princess Beatrix Bridesmaid at Wedding|url=http://www.britishpathe.com/video/princess-beatrix-bridesmaid-at-wedding-of-mr-t-boe/|publisher=British Pathe}}</ref>

On 31 January 1956, Beatrix celebrated her 18th birthday. From that date, under the Constitution of the Netherlands, she was entitled to assume the [[Royal Prerogative]].  At that time, her mother installed her in the [[Dutch Council of State|Council of State]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coe.int/T/E/Com/Files/PA-Sessions/June-2002/e_CV_Reine_Beatrix.asp|title=e CV Reine Beatrix|website=coe.int|access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref>

The same year her studies at [[Leiden University]] began. In her first years at the university, she studied [[sociology]], [[jurisprudence]], [[economics]], [[political history|parliamentary history]] and [[constitutional law]].<ref name="studies"/> In the course of her studies she also attended lectures on the cultures of [[Suriname]] and the [[Netherlands Antilles]], the [[Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands]], [[international affairs]], [[international law]], history and [[European law]].

The princess also visited various European and international organisations in [[Geneva]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Paris]], and [[Brussels]].  She was also an active member of the VVSL (Female Union for Students in Leiden), now called [[LSV Minerva|L.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.<ref name="studies"/>

==Political involvement==
{{BLP sources section|date=June 2018}}
[[File:Arron, Beatrix en Ferrier in Suriname 1975.jpg|thumb|[[Henck Arron]], Princess Beatrix, and [[Johan Ferrier]] during the independence ceremony of [[Suriname]] in 1975]]
In 1965, Beatrix became engaged to the German aristocrat [[Claus von Amsberg]], a diplomat working for the German Foreign Office. There was a massive protest on their wedding day in [[Amsterdam]] on 10 March 1966. Prince Claus had served in the [[Hitler Youth]] and the [[Wehrmacht]] and therefore was easily associated with German [[Nazism]]. 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 of [[Provo (movement)|Provo]]s threw a smoke bomb at the [[Golden Coach (Netherlands)|Golden Coach]], resulting in a street battle with the [[Law enforcement in the Netherlands|police]].

As time went on, Prince Claus became one of the most popular members of the [[Dutch monarchy]].<ref>{{cite web | title=De huwelijksjaren van Beatrix en Claus | website=NOS.nl | date=2010-02-09 | url=https://nos.nl/artikel/135650-de-huwelijksjaren-van-beatrix-en-claus | language=nl | access-date=2025-09-21}}</ref>

On 25 November 1975, Beatrix and Prince Claus attended the independence ceremony of [[Suriname]], held in the new nation's capital, [[Paramaribo]], representing [[Juliana of the Netherlands|her 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 the ''[[informateur]]'', 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.

Beatrix is a member of the [[Bilderberg Group]].<ref name=prweb97>{{cite web |title=Bilderberg Meeting of 1997 Assembles |url=http://www.prnewswire.de/cgi/release?id=42594 |url-status=dead |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |date=13 June 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430211149/http://www.prnewswire.de/cgi/release?id=42594 |archive-date=30 April 2011}}</ref>

==Marriage and children==
===Engagement to Claus===
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 of [[Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg]] and [[Moritz, 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.

===Wedding, 1966===
{{see also|Wedding of Princess Beatrix and Claus van Amsberg}}[[File:Huwelijk van prinses Beatrix en prins Claus (1966).jpg|thumb|Wedding day, 1966|left]]

Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966 in civil and religious ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Video: Wedding of Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg | date=30 November 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaD90D416Wg | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211031/vaD90D416Wg| archive-date=31 October 2021 | url-status=live|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The bride wore a traditional gown with train in [[duchesse]] 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 were [[Jack Stewart-Clark|Daphne Stewart-Clark]] and Carolijn Alting von Geusau, with page boys Joachim Jencquel and Markus von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff.<ref>{{cite web |title=Royal wedding Beatrix and Claus |url=https://www.angelfire.com/realm/beatrix1966/}}</ref>

The royal couple travelled to the ceremony together in the [[Golden Coach (Netherlands)|gold state carriage]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wedding of Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg |url=http://www.paleisamsterdam.nl/en/the-palace/history/palace-house-of-orange/wedding-princess-beatrix-and-claus-von-amsberg |publisher=Amsterdam Palace |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417042839/https://www.paleisamsterdam.nl/en/the-palace/history/palace-house-of-orange/wedding-princess-beatrix-and-claus-von-amsberg |archive-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queen Beatrix: marriage and family |url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/globale-paginas/taalrubrieken/english/members-of-the-royal-house/her-majesty-the-queen/marriage-and-family/ |publisher=Dutch Royal House |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626210522/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/globale-paginas/taalrubrieken/english/members-of-the-royal-house/her-majesty-the-queen/marriage-and-family |archive-date=26 June 2012}}</ref>

===Children===

[[File:Foto uurtje Koninklijke Familie op Huis ten Bosch (iets achterbelicht), Bestanddeelnr 253-8804.jpg|thumb|Beatrix and Claus with their children, 1983]]
The royal couple had three sons. They lived at [[Drakensteyn Castle]] in [[Lage Vuursche]] with their children until Beatrix ascended the throne. In 1981, they moved into [[Huis ten Bosch]] Palace in The Hague.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Name
! rowspan="2" | Birth
! rowspan="2" | Death
! colspan="3" | Marriage
|-
! Date !! Spouse !! Issue
|-
| [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands]]
| {{dts|1967|4|27|format=dmy}}
| 
| [[Wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti|{{dts|2002|2|2|format=dmy}}]]
| [[Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti]]
| {{plainlist|
* [[Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange]]
* [[Princess Alexia of the Netherlands]]
* [[Princess Ariane of the Netherlands]]
}}
|-
| [[Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau]]
| {{dts|1968|9|25|format=dmy}}
| {{dts|2013|8|12|format=dmy}}
| {{dts|2004|4|24|format=dmy}}
| [[Mabel Wisse Smit]]
| {{plainlist|
* Countess Luana of Orange-Nassau
* Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau
}}
|-
| [[Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands]]
| {{dts|1969|10|11|format=dmy}}
| 
| {{dts|2001|5|19|format=dmy}}
| [[Laurentien Brinkhorst]]
| {{plainlist|
* [[Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau]]
* [[Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau]]
* [[Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau]]
}}
|}

==Accession and inauguration==

[[File:Prinses Beatrix bezoekt Ridderkerk koppen, Bestanddeelnr 253-8164.jpg|thumb|upright|Princess Beatrix at [[Ridderkerk]], February 1980]]

[[File:Troonswisseling 30 april , Koningin Beatrix tijdens eedsaflegging (Beatrix, clos, Bestanddeelnr 930-8081.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Beatrix during her inauguration in the [[Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)|Nieuwe 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.

After [[Lockheed bribery scandals#The Netherlands|the 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 was [[Inauguration of Beatrix|sworn in and inaugurated]] as monarch during a joint session of the two chambers of the States General at a ceremony held in the [[Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam|Nieuwe Kerk]] in Amsterdam later that day.

== Reign ==
Beatrix's constitutional duties included those typically accorded to a [[head 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 son [[Prince Willem-Alexander]].

Throughout much of her reign, Beatrix had a considerable role in the [[Dutch cabinet formation|cabinet formation process]]; notably she appointed the ''[[informateur]]'' and ''formateur'', 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 the [[States General of the Netherlands|States General]] appoints a "scout" who then appoints an ''informateur''.

Beatrix was included in [[Andy Warhol]]'s portrait series in 1985 as one of four ''[[Reigning Queens]]'', alongside [[Elizabeth II]], [[Margrethe II]] of Denmark and [[Ntfombi of Eswatini|Ntfombi]] of Eswatini.<ref>[[Los Angeles Times]]. Muchnic, Suzanne. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-20-ca-5060-story.html The Art Galleries: Downtown], articles.latimes.com; 20 December 1985.</ref>

On 1 January 1986, [[Aruba]] seceded from the [[Netherlands Antilles]] and became a separate constituent country within the Dutch Kingdom.

===Kissed by a bystander===
[[File:Geef me een zoen, meid.jpg|thumb|The picture published on the front page of ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', with the headline 'Geef me een zoen, meid' (Dutch: Give me a kiss, girl)]]
During 1988 [[Queen'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 the [[Jordaan]]. When Beatrix walked alongside Rijkers he said "Give me a kiss, girl", after which he gave her a hug and two kisses.<ref>{{cite web |last=Communicatie |first=FIZZ Marketing & |title=Ons Amsterdam &#124; 130 jaar koninklijk feest in de hoofdstad |url=https://onsamsterdam.nl/130-jaar-koninklijk-feest-in-de-hoofdstad |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410114345/https://onsamsterdam.nl/130-jaar-koninklijk-feest-in-de-hoofdstad |archive-date=10 April 2021 |website=onsamsterdam.nl}}</ref> It received wide media attention and appeared to be a historic moment.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |date=29 January 2013 |title=Special Beatrix |url=https://issuu.com/nrc.nl/docs/beatrix/10 |website=Issuu}}</ref><ref name="nos.nl">{{cite web |date=29 January 2013 |title=Markante momenten Beatrix |url=https://nos.nl/l/467365 |website=nos.nl}}</ref> An image of this scene was published in large on the front page of ''[[De Telegraaf]]''. Even 25 years later in 2013, ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'' wrote an article about it and the impact of it.<ref name="auto" />

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".<ref name="auto" /><ref name="nos.nl" /> 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.

=== Later years ===
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 from [[dementia|senile dementia]], while her father succumbed to [[cancer]] in December 2004.

[[File:Beatrix Prinsjesdag.jpg|thumb|Queen Beatrix and her son, [[Willem-Alexander]] in the [[Golden Coach (Netherlands)|Golden Coach]] on [[Prinsjesdag]] 2007, the day she gives the annual [[speech from the throne]] outlining the government's agenda for the upcoming parliamentary year.]]
On 8 February 2005, Beatrix received a rare honorary doctorate from [[Leiden 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.<ref>[http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/NL/nieuws/nieuws.html?Toespraken/2223.html]
 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050405172948/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/NL/nieuws/nieuws.html?Toespraken%2F2223.html|date=5 April 2005}}</ref> The speech was broadcast live.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/nos/nieuws/2005/februari/video/080205/beatrix_toespraak.wmv |title=The complete broadcast |access-date=14 February 2005 |archive-date=7 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807193350/http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?%2Fnos%2Fnieuws%2F2005%2Ffebruari%2Fvideo%2F080205%2Fbeatrix_toespraak.wmv |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 29 and 30 April 2005, she celebrated the [[Silver Jubilee|25th anniversary of her reign]].  She was interviewed on Dutch television, was offered a concert on [[Dam Square]] in [[Amsterdam]], and a celebration took place in [[The Hague]], the country's seat of government.

On 31 May 2006 the ''6th Polish Air Assault Brigade'' would receive the ''Militaire Willemsorde der 4e klasse'' in The Hague. Beatrix was to tie the prestigious medal to the standard of the incumbents of the [[1st Independent Parachute Brigade (Poland)|1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade]].<ref>{{cite web|title = Chapter 8. The process of Polish rehabilitation in 2006|url = http://www.polishsoldier.nl/chapter-8-the-process-of-polish-rehabilitation-in-2006/|website = Polish forces in the West|access-date = 10 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190105044239/http://www.polishsoldier.nl/chapter-8-the-process-of-polish-rehabilitation-in-2006/|archive-date = 5 January 2019|url-status = dead}}</ref>

In 2009, ''Forbes'' estimated her wealth at US$300 million.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 August 2007 |title=In Pictures: The World's Richest Royals |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/08/30/worlds-richest-royals-biz-royals07-cx_lk_0830royalintro_slide_15.html?thisSpeed=30000 |access-date=5 March 2010 |work=Forbes.com}}</ref>

On 30 April 2009, Beatrix and other members of the royal family were [[2009 attack on the Dutch royal family|targeted in a car attack]] by a man named Karst Tates. He crashed his Suzuki Swift into a parade in [[Apeldoorn]], 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.<ref name="NOS-doelwit">{{cite web |author=NO |title=Koninklijke familie was doelwit (Royal family was the target) (Dutch) |url=http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/4/30/300409_persconferentie.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503071101/http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/4/30/300409_persconferentie.html |archive-date=3 May 2009 |access-date=1 May 2009}}</ref>

== Abdication ==
[[File:King Willem-Alexander, Princess Beatrix and Queen Maxima.jpg|thumb|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."<ref name="AlJ-abdicate1">{{cite web | url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/01/20131281999888740.html | title=Dutch Queen to abdicate in April for son | publisher=Al Jazeera | date=28 January 2013 | access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref> Her [[heir apparent]] was her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander.<ref name="BBCabdicate1" /> She was the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate, following her grandmother and her mother.<ref name="BBCabdicate1">{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21237254 | title=Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to abdicate for son | work=BBC | date=28 January 2013 | access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref> The broadcast was followed by a statement from Prime Minister [[Mark Rutte]] who paid tribute to Beatrix, saying "Since her [[investiture]] in 1980, she has applied herself heart and soul to Dutch society."<ref name="AlJ-abdicate1" />

The royal transition, which included the [[inauguration of Willem-Alexander]] as king, took place on 30 April 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Time and place of abdication and investiture, 28 January 2013|url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/globale-paginas/taalrubrieken/english/news/|publisher=Royal Dutch House}}</ref>

==Post-abdication==
Beatrix continues to undertake some royal duties and is a patron of many organisations. She lives in the small [[moat]]ed [[Drakensteyn Castle]] near the village of Lage Vuursche, and a townhouse near Noordeinde Palace.<ref>(Dutch) Verhuizing Prinses Beatrix, Koninklijk Huis. Retrieved 24 July 2013.</ref>

==Honorific eponyms==
Beatrix has given her name to a number of facilities in the Netherlands and beyond. These include:
* Streekziekenhuis Koningin Beatrix, regional hospital in Beatrixpark, [[Winterswijk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skbwinterswijk.nl/|title=Home &#124; SKB Winterswijk|first=HPU internet|last=services|website=skbwinterswijk.nl|access-date=18 November 2019}}</ref>
*[[Queen Beatrix International Airport]] in [[Aruba]].
* Reina Beatrix School in Aruba.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitaruba.com/list-of-schools/|title=List of Schools - VisitAruba.com|website=visitaruba.com|access-date=18 November 2019}}</ref>
* Queen Beatrix Hospital Medical Center, [[Sint Eustatius]].<ref>University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine {{cite web |url=http://www.eustatiusmed.edu/island-life.html |title=The University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine |access-date=28 March 2016 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228081907/http://www.eustatiusmed.edu/island-life.html |archive-date=28 December 2011 }}</ref>
* Queen Beatrix Chair in Dutch Studies at [[UC Berkeley]]<ref>[http://www.flandershouse.org/uc-berkely-dutch-studies-program] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719113736/http://www.flandershouse.org/uc-berkely-dutch-studies-program|date=19 July 2012}}</ref>
* Queen Beatrix Nursing Home, [[Albion Park Rail]], NSW, Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zadro.com.au/Aged-Care/Queen-Beatrix-Nursing-Home.html|title=Queen Beatrix Nursing Home &#124; Zadro Constructions|website=zadro.com.au|access-date=18 November 2019|archive-date=9 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409214457/http://zadro.com.au/Aged-Care/Queen-Beatrix-Nursing-Home.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A few parks in the country also bear her name:
* Beatrixpark in the [[Amsterdam Oud-Zuid|Oud-Zuid]] neighbourhood in [[Amsterdam]].
* Beatrixpark in [[Almere]].
* Beatrixpark in [['s-Hertogenbosch]]. 
* Beatrixpark in [[Utrecht]]. 
* Beatrixpark in [[Schiedam]].

It has been speculated that Beatrix is [[De Onbekende Beeldhouwer]] (Unknown Sculptor), whose work has been appearing in Amsterdam since 1983. There has been no confirmation of this.<ref>Depictions, text in Dutch [http://www.buitenbeeldinbeeld.nl/Amsterdam_C/borst.htm Retrieved 23 June 2017.]</ref>

==Titles, styles, honours and arms==
[[File:Royal Monogram of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|thumb|100px|right|Royal Monogram of Queen Beatrix]]
{{Main|List of titles and honours of Beatrix of the Netherlands}}
*31 January 1938 – 30 April 1980: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld<ref name=Parlement>[http://www.parlement.com/9353000/1f/j9vvhy5i95k8zxl/vg09llxoh0r1 H.M. (koningin Beatrix) Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616093508/http://www.parlement.com/9353000/1f/j9vvhy5i95k8zxl/vg09llxoh0r1 |date=16 June 2012 }} (Parlement.nl)</ref>
*30 April 1980 – 30 April 2013: ''Her Majesty'' The Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld<ref name="Parlement"/>
*30 April 2013 – present: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld<ref name="Parlement"/>

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 was ''Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, etc., etc., etc''.<ref name="Parlement"/> The triple ''etc.'' refers to the monarch's [[Style of the Dutch sovereign|many dormant titles]]. She signed official documents with only "Beatrix". In common parlance, she was referred to as ''The Queen'' (''de koningin'' or ''de vorstin'') or ''Her Majesty'' (Hare Majesteit). But when in conversation with the queen the practice was to initially address her as "Your [[Majesty]]" or in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] as "Uwe Majesteit"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13853|title=The Dutch Royal House; FAQ; "How should I address members of the Royal House?"|access-date=29 June 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070610075751/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13853| archive-date = 10 June 2007}}</ref> and thereafter as "Mevrouw" (ma'am).<ref name=stylepref>{{cite news|last=Van den Bor|first=Conny|title=Queen Beatrix – still impeccable after 30 years|url=http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/queen-beatrix-still-impeccable-after-30-years|access-date=28 January 2013|newspaper=Radio Netherlands Worldwide|date=29 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111185457/http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/queen-beatrix-still-impeccable-after-30-years|archive-date=11 November 2013|url-status = dead}}</ref>

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 the [[Most Noble Order of the Garter]] and the 1,187th [[knight|Dame]] of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]] in [[Spain]], 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''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/nieuws/nieuwsberichten/2013/januari/prins-van-oranje-wordt-koning-willem-alexander/ | title=Prins van Oranje wordt Koning Willem-Alexander | publisher=Website of the Royal House | language=nl | date=28 January 2013 | access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref>

===Arms===
{{Infobox COA wide
| image             = Coat of Arms of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg
| imagesize         = 200px
| bannerimage       = Standard of a Princess of the Netherlands (daughters of Juliana).svg
| badgeimage        = 
| notes             = As Queen of the Netherlands (1980–2013), Beatrix used the '''[[Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm]]''' (or "Grote Rijkswapen"). 
| adopted           = 30 April 2013
| crest             =
| torse             =
| helm              = 
| escutcheon        = 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 ([[Coat of arms of the Netherlands|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 former [[Principality of Orange]]), on an inescutcheon argent, a rose gules, seeded vert (arms of the [[House of Lippe-Biesterfeld]], i.e. that of her late father, [[Prince Bernhard]])
| supporters        = 
| compartment       =
| motto             = 
| orders            =
| other_elements    = 
| banner            = 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.
| badge             =
| symbolism         = 
| previous_versions = [[File:Royal Arms of the Netherlands.svg|right|70px]] Beatrix as monarch bore the Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm, (or "Grote Rijkswapen"). The components of the coats of arms were regulated by [[Queen Wilhelmina]] in a royal decree of 10 July 1907 and were affirmed by [[Queen Juliana]] in a royal decree of 23 April 1980:

[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], billetty [[Or (heraldry)|Or]] a [[lion (heraldry)|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 [[arrow]]s Argent pointed and bound together Or.
}}

==Ancestry==
{{See also|Dutch monarchs family tree}}
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
|1  = 1. '''Beatrix of the Netherlands'''
|2  = 2. [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld]]
|3  = 3. [[Juliana of the Netherlands]]
|4  = 4. [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe (1872–1934)|Prince Bernhard of Lippe]]
|5  = 5. [[Armgard von Cramm]]
|6  = 6. [[Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|7  = 7. [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]]
|8  = 8. [[Ernest, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld]]
|9  = 9. [[Karoline of Wartensleben|Countess Karoline von Wartensleben]]
|10 = 10. [[Baron Aschwin of Sierstorpff-Cramm|Baron Aschwin von Sierstorpff-Cramm]]
|11 = 11. Baroness Hedwig von Sierstorpff-Driburg
|12 = 12. [[Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|13 = 13. [[Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]]
|14 = 14. [[William III of the Netherlands]]
|15 = 15. [[Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
}}

==Prime Ministers during her reign==

{{multiple image
| perrow            = 1/1
| align             = right
| total_width       = 250
| image1            = Koningin Beatrix en minister-president Lubbers, Bestanddeelnr 933-6232.jpg
| caption1          = With Prime Minister [[Ruud Lubbers]], 1986
| image2            = KoninginBeatrix MarkRutte.jpg
| caption2          = With Prime Minister [[Mark Rutte]], 2013
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Prime Ministers during her reign
!Polity
!Prime Minister
!Start year
!End year
|-
|rowspan=5|[[Aruba]]
|[[Henny Eman]]
|1986
|1989<ref>Aruba received [[Dependent territory|status aparte]] in 1986.</ref>
|-
|[[Nelson O. Oduber]]
|1989
|1994
|-
|[[Henny Eman]]
|1994
|2001
|-
|[[Nelson O. Oduber]]
|2001
|2009
|-
|[[Mike Eman]]
|2009
|2013
|-
|rowspan=5|Netherlands
|[[Dries van Agt]]
|1977
|1982
|-
|[[Ruud Lubbers]]
|1982
|1994
|-
|[[Wim Kok]]
|1994
|2002
|-
|[[Jan Peter Balkenende]]
|2002
|2010
|-
|[[Mark Rutte]]
|2010
|2013
|-
|rowspan=14|[[Netherlands Antilles]]
|[[Dominico Martina]]
|1979
|1984
|-
|[[Maria Liberia Peters]]
|1984
|1986
|-
|[[Dominico Martina]]
|1986
|1988
|-
|[[Maria Liberia Peters]]
|1988
|1993
|-
|[[Susanne Camelia-Römer]]
|rowspan=2 colspan=2|1993
|-
|Alejandro Felippe Paula
|-
|Miguel Arcangel Pourier
|1994
|1998
|-
|[[Susanne Camelia-Römer]]
|1998
|1999
|-
|Miguel Arcangel Pourier
|1999
|2002
|-
|[[Etienne Ys]]
|2002
|2003
|-
|[[Ben Komproe]]
|colspan=2|2003
|-
|Mirna Louisa-Godett
|2003
|2004
|-
|[[Etienne Ys]]
|2004
|2006
|-
|[[Emily de Jongh-Elhage]]
|2006
|2010
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Curaçao]]
|[[Gerrit Schotte]]
|2010
|2012
|-
|[[Stanley Betrian]]
|2012
|2012
|-
|[[Daniel Hodge]]
|2012
|2013
|-
||[[Sint Maarten]]
|[[Sarah Wescot-Williams]]
|2010
|2013
|}

== Notes ==
{{notelist|group=a}}  

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Books==
* {{cite book |author-link=Willem Oltmans |last=Oltmans |first=Willem |date=25 September 1996 |title=Liegen Tegen Beatrix |url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/oltm003lieg01_01/oltm003lieg01_01.pdf|location=[[Breda, Netherlands]] |publisher=Papieren Tijger |isbn=978-90-6728-084-6}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.royal-house.nl/members-royal-house/princess-beatrix}} of Princess Beatrix
* {{PM20|FID=pe/001232}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Orange-Nassau]]|31 January|1938}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Queen of the Netherlands]]|years=1980–2013}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Willem-Alexander]]|}}
|-
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Franz Vranitzky]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Recipient of the [[Charlemagne Prize]]|years=1996}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Roman Herzog]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Monarchs of the Netherlands}}
{{Dutch princesses}}
{{Charlemagne Prize recipients}}
{{Members of the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece}}
{{Members of the Order of the Garter}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Royalty|Netherlands}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard}}
[[Category:Beatrix of the Netherlands| ]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:20th-century queens regnant]]
[[Category:21st-century queens regnant]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Daughters of queens regnant]]
[[Category:Dutch people of German descent]]
[[Category:Extra Ladies of the Order of the Garter]]
[[Category:Grand Masters of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Heirs presumptive to the Dutch throne]]
[[Category:House of Lippe]]
[[Category:House of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Leiden University alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Council of State (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Princesses of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Protestant Church Christians from the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Queens regnant of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Star of Romania]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch monarchs]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch monarchs]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Al-Said]]