Willem-Alexander is new king of Netherlands
Source: NY Times
To the cheers of tens of thousands of people crammed shoulder to shoulder outside the royal palace here, Willem-Alexander of the House of Orange-Nassau became the Netherlands first king in 123 years on Tuesday as his mother, Queen Beatrix, ended a 33-year reign with the stroke of a pen, signing the act of abdication in an ornate chamber at the palace.
Seated on a gilded chair and flanked by the Dutch cabinet, Beatrix, 75, became the third successive Dutch queen to abdicate, changing her title to princess as supporters celebrating the continuity of the monarchy thronged Dam Square outside the palace. Many had gathered for hours, clad in orange, the royal color, to watch the brief, long-planned and relatively low-key event on large television screens.
The days events, a mix of tightly choreographed official pageantry and boisterous street parties across Amsterdam, helped lift the gloom created by a slumping economy, unpopular austerity measures and growing public recognition that, as the new king noted in an afternoon address, it now seems less self-evident that the next generation will be better off than the last.
Dressed in an orange suit, Bart Koops, an executive at a bed company and a fervent royalist, joined the throng of other revelers early on Tuesday. Monarchy is what unites us and makes us Dutch, Mr. Koops said. This is a great day.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/world/europe/queen-beatrix-to-abdicate-in-the-netherlands.html?_r=0
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)I didn't know you were called "Dennis"...
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)I saw that movie in the theater when it came out.
And I own it on DVD.
And I have the script on my hard drive.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Just stay out of politics.
24601
(3,962 posts)bridges. The Prime Minister, as Chief Executive, runs government and handles politics. If the US was under the same type arrangement, President Obama would perform ceremonial duties, Senator Reid would head the Privy Council, and Speaker Boehner would run the Government.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)The top people in several fields would be handed a Senate appointment upon their retirement from academia or business.
24601
(3,962 posts)inherit the seat from his father - and the letters patent would prohibit any daughters from the seat.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)And they by tradition do not vote except on administrative matters pertaining to the Council of State itself. The monarch does hold the power of appointment to the council, though, and now that I think of it I have no idea how independently or not Beatrix wielded that, or what Willem plans to do with it.
24601
(3,962 posts)Senators who cannot propose or amend legislation, only block it. And their Senate has members from 12 different parties with the most of any being 16 (VVD-Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy).
hue
(4,949 posts)Historic NY
(37,449 posts)I live in Orange County ...... named after Willem III of Orange "I Will Maintain"