Well, we're not sure about the Disney World part, but she's probably got something super fun planned for her retirement, right?


Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, She of the Whimsical Circular Hats, will abdicate her throne on April 30 — the 33rd anniversary of her coronation — and hand it over to her son, Prince Willem-Alexander. Which basically makes her Julie Andrews and him Anne Hathaway. Long live Genovia!

"This doesn't mean that I'm taking leave from you," said Queen Bea earlier today in a televised speech announcing the decision. "I still will be able to meet many of you. I am deeply thankful for the faith that you've had in me ... in all these years that I've been able to be queen," she said.


The Queen, who is 75-years-old on Thursday, is generally much-loved by her people, with her most famous controversy being her marriage to Claus George Willem Otto Frederik Geert van Amsberg, now remembered simply as Prince Claus, a man of German nobility who was also a Hitler Youth. Yikes. There were protests during the couple's marriage ceremony in 1966, but the Dutch public came to accept him because of his philanthropic ways, and he apparently became one of the most popular members of the royal family. Huh. Perhaps someone with more insight into Dutch nobility can tell us more about this?

Although Beatrix is politically neutral, and has little power in domestic affairs, the public is apparently antsy about the power she wields in International affairs.

The Daily Beast reports:

However, in recent years, calls for a solely ceremonial royal house in The Netherlands have been gaining strength. An increasing number of Dutch citizens believe that a hereditary title-such as being a member of the royal house-should not allow someone to exert influence on a political level. Not to mention the fact that having royalty is very expensive-and the Dutch royal family is the most expensive one of all in Western Europe, four times more expensive than Spain's monarchy.


This will doubt be something the Prince Willem-Alexander will be forced to address when he takes the throne in April with Princess Maxima (that is her name, so help me) by his side.

Beatrix is the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate the throne, and this is the first time in the three generations that The Netherlands will have a king. Let's all tip our giant round hats to the matriarchy.


[CNN]