The inauguration of

Beatrix Beatrix is a Latin feminine given name, most likely derived from ''Viatrix'', a feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Viator'' which meant "voyager, traveller" and later influenced in spelling by association with the Latin word ''beatus'' or "ble ...

Queen of the Netherlands The monarchy of the Netherlands is governed by the country's charter and constitution, roughly a third of which explains the mechanics of succession, accession, and abdication; the roles and duties of the monarch; the formalities of communica ...

took place on 30 April 1980 at the Nieuwe Kerk in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

. Beatrix ascended the throne immediately following the abdication of her mother

Juliana Juliana (variants Julianna, Giuliana, Iuliana, Yuliana, etc) is a feminine given name which is the feminine version of the Roman name Julianus. Juliana or Giuliana was the name of a number of early saints, notably Saint Julian the Hospitaller, whi ...

earlier that day. Celebrations were largely marred by riots, known as the

Amsterdam coronation riots The Amsterdam coronation riots () refers to major violence and rioting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on the day of Inauguration of Beatrix, the accession of Queen Beatrix, 30 April 1980. It was one of the biggest episodes of such disturbances i ...

Background

Following a reign of 31 years which began with the abdication of her mother

Queen Wilhelmina Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history, as ...

in 1948,

Queen Juliana Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was List of monarchs of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Duke ...

, in a television and radio address to the nation on 31 January 1980, announced her intent to abdicate the throne in favour of her eldest daughter, Beatrix, in accordance with the precedence set by her mother.

Abdication

At 10:06 AM CEST on 30 April 1980, her 71st birthday, Queen Juliana signed the instrument of abdication in the

Royal Palace of Amsterdam The Royal Palace of Amsterdam in Amsterdam (Dutch: ''Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam'' or ) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. It is situated on the west side of Dam Square ...

. Juliana thus relinquished the Dutch throne and all its associated titles and styles. She reverted to her pre-accession martial titles "Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Duchess of Mecklenburg, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld" with the style of ''

Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of a ...

''. Afterward, Queen Beatrix, Prince Claus, Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard appeared on the palace balcony. The outgoing and incoming queens both made speeches. Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard left the balcony, making way for the new Queen's three sons, Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince Johan-Friso and Prince Constantijn, to symbolise the transition of the Royal House.

Inauguration

Procession

En route from the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania {, class="wikitable" width="95%" , - bgcolor="white" !align=center, Residence !align=center, Photo !align=center, City !align=cen ...

to the Nieuwe Kerk, the Queen was led by a delegation of aids carrying both the

Charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

and

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

which were placed on the

credence table A credence table is a small side table in the sanctuary of a Christian church which is used in the celebration of the Eucharist (Latin ''credens, -entis'', believer). The credence table is usually placed near the wall on the epistle (south) sid ...

in front of the throne. The delegation consisted of two kings of arms, the senior one being

Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema Siebren Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (3 April 1917 – 26 September 2007) was a Dutch writer who became a resistance fighter and RAF pilot during the Second World War. Near the end of the war he was adjudant (assistant) to Wilhelmina of the Netherl ...

, a member of the resistance and officers of arms. Then came the

Sword of state A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolising the supreme power of a monarch, given by God, to use the infinite might of the state to deter its enemies by use of deadly warfare, if thus dire, to maintain order in the r ...

and the gonfalon of state, a white banner bearing the 1815

coat of arms of the Netherlands The coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was originally adopted in 1815 and later modified in 1907. The arms are a composite of the arms of the former Dutch Republic and the arms of the House of Nassau, it features a checkered shield wit ...

symbolizing the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Ceremony

Beatrix was inaugurated as queen of the Netherlands in a solemn session of the

States General of the Netherlands The States General of the Netherlands ( ) is the Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Netherlands consisting of the Senate (Netherlands), Senate () and the House of Representatives (Netherlands), House of R ...

in the Nieuwe Kerk. During the ceremony, she took his oath of office and swore to uphold the

Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch: ''Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden''; in Papiamentu: ''Statuut di Reino Hulandes'') is a legal instrument that sets out the political relationship among the four countries that ...

and the

Constitution of the Netherlands The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands of 24 August 1815 () is one of two fundamental documents governing the Kingdom of the Netherlands as well as the Constitution, fundamental law of the Netherlands, Netherlands proper (the territo ...

. Following Beatrix's swearing-in, members of the States General swore allegiance. Queen Beatrix was not physically crowned, but the

regalia of the Netherlands The regalia of the Netherlands consists of a number of items symbolising the Dutch monarch's authority and dignity. In comparison to many European monarchies' regalia, the Dutch regalia are relatively new: having been commissioned by King Willi ...

was displayed during the ceremony.

Attire

Queen Beatrix wore a gown by Dutch designer Theresia Vreugdenhil under the '' Koningsmantel''. She wore the Pearl Button Tiara and the riband and star of the

Military Order of William The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William (Dutch language, Dutch: , abbreviation: MWO), is the oldest and highest Dutch honours system, honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone ...

Guests

Dutch Royal Family

* Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard, the Queen's parents **

Prince Claus Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands, Prince of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his d ...

, the Queen's husband *** The

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

, the Queen's son *** Prince Johan Friso, the Queen's son *** Prince Constantijn, the Queen's son ** The

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...

and

Duke of Parma and Piacenza The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy. It was created by Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese) for his son Pier Luigi Farnese. It existed between 1545 and 1802 ...

, the Queen's sister and brother-in-law ** Princess Margriet and Prof.

Pieter van Vollenhoven Pieter van Vollenhoven Jr. (born 30 April 1939) is the husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and a member, by marriage, of the Dutch royal house. Early life and career Van Vollenhoven was born in Schiedam, he is the second son of Pi ...

, the Queen's sister and brother-in-law *** Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, the Queen's nephew ***

Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven Prince Bernhard Lucas Emmanuel of Orange-Nassau, van VollenhovenPrince Be ...

, the Queen's nephew ***

Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven Prince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (born 22 March 1972), is the third son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven. Before the succession of his cousin Prince Willem-Alexander as King i ...

, the Queen's nephew ** Princess Christina and Mr Jorge Pérez y Guillermo, the Queen's sister and brother-in-law

Von Amsberg Family

* Baroness Gösta von Amsberg, Prince Claus' mother

Foreign Royal

* The

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and Princess of Liège (representing the

King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...

) * The

Princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...

and

Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was one of several imperial counties and later principalities ruled by the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein. Most of the former county is located in the present district of Siegen-Wittgenstein (in the modern state of North ...

(representing the

Queen of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alrea ...

) * The

and Princess Mikasa (representing the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

) * The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (representing

Grand Duke of Luxembourg The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was created from territory of the former Duchy of Luxembourg. It was in personal union with the United Kingdom of ...

) * The Crown Prince of Morocco (representing the

King of Morocco The king of Morocco (; ) is the monarch and head of state of Morocco. The kings of Morocco are members of the Alawi dynasty. It is one of the country's most powerful offices. Mohammed VI ( Sidi Mohammed bin Hassan al-Alawi) is the current kin ...

) * The

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

and Crown Princess of Norway (representing the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty king ...

) * The

and Duke of Badajoz (representing the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

) * Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson, and Mr

Tord Magnuson Tord Gösta Magnuson (born 7 April 1941) is a Swedish business executive and the consul general for Mauritius. He is married to Princess Christina of Sweden, the youngest of the older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf. With the deaths of John A ...

(representing the

King of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. by law a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parl ...

) *

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess Royal () (born 2 April 1955) is a member of the Thai royal family. She is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, and the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn. Early life Birth Si ...

(representing the

King of Thailand The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional monarchy, constitutional form of government of Thailand (formerly ''Siam''). The king of Thailand (, historically, ''king of Siam''; ) is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty. ...

) * The

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

(representing the

Queen of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...

)

Riots

On the day of the inauguration, large-scale riots were staged by those advocating for

squatter's rights ''Squatter's Rights'' is a 1946 animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions. The cartoon is about a confrontation between Pluto and Chip and Dale who have taken up residence in Mickey Mouse's hunting shack. It was ...

. The protesters chanted the slogan ''Geen woning, geen kroning'' (No house, no coronation). Around 10,000 police officers and military personnel were present in Amsterdam for the inauguration, thus turning the riots into a major clash. 600 people were injured and, due to the large public support the royal family enjoyed, the riots largely turned public opinion against the squatters.

References

External links

{{coord, 52.3739, N, 4.8918, E, source:wikidata, display=title Beatrix of the Netherlands 1980 in the Netherlands Ceremonies in the Netherlands Monarchy of the Netherlands

Background

Abdication

Inauguration

Procession

Ceremony

Attire

Guests

Dutch Royal Family

Von Amsberg Family

Foreign Royal

Riots

See also

References

External links