#FRESHOUT9jaUpdate Queen Beatrix Passes Crown To Her Eldest Son Willem Alexander After 33 Years On The Throne

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands today signed over her throne to her eldest son Willem Alexander as thousands filled the streets of Amsterdam to welcome their first king in more than 100 years. The 46 year old held his mother's hand after putting their signatures on the abdication document at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.
    The 75 year old looked close to tears as she then appeared on a balcony looking at about 20,000 citizens in the monarchy.

I am happy and grateful to introduce to you your new king, Willem Alexander, she told the cheering crowd.

Moments later, the new King said

Dear mother, today you relinquished the throne. 33 years moving and inspiring years. We are intensely, intensely grateful to you.

Afterwards, in a symbol of the generational shift she left the balcony and the new king and his family waved the crowd. Willem Alexander's wife becomes Queen Maxima and their eldest daughter Catharina Amalia becomes Princess Orange and first in line to the throne. The 46 year old who is a water management specialist is expected to bring a less formal touch to the monarchy together with his wife, a former investment banker from Argentina and has pledged to be a 21st century king.
     

Britain's Prince Charles and Japan's Crown Princess Masako, who is making her first foreign trip since falling ill a decade ago were also in attendance and will be among 2,000 visitors at the official investiture ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.
The royal family will head from the palace to the 600 year old Nieuwe Kerk or New Church next door in the afternoon where the king will swear an oath to uphold the Dutch constitution before lawmakers.