The Royal Family.  General information about the Monarchy  The Queen and the members of the Royal House  The Government Information Service General information about the Monarchy The Constitution. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy: in other words, the monarchy is based on the constitution and the monarch's position is regulated by the constitution, certain Acts of Parliament and unwritten constitutional law. The Dutch constitution refers to the head of state as 'the King', even when the monarch is a woman, like the present Queen Beatrix. A distinction is made in the Netherlands between the royal house and the royal family. Not every member of the Orange-Nassau family is a member of the royal house. Membership of the royal house is restricted by Act of Parliament to the head of state, the former head of state, the members of the royal family in line for the throne, and their spouses. The monarch is head of the royal house. The present royal house consists of Queen Beatrix and her sons - Princes Willem-Alexander and Constantijn, Princess Catharina-Amalia, the daughter of Prince Willem-Alexander, countess Eloise and count Claus-Casimir, the daughter and son of Prince Constantijn, the Queen's younger sister Princess Margriet, her husband Mr Pieter van Vollenhoven, and their four sons Princes Maurits, Bernhard, Pieter-Christiaan and Floris, and the Princesses Máxima, Laurentien, Marilène and Annette. The legitimate descendants of the monarch have the right of succession to the throne. The eldest child is the first in line. If the monarch has no legitimate descendants, the crown may pass to other members of the family. The line of succession extends to the third degree of consanguinity with the reigning monarch. When a new monarch succeeds to the throne, therefore, some members of the Royal House may lose their right of succession. Under the Membership of the Royal House Act (2002), the Royal House comprises the monarch and the former monarch (on abdication) and family members to the second degree of consanguinity, and their husbands and wives. Up to 2002, relatives in the third degree of consanguinity were also members, and under the Act they will continue to be so until Prince Willem-Alexander succeeds to the throne. So when Prince Willem-Alexander becomes King, his cousins, the sons of Princess Margriet, will no longer be members of the Royal House. Anyone in line of succession who marries without the permission of parliament loses their right of succession and is no longer a member of the Royal House. This was the case with the Queen’s son, Prince Friso, in 2004, and her sisters Princess Irene in 1964 and Princess Christina in 1975. Though all three are no longer members of the Royal House, they are of course still members of the Royal Family. Under the 2002 Act, anyone losing Dutch citizenship can no longer be a member of the Royal House. Membership may also be withdrawn by Royal Decree. The Government consists of the sovereign and the Cabinet ministers. Since 1848, the constitution has laid down that the King is inviolable and that the ministers bear responsibility for affairs of government, which means that they are answerable to parliament for all legislation. Acts of Parliament and Royal Decrees, for which the approval of parliament is not required, are signed by both the sovereign and the minister responsible. By so doing, the Queen gives the royal assent, and the minister accepts full constitutional responsibility. The Queen is closely involved in the formation of a new government. After a general election, she consults the vice-president of the Council of State, the speakers of both houses of parliament, the leaders of the political parties represented in the Lower House and sometimes distinguished elder statesmen known as the ministers of state, and then proceeds to appoint formateurs and informateurs to form a new government on the basis of the election results. When the political parties reach agreement on the policies to be pursued by the new government, she appoints and swears in the ministers and state secretaries. The Government consists of the sovereign and the Cabinet ministers. Since 1848, the constitution has laid down that the King is inviolable and that the ministers bear responsibility for affairs of government, which means that they are answerable to parliament for all legislation. Acts of Parliament and Royal Decrees, for which the approval of parliament is not required, are signed by both the sovereign and the minister responsible. By so doing, the Queen gives the royal assent, and the minister accepts full constitutional responsibility. The Queen is closely involved in the formation of a new government. After a general election, she consults the vice-president of the Council of State, the speakers of both houses of parliament, the leaders of the political parties represented in the Lower House and sometimes distinguished elder statesmen known as the ministers of state, and then proceeds to appoint formateurs and informateurs to form a new government on the basis of the election results. When the political parties reach agreement on the policies to be pursued by the new government, she appoints and swears in the ministers and state secretaries. On the third Tuesday in September, the Queen delivers the Speech from the Throne to the two Houses of Parliament in joint session, outlining the main points of government policy for the coming year. The pageantry of Prinsjesdag (Prince's Day), as it is called, draws numerous visitors to The Hague. The three palaces placed at the disposal of the Queen by the State are Noordeinde Palace and Huis ten Bosch Palace, both in The Hague, and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The buildings are state property. The National Anthem. The Wilhelmus has been the official Dutch national anthem since 10 May 1932, when the Cabinet decided that it was to be played on all official occasions. Until then, the national anthem had been a setting by the composer J.W. Wilms, commissioned in 1815 on the foundation of the Kingdom, of a poem by H. Tollens. This was called Wiens Neerlands Bloed (Whose Dutch Blood). Even before 1932, however, the Wilhelmus was often played or sung on official occasions, for example the investiture of Queen Wilhelmina in 1898. The Wilhelmus has 15 verses, the first and sixth of which are usually sung on national occasions. The first letters of all the verses strung together form an acrostic, WILLEM VAN NASSOV. The anthem was written during the Eighty Years' War as a tribute to Prince William I of Orange, the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spanish domination. The writer is generally considered to have been Philip van Marnix, Seigneur of Sint Aldegonde (c. 1538-1598), secretary to the Prince. William of Orange, sometimes known as William the Silent, was the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau. The oldest known version of the melody of the Wilhelmus dates from 1574. It originated in France, probably during the siege of Chartres in 1568. The melody as used today was written down by Adriaen Valerius in 1626. Text of the Wilhelmus: William of Nassau, scion Of a Dutch and ancient line, I dedicate undying Faith to this land of mine. A prince I am, undaunted, Of Orange, ever free, To the king of Spain I've granted A lifelong loyalty. A shield and my reliance, O God, Thou ever wert. I'll trust unto Thy guidance. O leave me not ungirt. That I may stay a pious Servant of Thine for aye And drive the plagues that try us And tyranny away. State opening of Parliament (Prinsjesdag). This is the day on which the Queen addresses a joint session of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament in the Ridderzaal or Hall of Knights in The Hague. The Speech from the Throne sets out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session. The occasion is prescribed by the constitution, article 65 of which states: 'A statement of the policy to be pursued by the Government shall be given by or on behalf of the King before a joint session of the two Houses of the States General that shall be held every year on the third Tuesday in September or on such earlier date as may be prescribed by Act of Parliament'. The Speech from the Throne has no fixed order of sequence: over the years it has varied considerably as regards length and content. Until 1983, the annual session of parliament was opened on the third Tuesday in September. However, the revision of the constitution in that year changed the length of a parliamentary session from one year to four. This means that Prinsjesdag is no longer the official opening of the parliamentary session. Origins of the name Prinsjesdag or Prince's Day was originally instituted to mark the birthday of Stadholder Prince William V (8 March). In the 18th century it was one of the country's most popular public holidays. In the Patriot era (1780-1797) it provided an opportunity for demonstrations of loyalty to the House of Orange. This is probably why the name was chosen in the 19th century for the ceremonial opening of Parliament. The third Tuesday in September The constitution has long stated that the opening of parliament should take place on a fixed date, but it was only with the revision of 1887 that it was laid down that it should be the third Tuesday in September. Even though Prinsjesdag has not represented the official opening of the parliamentary session since 1983, the third Tuesday in September still remains in the constitution as the day on which the Speech from the Throne is delivered. The Speech from the Throne is delivered in the Ridderzaal or Hall of Knights in the Binnenhof in The Hague, which was built by Count Floris V of Holland in 1280. The Queen's official birthday (Koninginnedag) The Queen's official birthday (Koninginnedag) is a national holiday, which is celebrated by street parties and other events. The Queen and other members of the royal family visit the festivities in one or perhaps two different places each year. The royal visits are always broadcast live on television. During the reigns of Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana, it was the custom to celebrate Koninginnedag on the Queen's birthday - 31 August and 30 April respectively. On the day of her investiture, 30 April 1980, Queen Beatrix stated that she wished to continue celebrating it on 30 April, as a mark of respect for her mother, Queen Juliana. Especially Amsterdam is famous for staging an all out street party on Queensday. Festivities start the night before and last well into the small hours the next day. Dressed in orange, a beer in hand and the national colors painted on their faces people stroll through the city. The Queen and the members of the Royal House The Queen of the Netherlands. The Princess was born at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, where she lived until May 1940, when, on the German invasion of the Netherlands, the family left for the United Kingdom. From there, Princess Beatrix and her younger sister Irene, who was born in 1939, moved with their mother to Ottawa in Canada. It was not until five years later, on 2 August 1945, that the family, with the third child, Margriet, born in Canada in 1943, again set foot on Dutch soil. In radio and television broadcasts on 28 June 1965, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard announced the engagement of Princess Beatrix and the German diplomat Claus von Amsberg. On 10 November 1965, the Lower House passed a bill introduced by the government consenting to their marriage. The bill was passed by the Upper House on 8 December of the same year. The civil marriage ceremony was conducted by the Burgomaster of Amsterdam, Gijsbert van Hall, in Amsterdam City Hall on 10 March 1966. The marriage was blessed during a service in the Westerkerk, which was conducted by Rev. H.J. Kater, with a sermon preached by Rev. J.H. Sillevis Smitt. On this occasion, Claus von Amsberg received the title of Prince of the Netherlands and the designation Jonkheer van Amsberg. The royal couple took up residence in Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche, where the Princess had lived since 1963. On 30 April 1980, Queen Juliana signed the Act of Abdication and Princess Beatrix succeeded her as Queen of the Netherlands. On the same day, her investiture took place at a special plenary session of both Houses of the States General in the New Church in Amsterdam. Since then, the Queen's birthday has been officially celebrated on 30 April. Apart from being the day of her investiture, it is also Princess Juliana's birthday. The Queen's Birthday is an official national holiday. In 1981 the royal family moved into Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague. Much of their work has been done at Noordeinde Palace since its restoration was completed in 1984. The Queen closely follows affairs of government and maintains regular contact with ministers, state secretaries, the vice-president of the Council of State, the Queen's Commissioners in the provinces, burgomasters, and Dutch ambassadors etc. She meets the Prime Minister every Monday. Much of her work consists of studying and signing State documents. She regularly receives members of parliament, as well as other authorities on social issues. The Queen is closely involved in the formation of new governments. During her reign, nine governments have been formed. After a general election or the fall of a government, the Queen appoints one or more formateurs or informateurs who are instructed to form a new government. The Queen makes this appointment after consulting with the vice-president of the Council of State, the speakers of both Houses of the States General, the leaders of the parliamentary parties in the Lower House, and, if necessary, the ministers of State. The ministers and state secretaries of the newly formed government are sworn in by the Queen. At the official opening of parliament on the third Tuesday of September (Prinsjesdag), the Queen rides in the Golden Coach from Noordeinde Palace to the Binnenhof. A plenary session of both Houses of the States General is held in the Knights' Hall, during which the Queen delivers the Speech from the Throne in which the government announces its policy plans for the coming year. The Queen regularly receives heads of state and heads of government who are visiting the Netherlands. She also receives in audience the heads of foreign diplomatic missions to the Netherlands, when they come to present their letters of credence or take their leave. The Queen makes several state visits to other countries every year. Prince Willem-Alexander. Prince Willem-Alexander was born on 27 April 1967, the first child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. The Prince was born in the University Hospital, Utrecht, and he spent his early childhood at Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche. Prince Willem-Alexander has two brothers: Prince Johan Friso (born in 1968) and Prince Constantijn (born in 1969). Prince Willem-Alexander received his primary education at the Nieuwe Baarnse School in Baarn and started his secondary education at Baarns Lyceum. On his mother's accession to the throne on 30 April 1980, Prince Willem-Alexander, as her eldest child, became first in line of succession. As heir to the throne, he bears the title Prince of Orange, which has been held by the Sovereign's eldest son since 1815. In 1981, the royal family moved from Drakensteyn Castle to Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague. The Prince continued his secondary education at the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague, and completed it at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major, Wales, where he gained an International Baccalaureate in 1985. Prince Willem-Alexander completed his military service before enrolling as a history student in the Arts Faculty of Leiden University in 1987. During his student years, he lived in a house on the city's Rapenburg. His studies included the following subjects: general and Dutch history, economic history, political science and constitutional law, EC law, international law, human rights and economics. The Prince concluded his studies with a dissertation on the Dutch response to France's decision under President de Gaulle to leave NATO's integrated command structure. He was awarded a degree in history in 1993. On 30 March 2001, Prince Willem-Alexander became engaged to Miss Máxima Zorreguieta. The marriage took place in Amsterdam on 2 February 2002. The couple now live on the estate De Horsten in Wassenaar. They have a daughter. She was born in The Hague on 7 December 2003. Their private secretariat occupies premises in Noordeinde, The Hague. Military career The Prince performed his military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy from August 1985 to January 1987. After several months' training at the Royal Naval Institute in Den Helder, the Prince served on board the frigates HMS Tromp and HMS Abraham Crijnssen. In 1988, he received refresher training, serving as a duty officer on board the frigate HMS Van Kinsbergen. After graduating in 1993, the Prince gained his Military Pilot's Licence with 334 Transport Squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. In 1994, the Prince spent several months at the Netherlands Defence College, studying aspects of the work of the Royal Netherlands Army and Air Force. He also paid a number of working visits to the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the Royal Military Constabulary. In 1995 and 1996, Prince Willem-Alexander visited the troops stationed in Bosnia, the Dutch-German Army Corps, and NATO manoeuvres in Norway. In 2001, he visited the Dutch units stationed in Ethiopia and Eritrea as part of UNMEE (United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea). The Prince holds the following ranks in the armed services: Captain in the Royal Netherlands Navy reserve, Colonel in the Royal Netherlands Army reserve and Colonel in the Royal Netherlands Air Force reserve. On 6 December 2001, he was awarded the Officers' Long Service Decoration, awarded to officers who have served for more than 15 years. The Prince is also Aide-de-Camp Extraordinary to Her Majesty the Queen. After his extensive introductory programme with the armed services, Prince Willem-Alexander spent some time exploring the very diverse subject of law enforcement. He went on to study government, and visited ministries and the High Councils of State to learn how central government and other authorities function. He also visited the European institutions. He then completed an introductory programme with the Dutch business community. The Prince represents the Royal House on official occasions of all kinds. He regularly represents the Queen at international events or accompanies her on state visits, such as that to Russia in 2001. Apart from performing his many official duties, Prince Willem-Alexander regularly pays working visits in the Netherlands, to familiarise himself with social issues. He also visits the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. He is particularly interested in water management and sport. In February 2004, Prince Willem-Alexander was appointed chair of the Water Advisory Committee, an independent body that advises the State Secretary for Transport, Public Works and Water Management on the feasibility of water policy and its financial and social impact, doing so either in response to a specific request or of its own volition. This committee replaces the Integrated Water Management Commission, which the Prince chaired from 2000. The Prince often visits companies and organisations active in the water sector in the Netherlands and elsewhere to keep himself informed of developments in the field. He is patron of the Global Water Partnership, which was established by the World Bank, the United Nations and the Swedish Ministry of Development Cooperation with the aim of achieving integrated water management by turning international environmental agreements into concrete programmes and projects. From 1999 to 2000, the Prince was a member of the committee that coordinated the publication of the World Water Vision. In March 2000, he chaired the Second World Water Forum in The Hague. He was a member of the Panel of Eminent Persons convened at the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to issue recommendations for the UN conference on sustainable development which was held in Johannesburg in September 2002. The Prince served on the Panel as an expert on water management. Up to 1998, the Prince was patron of the Netherlands Olympic Committee* Dutch Sports Federation. In that capacity he attended the Winter Games in Lillehammer in 1994, the Summer Games in Altlanta in 1996 and the Winter Games in Nagano in 1998. The Prince has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since February 1998. He has also been a member of several IOC Commissions: the Olympic Solidarity Commission (1999-2003), the Nominations Commission (2000), the IOC 2000 Reform Follow-up Commission (2002), the Evaluation Commission for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 (2003) and the Coordination Commission for Vancouver 2010 (as of 2003). Princess Máxima. Princess Máxima was born Máxima Zorreguieta on 17 May 1971 in Buenos Aires (Argentina). She is the fourth daughter of Mr Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta and the eldest daughter of Mrs Maria del Carmen Cerruti de Zorreguieta. She has two brothers, one sister and three half-sisters. Princess Máxima grew up in Buenos Aires. She received a bilingual education at Northlands School, where she obtained her baccalaureate in 1988. In 1995 the Princess graduated in economics from the Universidad Católica Argentina. From 1989 to 1990, whilst studying at the university, Princess Máxima worked for Mercado Abierto S.A., where she carried out research on software for the financial markets. From 1992 to 1995 she worked in the Sales Department of Boston Securities S.A. in Buenos Aires. She also taught English to children and adults, and mathematics to secondary school pupils and first-year students. From July 1996 to March 1998 Princess Máxima worked at HSBC James Capel Inc. in New York, where she was Vice-President of Latin American Institutional Sales. From then until August 1999 she was Vice-President of the Emerging Markets division of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in New York, where she specialised in Equities. She then moved to Deutsche Bank in New York, where she was Vice-President of Institutional Sales until May 2000. After that, Princess Máxima worked until April 2001 at the EU Representative Office of Deutsche Bank in Brussels. On 30 March 2001 it was announced that she had become engaged to HRH the Prince of Orange. She was granted Dutch nationality on 17 May 2001. On 3 July 2001 the Plenary Session of the States-General passed a bill tabled by the government granting consent for the marriage of the Prince of Orange to Máxima Zorreguieta. The Mayor of Amsterdam, M.J. Cohen, conducted the civil marriage ceremony on 2 February 2002 in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. The Church blessing was conducted in the Nieuwe Kerk church by the Reverend C.A. ter Linden. The couple live on De Horsten estate in Wassenaar. They have a daughter: Princess Catharina-Amalia. She was born in The Hague on 7 December 2003. Their private secretariat occupies premises in Noordeinde in The Hague. Since becoming engaged, Princess Máxima has been familiarising herself with Dutch society and the society of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, a programme that includes the study of Dutch language, history and constitutional law. Since 2004 Princess Máxima has a seat in the Council of State. She is a patron of the Orange Fund, which was set up to promote social welfare and cohesion in the Netherlands. The Princess also chairs the Board of Trustees of the Prince Claus Chair, which is occupied in turn by Utrecht University and the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. The Chair was endowed to promote training and research in the field of development cooperation. Princess Máxima is a member of the Committee for the participation of women from ethnic minority groups. For information on other members, please visit the official website of the Royal Family. The Government Information Service. The Government Information Service (RVD), for which the Prime Minister is responsible, provides information on the royal house, general government policy and the Ministry of General Affairs. It has been a directorate-general since 2002. The director-general is directly responsible for the Press and Publicity Division and the Government Policy Analysis and Information Division. The Press and Publicity Division is responsible for reporting on the royal house. It helps the members of the royal house prepare and carry out their public duties, including attending events, visits to the provinces, working visits and outgoing and incoming state visits and official visits. Under the responsibility of the director-general, the division is also involved in publicity on the royal house. The royal house photograph section is also part of this division. Visits are by appointment. The library of the Government Policy Analysis and Information Division also has a part to play in publicity on the royal house. The library collects newspaper cuttings and articles on current events and has an extensive collection of books on the royal house. This collection is also open to the public. The RVD's Public and Communications Department advises on the production and distribution of information on the royal house, for instance on copyrights to the speech from the throne, interviews and photos etc. Address The Netherlands Government Information Service Postbox 20009 2500 EA The Hague The Netherlands Telephone: ++-31-70-3564000 Library: Binnenhof 19, The Hague Open: Monday to Friday, 09.00 to 17.00 hours.

If the website does not offer the information or links that you are searching for, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our staff has extensive knowledge of The Netherlands and will probably be able to help you out with most questions.