Saturday 31 January 2009

31 January

Today is the 71st birthday of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. She has been on the throne for 29 years come April 30th, and is the second oldest reigning monarch this country has known. Only Beatrix's great grandfather, King William III, was on the throne at an older age, 73, when he died. Rumours are increasing that Beatrix may abdicate in favour of her son Willem Alexander (aged 42 come April). Beatrix herself ascended the throne in 1980, following in the footsteps of her mother Juliana who abdicated on grounds of failing health. She died in 2004, at the age of nearly 95.

Today is also a bright, sunny, but perishingly cold day, with a brisk easterly wind cancelling any benefit of the sunshine. Later this afternoon, I'm off for a family visit elsewhere in the country.

3 comments:

Jan said...

When the shopping centre here in Peterborough opened over twenty years ago now, Queen Beatrix was the Queen who opened it ,and what a Regal lady ..love Jan xx

Linda's World said...

It was cold & sunny here today too. It was warm when the sun shone thru the windshield of the car, but once I got out to walk to the store...it was freezing! I'm ready for summer. Interesting post about Queen Beatrix. Linda in WA

Anonymous said...

Oddly, because now I cannot remember why, or what I was interested in at the time, I read quite a bit about Queen Beatrix. I love cold and sunny &I hope you are fully enjoying your time there.
~Mary