I have to admit, I’m a little bit excited about the upcoming inauguration of Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, which begins with dinner tonight followed by the formal ceremonies tomorrow morning.

Why am I so excited you might ask, well ….. Let me tell you!

1. I have never seen an inauguration before. (Nor an abdication for that matter.)
2. I like that Queen Beatrix is handing over the title before she passes away. That way she can be there to guide her son and daughter in law in their new roles, rather than have her son take over the role after her death, when one would imagine he would be incapacitated by grief. She can also be a great support to her daughter in law and her grandchildren too.
3. The Netherland Royal family seem very grounded and I think this enhances their popularity. Prince Willem-Alexander explained that he and his brothers were kept away from public life until university and that  “It was only very rare occasions we were sort of put out in the open, and in that sense I think we had a normal childhood.” He is aiming to do the same for his three daughters, especially his eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia, who is second in line to the throne after her father. “If she has a public duty in the futher and doesn’t have a normal childhood, then it would be almost impossible for her to get to know herself,” the Prince said. “It’s much better that you get that chance to develop yourself before you go into public life.” How sensible!

Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima of the Netherlands

Wedding tears from the almost Princess Maxima

The couple at the Danish Royal Wedding

At the Monaco Royal Wedding

Princess Maxima

The couple with their three daughters at the 2012 London Olympics

Quotes taken from the article “Sitting Down with Dutch Royals Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima” by Rebecca Sacks and published in VF Daily.