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The Netherlands Celebrates Koninginnedag

Browse more Koninginnedag photos under the hashtags #koninginnedag, #troonswisseling and #queensday, and browse the Leidseplein, Dam, and Museumplein location pages.

This year’s Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day) is a special one for the Netherlands. Revelers have celebrated Queen Juliana and her successor Queen Beatrix on April 30 every year since 1948 with orange costumes, parties, concerts and local gatherings like flea markets. This year, however, will mark the last Koninginnedag for a while, as Queen Beatrix celebrated the holiday by abdicating her throne and ceding it to her son, Prince Willem-Alexander. Today, Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne, and next year the holiday will be renamed Koningsdag (King’s Day) and celebrated on his birthday, April 27.

Festivities began last night with Koninginnenach (Queen’s Night) and the Queen’s national farewell address beneath Rembrandt van Rijn’s “Night Watch” at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. This morning, Beatrix signed official papers at Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam to enact the change of royal titles. More than a million people are expected in Amsterdam for the celebration, including royal guests from 18 countries.