The Dutch Government Information Service yesterday announced that the government has made a proposition to Parliament designating Queen Máxima regent if the Princess of Orange, Princess Catharina-Amalia, should succeed to the throne before reaching her eighteenth birthday. If the Princess comes to the throne as a minor and Queen Máxima should herself be deceased the regency will devolve to Prince Constantijn, King Willem-Alexander’s only brother.
This is in line with Dutch and Orange traditions, whereby the surviving parent rather than the nearest adult in the line of succession has generally been designated regent. This was also the case in the reign of Queen Beatrix, when her consort, Prince Claus, was designated regent ahead of her sister, Princess Margriet.
The last time such a scenario became a reality was in 1890, when King Willem III upon his death was succeeded by his ten-year-old daughter Wilhelmina, whose mother, Queen Emma, served as regent for the next eight years. There are also several examples from before the House of Orange became the Dutch royal family of mothers deputising for their minor sons.
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Do you have a link to that particular piece of information ? I couldn't find it anywhere on the web.
ReplyDeleteUnder the Dutch constitution (Art. 37), a Regent can only be appointed by an act of Parliament passed in a joint session of the two chambers. I find it odd that the government would introduce any such legislation when a regency is not called for (i.e. when there is a reigning king in office).
It was reported in the Dutch media, for instance in this article: http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/09/30/maxima-wordt-regent-als-koning-overlijdt/
DeleteYes, and this is, as I understand it, the government's proposition to Parliament to make such a decision in a joint session. I believe this is done now rather than if the situation arises so that there is a regent immediately if the King should suddenly drop dead. The same was, as I have stated above, done at the outset of Queen Beatrix's reign when Prince Claus was designated regent and I believe it was also done when Queen Juliana began her reign and Prince Bernhard was designated regent.