One Last Speech

Beatrix will address the country as queen tonight with her farewell speech, just like her mother did 33 years ago. The TV station, RTL 4, will broadcast the speech on Monday at 8:30 pm. Beatrix will look back on her years as queen. If she follows the example of her mother Juliana, it will be an open argument to look forward to. RTL.nl reported that Beatrix, on the occasion of her silver jubilee, also looked back on her years as reigning monarch. She said that people misunderstood how lonely kingship was and that a very difficult part was how she had to be always available as there was never someone to take over. Beatrix will end her reign as queen of the Netherlands on Tuesday when she signs the Act of Abdication in the Koninklijk Paleis at the de Dam in Amsterdam.