Princess Beatrix celebrates her 84th birthday

Monday is Princess Beatrix's birthday. The princess, who was the queen of the Netherlands from 1980 to 2013, celebrates her 84th birthday.

Beatrix was born on 31 January 1938 in Baarn and is the eldest child from the marriage of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. She married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966. Together they had three sons: Willem-Alexander, Friso, and Constantijn. Beatrix has been a widow since 2002. In 2013, her son Friso died from injuries sustained in a skiing accident.

Beatrix formally became queen on the morning of 30 April 1980, when her mother Juliana signed the deed of abdication. She was sworn in and inaugurated as Queen of the Netherlands that afternoon in the Nieuwe Kerk, during a solemn session of the States General and in the presence of representatives from European royal houses. 

Beatrix stepped down as head of state in 2013, after which her son Willem-Alexander succeeded her. The princess remained largely out of the spotlight in recent years. The coronavirus measures ensured that she had to stay home. Not only because of possible risks to her health but also because almost all events were canceled or postponed.

Despite the precautions, Beatrix contracted the coronavirus infection at the end of 2021. She tested positive after a four-day working visit to Curacao at the end of November. Princess Beatrix was fully vaccinated and received a booster shot before leaving for Curacao. During the working visit, she mainly learned about the consequences of the coronavirus and nature conservation on the island.