Abdication and Investiture Programme
29 April 2013
20.00-22.30
Dinner, at the invitation of Her Majesty the Queen, with members of the Royal Family and other royal and foreign missions at the Rijksmuseum.
30 April 2013
10.00-10.30
Abdication of Her Majesty the Queen in the Moseszaal of the Royal Palace Amsterdam. Those present will include the Presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Council of Ministers for the Kingdom and members of the Royal Family, the governors and prime-ministers of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
The Queen will give a short address. The Director of the Queen's Office will then read aloud the instrument of abdication to which the Queen will then give her assent by means of her signature. Finally the instrument of abdication will be signed by the witnesses.
10.30-10.50
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Máxima and Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands appear on the balcony of the Royal Palace Amsterdam. Princess Beatrix and the King will both give a short address, after which the Wilhelmus will be played. Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange and Their Royal Highnesses Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane will then join their parents on the balcony.
13.30
Opening of the joint session of the States General, following the entry of the members of the States General, the States of Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten, the Council of Ministers for the Kingdom and the Council of State.
13.50
Princess Beatrix and other members of the Royal Family proceed to the Nieuwe Kerk.
14.00
The King and the main cortege proceed to the Nieuwe Kerk.
14.00-15.30
Swearing in and investiture of the King at the joint session of the two Houses of the States General in the Nieuwe Kerk. The King will deliver an address and be sworn in. The President of the joint session, Fred de Graaf, will deliver an address and make a solemn declaration, after which members of the States General and the States of Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten swear an oath or make an affirmation.
15.30
The King and his retinue proceed to the Royal Palace Amsterdam.
16.30-18.00
Reception for royal and foreign missions, dignitaries and members of the States General and the States of Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten, Council of Ministers for the Kindom, the Council of State, governors and prime-ministers of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten and the Corps Diplomatique in the Royal Palace Amsterdam.
19.30
The Song for the King will be performed in the presence of the King and Queen, prior to the water pageant. This will take place at the EYE Film Museum via a video link with Ahoy Rotterdam.
19.45-21.30
The King and Queen will take part in a water pageant with their daughters on the River IJ. They will sail from EYE Film Institute past the Oever Park and the 'Kop van Java'. At several places along the route they will be treated to a festive programme, including a 'mini Sail'.
21.30
Celebration, hosted by the Prime Minister on behalf of the Council of Ministers for the Kingdom.
Guest List
Royal Family
The Queen / Princess Beatrix
The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima / the King and Queen
Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane
Princess Mabel
Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien
Princess Irene
Princess Margriet and Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven
Princess Christina
Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie
Princess Margarita and Mr Tjalling ten Cate
Prince Jaime
Princess Carolina and Mr Albert Brenninkmeijer
Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène
Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette
Prince Pieter Christiaan and Princess Anita
Prince Floris and Princess Aimée
Mr Bernardo Guillermo
Mr Nicolás Guillermo
Ms Juliana Guillermo
Royal Delegations
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain
Crown Prince Billah and Princess Sarah of Brunei
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan
Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan
Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
Prince Albert II of Monaco
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princees Mette-Marit of Norway
Haitham bin Tareq al Said (Oman)
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Misned (Qatar)
The Prince and Princess of Asturias (Spain)
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (Thailand)
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (Thailand)
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (United Kingdom)
Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed al Nahyan (United Arab Emirates)
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden
(source and more information)
