Monday 6 May 2013

ABC Wednesday, Q for Queen Beatrix



After 33 years Queen Beatrix leaves the throne to her eldest son Willem- Alexander.

Speech of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander to honour his mother the ex-Queen.


My dear Mother,
As Queen you were fully conscious of the responsibilities attached to your position. You were utterly dedicated to the duties of your office. But you were also a daughter, a wife, a mother and head of the family. And you have always sought to do full justice to each of those responsibilities. Sometimes you felt torn, but you combined your many duties with great inspiration. You never refused a request for help. Even in times of personal sorrow you supported us all in the most loving and dependable manner.
With the help of my father, you developed your own style as Queen. You never chose the easy path of fleeting popularity. You navigated stormy waters, charting a sure and steady course in the knowledge that you were part of a long tradition.
Now, I follow in your footsteps. And I have a clear picture of my duties. No one knows what the future may hold. But wherever my path leads, and however long it may be, I will always carry with me your warmth and your wisdom.
I know that I speak for many in the Netherlands and in the Caribbean parts of our Kingdom when I say: thank you for all the wonderful years in which you served as our Queen.



Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with Q.

28 comments:

Sylvia K said...

What a wonderful and interesting post for the day, Wil!! And such a great day for your country! Thank you for sharing it with us today!! Have a wonderful week!!

Kay said...

That is such a beautiful letter to his royal mother. I'm sure he will do an excellent job for your country. I wonder if Queen Elizabeth (of England) will follow suit.

Cloudia said...

Agree!



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Hildred said...

A lovely, warm and sincere tribute.
He has all the makings of a splendid King.

Roger Owen Green said...

Nice piece. Somehow I THOUGHT that would be your Q!

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Carver said...

Great tribute and an interesting post.

Fun60 said...

I saw some of the abdication on the television here in the UK. The new King seems really nice and what a lovely family he has. And I doubt Queen Elizabeth will follow suit.

eileeninmd said...

Great post on your new King! Thanks for sharing the videos. It is a great day for your country! Have a happy week!

Arija said...

thank you Wil for this follow-up post of your royal house. It was good to read the king's speech in full. I wish you, your country and your monarch the best of fortune and above all, peace in our time.

Unknown said...

Great coverage!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

What a great day for your country.

Anonymous said...

She really is a strong person! Nice tribute to the former Queen.

anthonynorth said...

I watched the ceremony on TV. An excellent event. As for the comments as to whether my own Liz 2 will follow her example, there are two things to take into account - she's determined to be on the throne longer than Victoria, and then there's her somewhat eccentric son ...

Rajesh said...

Very nice words. Thanks for sharing with us.

photowannabe said...

These are powerful words given to the Queen. One can tell that her son loves and respects her and is willing to continue her great legacy.

Marleen said...

Mooie foto's van een bijzondere dag!

MERYL JAFFE, PhD - parent, psychologist, teacher, author... said...

Long live the King! That was an outstanding speech.

Unknown said...

His speech to his mother was simple and warm and speaks of respect. She must be very proud of her son! Thank you so much, Wil, for giving the bloggers an impression of what happened, and putting Holland "on the map" so to speak!

Gerald (SK14) said...

What an appropriate post for you to publish at this time. Let's hope your King will do you good.

LONDONLULU said...

Perfect one for Q! (And for Queen and country! (I thought you might post Queen today:) That was such a lovely letter.

Lise said...

Long life the Queen!

Anonymous said...

How typical that this did not get any press in the States. What a lovely, respectful speech honoring his mother, the former queen, who truly did set an example of "how it's done."

I hope Queen Elizabeth will take the hint. Maybe Charles or his son William will downsize the bloated monarchy of England.

Peace, Amy

My name is Riet said...

Ja wat was het een prachtige koninklijke en vredelievende dag hè`. Ik heb er zo van genoten.

HansHB said...

Great reflections, - well done!

Chubskulit Rose said...

Hats off to the ex queen, a great tribute.

Quaint
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

MaiThreeBoyz said...

A great tribute for the queen, a post so timely for Mother's Day also.

Visiting for ABC Wednesday. Hope you can visit my post here: http://www.maithankfulheart.com/2013/05/quack-quack-quack.html

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Lovely letter..and certainly a perfect choice for the Q!!

Kay L. Davies said...

I enjoyed your new King's letter to his mother, Wil. He sounds like a good person, a good son, and a good leader.
Thanks for your note today — I can hardly believe you will be 80 in December. You certainly don't look it. I'll be 67 in December, and today I'm sure I look every bit of it.
Best wishes from both of us for your spring weather!
Luv, K