Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, will attend the Dutch investiture ceremony with his wife Princess Stephanie. They now add their names to the growing list of royals who will watch as Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima become King and Queen of the Netherlands on 30 April.
Spain's Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia have already been confirmed, as have Naruhito and Masako of Japan. The Japanese princess will be making her first trip abroad in 11 years. Guillaume and Stephanie's inclusion was confirmed by Peter Kok, the Dutch Ambassador to Luxembourg. The Dutch inauguration will be one of the most prominent engagements Luxembourg's young royals, above, have taken since their lavish wedding in October last year. Queen Beatrix's abdication will become official on 30 April, when she hands the reins of the Dutch monarchy to her son after 33 years on the throne. Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima recently gave an exclusive TV interview to discuss their feelings about the momentous occasion.
Speaking to journalists Marielle Tweebeeke and Rick Nieman, the incoming king made it clear he will be a modern, down-to-earth monarch. "People can address me any way they see fit," he said. "I'm not obsessed with protocol. I will be king, but also a human being." He continued, "I want to be a king who accepts tradition, who follows the line of conduct of his predecessors, and represents consistency and stability in his nation. "But at the same time, I want to be a 21st century king, someone who inspires and accurately represents Dutch society."
His wife Maxima was in agreement. "People in the street call me Maxima. At the end of the day, it's not that important to be called princess or queen. The important thing is the title we represent," she added.
