GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- With the abdication of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix and the succession to the throne of His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange less than two weeks away, changes will also be made to the Presidency of the Council of State and the Royal Household.
In the process of creating awareness about the role of members of the Royal Family, the Sint Maarten Organizing Committee Inauguration (OCI) says that the abdication of Her Majesty (HM) Queen Beatrix will have changes for the presidency of the Council of State.
The presidency will automatically pass from HM Queen Beatrix to His Majesty the King, who is President of the Council under article 74 of the Dutch Constitution.
On reaching the age of majority the Prince of Orange was automatically granted a seat in the Advisory Division of the Council of State. Her Royal Highness Princess Maxima of the Netherlands was granted a seat in the Advisory Division of the Council of State on 1, October, 2004. Princess Catharina-Amalia, the eldest daughter of Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima will be granted her seat in the Advisory Division of the Council of State when she reaches the age of 18.
When a new monarch ascends to the throne, it is customary for certain Officers of the Royal Household to resign their posts, to enable the new monarch to exercise his constitutional right to organize his Household, taking due account of the public interest.
The Officers in question include the Grand Master of the Royal Household, the Chief of the Military Household, the Principal Secretary to the Queen, the Treasurer, the Master of Ceremonies, the Marshal of the Court, the Comptroller of the Royal Palaces, the Crown Equerry, and Director of the Royal Archives and the Director of Human Resources.
For more information about the Royal Family, you can visit the Government website and download the inauguration booklet. The link is: www.sintmaartengov.org/government/specialcampaigns/pages/default.aspx
