Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbeːjaˌtrɪks ˌʋɪlɦɛlˈmina ˈɑrmɣɑrt] ( listen); born 31 January 1938) is the queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba.

Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. In 1948, she became heiress presumptive to the throne of the Netherlands. When her mother abdicated on 30 April 1980, Beatrix succeeded her as queen of the Netherlands.

She attended a public primary school in Canada, during World War II, and then finished her primary and secondary education in the Netherlands in the post war period. In 1961, she received her law degree from Leiden University. In 1966, Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg, a German diplomat, with whom she had three children: Prince Willem-Alexander (1967), Prince Friso (1968) and Prince Constantijn (1969). Prince Claus died in 2002. Queen Beatrix is the oldest reigning monarch of the Netherlands.[1]

On 28 January 2013, Beatrix announced that she will abdicate on 30 April 2013, on Koninginnedag (Queen's Day),[2] in favour of her eldest son Willem-Alexander, the heir apparent to the throne.