Queen Beatrix: 33 years of Dutch reign

Dutch Queen Beatrix announced Monday that she will abdicate on April 30 after 33 years as head of state, clearing the way for her eldest son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, to become the nation's first king in more than a century.

Here, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands delivers a speech from the throne in the Ridderzaal in The Hague on September 18, 2012 on Prince's Day (Prinsjesdag), the presentation of the coming financial year.

Credit: LEX VAN LIESHOUT/AFP/GettyImages