The crisis of 1936 in England that saw Edward VIII ditch the throne in favour of marrying Wallis Simpson made the word ‘abdication’ dirty, especially in Britain. The renunciation was never mentioned before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, given its effects on her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, as per Richard Eden on Palace Confidential.
However, abdication has been more common in recent years in other countries. King Juan Carlos was forced to abdicate in Spain due to countless scandals in June 2014. Meanwhile, in Belgium, King Albert II was forced to do the same in July 2013 when his illegitimate daughter, Delphine Boël, refused to give up her fight to be acknowledged.
The Netherlands has abdication as a requirement for any monarch, which has been this way for about 100 years. Beginning with Queen Wilhelmina, the Dutch see the practice as normal. Three monarchs have stepped aside in the last century for their successors.
Queen Wilhelmina’s successor was her daughter Juliana, who also stepped aside for her own daughter, Beatrix. The current monarch is Beatrix’s son, Willem-Alexander, who may end up abdicating for his daughter Catharina-Amalia someday.
Abdication, if done for the right reasons, can be seen as a good thing as it allows for the new monarch to learn from the old, as seen with King Willem-Alexander and his mother.
The Shock Abdication Of Queen Margrethe II
The abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark on New Year’s Eve, 2023, shocked everyone. Her recent health issues were the deciding factors for her handing off her throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary.
Mary will be the first Australian to sit on the throne of Denmark as the Queen consort of Denmark. She will be supported by her sister, Jane Stephens, as their father, John Donaldson, will be unable to attend due to his age and ill health.
Prince Christian, Mary and Frederik’s eldest son, will move up and become Crown Prince Christian.
Conclusively, the world has come a long way since Edward VIII. The Netherlands is a very progressive monarchy. They even allow royals to marry partners of the same sex. No other European monarchy does this. Abdication is a way for older monarchs to watch the new generation step up into their roles.
