Britain’s Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend the abdication of Holland’s Queen Beatrix next week.
The royal couple will represent Britain at ceremonies in Amsterdam marking the abdication of the Dutch monarch and the investiture of her successor, Prince Willem-Alexander, Clarence House has confirmed.
The ceremonies – which take place on April 30 – are thought to be the largest gathering of royals from around the world since Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Britain last year.
Royalty from Japan and the Middle East are expected to join Charles and Camilla at the events.
Queen Beatrix – who has ruled Holland for 33 years – announced she would leave the throne in January, shortly before celebrating her 75th birthday.
The queen will pass the crown to her 45-year-old son, who will become the first king in Holland in over a century.
Prince Charles’ visit means he will mark both the start and end of Queen Beatrix’s reign – as he attended the same ceremonies in 1980 when she took over the throne from her mother, the abdicating Queen Juliana.
Prince Willem-Alexander’s Argentine wife Maxima, 41, will become Queen Consort when he takes the throne, and the couple have already revealed plans to have a more informal monarchy in Holland going forward.
In a state address on TV, he insisted that the Dutch people needn’t call him Your Majesty and ”can call me what they like”.