Today the people in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (it's a small country in Northern Europe, often associated with wooden shoes!)...
...crowned a new KING! This was a BIG deal because for over 120 years this country has had a succession of queens.
Unlike the Brits, it is common in the Netherlands for the reigning monarch to abdicate the throne in favor of passing on the torch to a younger ruler, and Willem-Alexander's mother, the former Queen Beatrix, decided at age 75 that it was time to hand over the reigns to her son.
The new King is Willem-Alexander and his wife is Queen Maxima. Willem-Alexander, aged 46, is now the youngest monarch in Europe.
The royal family is from the House of Orange... and so the orange color is flown everywhere during royal festivities. The canals in Amsterdam were filled with orange decorated boats...
...and big-name departments stores and downtown buildings in Amsterdam were decorated with crowns and orange banners...
Of course, I had to wear my Dutch-American pin showing the two flags! My allegiance is to both...
So now you know more about the new Dutch King and the House of Orange!
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