News of: Friday, March 01 2013,
The Mayor of Amsterdam has announced the general programme on the day of Inauguration of King Willem-Alexander, on April 30.
10 am: Queen Beatrix signs the act of Abdication in the Royal Palace on Dam Square, and becomes Princess Beatrix.
From that moment on, her son, Willem-Alexander, is King of the Netherlands.
10.30 am: Princess Beatrix and King Willem-Alexander appear on the balcony of the Royal Palace.
2-3.30pm: Inauguration ceremony of the King in the Nieuwe Kerk (the church next to the Royal Palace).
Then the royal couple will go by bus to Amsterdam North, where a Royal Boat Tour will take place on the river IJ, the water behind the Central Station.
7pm: start of the Royal Boat Tour at EYE Filminstituut.
8.30 pm: arrival at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.
In the Muziekgebouw the new King and Queen Maxima will receive an official dinner.
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View Royal Boat Tour King Willem-Alexander in a large map.
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The ceremonies will also be broadcast on national tv. The Mayor of Amsterdam has advised that people watch everything on tv, as Amsterdam will probably be very busy.
The Queen's Day party is scheduled to happen as planned. This is the biggest yearly public event in Amsterdam, attracting between 500,000 and a million visitors every year.
As this year the Inauguration of the King takes place on the same day, it is expected that Amsterdam will be busier than ever.
