King Charles helped Princess Beatrix of Netherlands during 'difficult hour'
Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands is among several foreign royals who have descended on Westminster Abbey to mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II. Her relationship with the late monarch was known to be close and has been passed down through the generations of the Royal Family.
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King Charles III is leading the Royal Family at Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday. He and Queen Camilla will be joined by several senior members of the Firm to commemorate the life and legacy of the late monarch, and mark the end of the national period of mourning. Other guests will include world leaders, foreign dignitaries and other royals from families across the globe. The Queen had a major influence over foreign royals, particularly those in Europe, and has been deemed the "figurehead" of European royalty by one of her counterparts, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. She shared close friendships with many of her royal peers and those relations have been passed down through the generations of her family.
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She shared a particularly warm relationship with former Queen Beatrix, now Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands. Both reigning Queens, Beatrix and Elizabeth became close confidantes, sharing the responsibility of the "top job".
And Beatrix soon became acquainted with Elizabeth's family, forming a close relationship with then-heir to the throne — Prince Charles.
When the former Queen of The Netherlands' husband died, Charles represented his mother at the funeral.
Sir Colin Budd, who was British Ambassador to The Netherlands at the time, claimed the then-53-year-old Prince was "happy to help" the grieving monarch during a "difficult" time.
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Speaking during the Channel 5 documentary, '‘Beatrix: The Queen Who Gave Up The Crown’, Sir Colin said: "Prince Charles came that day. I accompanied him to the funeral and briefed him beforehand.
"He has always been on very close terms with Queen Beatrix. He was undoubtedly very happy to be there to help her during this difficult hour."
Prince Claus von Amsberg died at the age of 76 in 2002. His funeral was the first Dutch royal funeral in four decades, the last being that of Beatrix’s grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina, in 1962.
Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to bid farewell to the Queen's husband. The Prince had been lying in state at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague; his coffin was taken in procession on a five-mile journey to Delft's Nieuwe Kerk, or New Church, where the funeral took place.
His sons, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince Johan-Friso and Prince Constantijn, travelled in a carriage accompanying the hearse and Queen Beatrix and her two daughters-in-law, Princesses Maxima and Laurentien, joined the procession later in the city of Rijswijk.
Prince Charles was among the 1,900 mourners who gathered at the funeral service. Other distinguished guests included the monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, Spain and Sweden, as well as Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Japan’s Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, and royals from Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Jordan.
Years later, the then-Prince of Wales and Camilla attended the abdication party of Queen Beatrix, who, after a 33-year reign, gave up the throne in favour of her eldest son, King Willem-Alexander.
Her decision to step down was widely expected and in her pre-recorded message, Beatrix said she had been thinking about the issue for some years and now was the "the moment to lay down my crown".
Along with other European royals, Charles and Camilla joined the Dutch royal family for a dinner in honour of the Queen. They later attended the investiture of the Crown Prince as King of The Netherlands. His wife, Princess Màxima, became Queen Consort.
Willem-Alexander and Màxima continued his mother's close relationship with Queen Elizabeth, with Her Majesty hosting the couple in Buckingham Palace as recently as 2018.
Beatrix, Willem-Alexander and Beatrix all attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
In a statement, the royal household of the Netherlands paid their respects to the British monarch. It read: "We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection. Steadfast and wise, she dedicated her long life to serving the British people.
"We feel a strong bond with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their sorrow at this time. We are very grateful for our countries' close friendship, to which Queen Elizabeth made such an unforgettable contribution."
Share your memories and stories of the Queen with Express
The Queen was known for her devotion to the nation, but will also be remembered for her quick quips and her colourful fashion sense. Many fans across the nation will be in mourning today and here at Express.co.uk we want to remember the brilliant stories we all have about the Queen.
The Dutch royals were among several members of European royalty at the funeral. World leaders from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Spain and Sweden were in attendance, including at least 10 kings, four queens, two sultans, an emperor, an empress, six princes and a grand duke.
Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako travelled from Japan for the state event, a visit that is notably "significant" according to Brittani Barger, the editor at Royal Central.
The Emperor, who shared a royal friendship with the Queen, is taking his first trip abroad since being crowned in 2019. Ms Barger noted the traditions in the country's Shinto religion which dictate that a Japanese Emperor is not supposed to attend funerals due to the cultural belief that considers death as "impure". It points to the close ties between his family and the British royals, particularly the late Queen.
King Abdullah II of Jordan was also among the royals in the congregation at Westminster Abbey.
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Queen Elizabeth's funeral marks the biggest reunion of worldwide royals for several years.
Ms Barger told Express.co.uk that the turnout of worldwide royals shows the "respect everyone had for the late Queen... She was the Queen, not Queen Elizabeth II, not Britain's Queen, the Queen."
She continued: "Everyone recognised Queen Elizabeth as a leading figure among the royal families. The number of royals attending the funeral shows the huge impact she had on them and their countries.
"It is the most important event in a long time, and probably will be for a while."
