MAY ABDICATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 186, 7 August 1936, Page 7

MAY ABDICATE.

QUEEN OF HOLLAND.

Rumour that Daughter Will

Ascend Throne.

TO WED SWEDISH PRINCE. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 1"' noon.) LONDON, August 6. Despite official denials, reports the Sun-Herald news service, it is persistently rumoured that Queen Wilhelmina has decided to abdicate the Throne of the Netherlands, probably in 1937, in favour of her daughter and heir, Princess Juliana. Announcement of the engagement of the Princess to Prince Charles, nephew to King Gustav of Sweden, is expected shortly. It is thought that Queen Wilhelmina will abdicate soon after the marriage, when Princess Juliana will be enthroned Queen, with her husband as Prince Consort.

The Royal Family of the Netherlands, known as the House of Orange, descends from a German Count Walran in the eleventh century, whose heirs married heiresses until the marriage of Prince Willem 111. of Orange with a daughter of King James 11. oi' Great Britain led to the transfer of the British Crown to the house. Holland was not made a kingdom until freed of the French troops which occupied it under the revolutionary leaders and held it under Napoleon, and in 1815 was combined with the Belgian provinces in a separate kingdom under a eon of the last ruling prince, Willem V., and King Willem I. Belgium was separated into an independent kingdom by the revolution of 1830 and Treaty of London in 1839. King Willem I. abdicated the throne in 1840, and his son, Willem 11., after a reign of only nine years, left it to his heir, Willem 111., who reigned 41 years, and was succeeded by liis only daughter, Wilhelmina, then aged 10. who is now said to be abdicating after 46 years of queenship, in favour of her only daughter. Queen Wilhelmina married Prince Henry of Mecldenburg-Schwerin, who died two years ago, never having been really loved by the people of his adopted land. Wilhelnana, on the other hand, has always secured her subjects' regard, being tolerant of all classes of religious and political thought. This is the age of informal monarchy, however, and Princess Juliana appears, like King Edward of Britain, to be informal to an amazing degree. Speaking excellent English, she has often paid visits to Britain, staying with Princess Alice, Countess of Atlilone, and her daughter, Lady May Cambridge (now Lady May Smith), to whom she is related. She is thus a relative of Queen Mary. Intimates of the Netherlands Court have related frequently that the Princess' high spirits have led her to rebel in minor matters against Royal convention. She loved "roughing" it with her fellow students at the University of Leyden, travelling on city trams and shopping at small stores. Her mother lias not restricted her highspirited ness greatly, allowing her the most normal possible education. As Queen of the Netherlands the young Princess, whose name has been romantically linked with every ruling house in Europe, will rule over 7.000,000 of her country-people in Holland and 50.000.000 natives in the East Indies —principally in Java, the treasurehouse of Holland, and the most densely populated tropical island in the world;