![]() ![]() 'I am happy and grateful to introduce to you your new king, Willem-Alexander,' she told the cheering crowd, which chanted: 'Bea bedankt' ('Thanks Bea.') 'I will proudly represent the kingdom and help discover new opportunities,' he said. The new king gripped his mother's hand and looked briefly into her eyes after they both signed the abdication document in the Royal Palace on downtown Amsterdam's Dam Square.īeatrix looked close to tears as she then appeared on a balcony decked out with tulips, roses and oranges, overlooking 25,000 of her subjects. This 'William I of Orange' - in English better known as William the Silent - became the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau. Their son Rene inherited in 1530 the Principality of Orange from his mother's brother, Philibert of Châlon.Īs the first Nassau to be the Prince of Orange, Rene' could have used 'Orange-Nassau' as his new family name.īut his stipulated that Rene must use the name Châlon-Orange so he is known as René of Châlon.Īfter the death of René in 1544 his cousin William of Nassau-Dillenburg inherited all his lands. It was established as a result of the marriage of Hendrik III of Nassau-Breda from Germany and Claudia of Châlon-Orange from French Burgundy. The Orange-Nassau dynasty dates back to 1515. Her mother Juliana who reigned from 1948-80, only took over the throne after her mother Queen Wilhelmina (1890 to 1948) abdicated. Its diffusion was also increased thanks to the fame of several figures, such as Beatrice Portinari, the woman loved by Dante Alighieri, and that of other noblewomen and queens.Princess Beatrix's abdication is the latest in a line of females in the Dutch royal family handing over the throne. The name Beatrice has always been popular and loved because of the veneration given the Roman martyr. ![]() Some of her relics are found in other parts of Europe, the most significant in Germany. The latter brought down the Oratory and the marble arch was carried to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Pope Urban VIII then later decided that the ancient church was to be restored by the hand of Bernini. Later, the relics of Saint Beatrice and her brothers were brought to the Oratory of the Church of Saint Bibiana around 682 by Pope Leo II. In it are depicted five characters: in the center Christ who offers the crown of martyrdom to Simplicius, flanked by Beatrice, while on the left are the figures of Faustinus, with the palm of martyrdom in his hand, and of Rufus. Of particular note in the catacomb is the fresco with Byzantine characteristics, which was discovered there, called Coronatio Martyrum, dating back to the 6th century. The catacomb called “Generosa” was on the via Portuense, and the three saints came to be known as the martyres portuenses. Another woman, Lucina, buried Beatrice in the place where her brothers rested, a cemetery on the via Portuense. She was denounced as a Christian, imprisoned and, despite the threats she received, persevered in the faith. It was not long before Beatrice met the same fate as her brothers. She gave them burial in the place, where she would herself eventually be laid to rest. Thanks to the help of two priests, she managed to recover them from the river. ![]() Pain and fear must have been the feelings that invaded the woman’s heart, but she did not hesitate to try to recover their bodies to give them a proper burial. They had been put to death because they were Christians. From the bridge called the pons aemilius, which spanned the Tiber River over Tiber Island, the bodies of her two brothers, Simplicius and Faustinus, were tossed into the waters below. The persecution of Christians was raging. (© Pontificia commisione di archeologia sacra) ![]()
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