By Aaron Joseph: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced that she will be abdicating in favor of her son Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange this coming April 30th, “Queens Day” in the Netherlands, exactly 33 years after her coming to the throne. When Prince Willem-Alexander comes to the throne later this year, he will be the first King the Dutch Kingdom has had since the death of King William III, his great-great grandfather, in 1890.

Although the younger generations of the Dutch know her as their queen exclusively, abdicating in favor of an heir apparent is the usual way of doing business in the Netherlands (unlike in England, where the monarchy is seen as a divine and religious lifelong duty). The current Queen Beatrix’s mother, Queen Juliana, had abdicated in favor of Queen Beatrix, On 30 April 1980, the day of her 71st birthday. Queen Wilhelmina, Queen Juliana’s mother, had abdicated in favor of her daughter Queen Juliana, after a reign of 57 years in 1948.

Queen Wilhelmina’s father, King William III, died in 1890. Because Queen Wilhelmina was only 10 years old at the time, her mother, and the late king’s second wife Emma, acted as regent until 1898, when Queen Wilhelmina turned 18.

In 1908, Queen Wilhelmina was on an unannounced vacation in Marienbad, Austria with only a few attendants. While at the train terminal, she noticed huge crowds greeting someone else’s arrival. Her curiosity piqued, Queen Wilhelmina was informed that the great Rebbe of Munkacz (R’ Tzvi Hirsch Spira ZT”L, 1845-1914) had come.

Not knowing about Rebbe’s or their lifestyle, Queen Wilhelmina was informed that a Rebbe is a most pious man on a great spiritual level with a deep degree of wisdom and prodigy. The thousands who had come to great him were hoping to receive a blessing from the Rebbe, as his blessings were known to come true. The queen was fascinated, as she had never heard of such people before.

Queen Wilhelmina was childless, and the fact that she was the only surviving heir to the throne, was never far from her mind. The queen asked her attendants to arrange a quiet meeting between herself and the great Rebbe. The queen was informed that the Rebbe would receive her the next evening.

So it was, the following evening without public knowledge, Queen Wilhelmina with two attendants, and the Munkacz Rebbe with two Bochurim met at the designated meeting place in a nearby park.

Sensing the man sitting opposite her was of great stature, Queen Wilhelmina was earnest with the Rebbe, telling of her soul’s torment at not being able to produce an heir. The Rebbe eventually told her she need not worry and that her monarchy would continue. The Rebbe as part of his assurance said “כעת חיה,” with the clear meaning that the queen would have a child within a year. Amazingly, the Rebbe added “ מלכותה לא ינתק עד כי יבא שילה”.

The following year, 1909, Queen Wilhelmina had her only child, Queen Juliana. For a full account of this beautiful story, see Echoes of the Maggid “Of Majesty and Royalty” pg. 95 by Rabbi Payach Krohn, Artscroll, 1999.

The Munkacz Rebbe was a Gadol B’Yisroel, and obviously no הדיוט. The queen however had no idea of the outcome at the time, and obviously “took a harmless chance” at meeting the Rebbe. Crown Prince Willem-Alexander is a grandson of that only child Queen Juliana, he has two siblings, and three daughters himself, one of which will one day be queen.

May we בני מ’מ המלכים merit to seek out and utilize each opportunity for Brocha, and have them all fulfilled.