(Image Source: Koninklijk Huis ) BY CHRISTIAN BRYANT AND JONAS BRUUN Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands is stepping down from the throne after 33 years. The Dutch queen made her announcement in a nationally broadcasted address, saying it’s time to hand over the crown to the next generation. Her abdication roughly coincides with her 75th birthday. Queen Beatrix has held the throne since 1980. Several media outlets report the queen was popular during her reign, but despite her likeability, her marriage to the German Klaus von Amsberg was seen as controversial. Klaus came from German nobility and was once a part of the Hitlerjugend, or Hitler Youth. The Dutch queen and her husband would later become known as a beloved couple. In her televised appearance, Queen Beatrix ceremoniously named the heir to her throne — her son Willem-Alexander, the present Prince of Orange. The 45-year-old king-to-be is a pilot and water management expert. He will be the first king to rule the Netherlands since the death of Willem III in 1890. According to The Independent , Beatrix, the oldest-ever Dutch monarch, is believed to have stayed in the role longer to allow time for Prince Willem-Alexander to enjoy fatherhood before becoming King: he has three young daughters with Maxima Zorreguieta, an Argentinian investment banker.   But much like his mother, Willem-Alexander’s marriage was also a point of contention. CNN reports the royal union between the Prince of Orange and his princess “sparked initial controversy when it emerged that Maxima's father had been a minister during the 1976-1983 Argentinean military dictatorship.” That military regime is believed to be responsible for the deaths and disappearances of tens of thousands of Argentine citizens. Relatives of one of the victims killed during that time sought to bring a criminal case against Maxima’s father in Dutch courts, but to no avail. Beyond that, Willem-Alexander has had some personal troubles of his own. Sky News reports, the future king “has worked hard to polish his image since his beer-drinking student days, when he was known as Prince Pils.” That’s “pils” as in pilsner or beer. Sources say Willem-Alexander’s ascendance to the throne comes at an interesting time in Dutch politics , where the role of the Dutch monarch has been reduced. “The sovereign previously played a key part in the formation of governments. Parliament decided early last year, though, that it should oversee the process of agreeing on new coalitions without the involvement of the monarch, and the Liberal and Labor parties formed a government under the new rules after elections in September.” Queen Beatrix will officially step down on April 30 which is Queen’s Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands.