<P> The Dutch royal family today is much larger than it has ever been . Former Queen Beatrix and her husband, Prince Claus, had three sons, Willem - Alexander (married to Queen Máxima), Friso (whose widow is Princess Mabel) and Constantijn (married to Princess Laurentien). Her sister Margriet and her spouse Pieter van Vollenhoven have four sons: Maurits, Bernhard, Pieter - Christiaan and Floris . Four of these seven princes as well as princess Margriet, are all (potentially) legal heirs to the throne, although the first right goes to the crown prince, and after him his daughters Catharina - Amalia, Alexia, Ariane, and then his brother Constantijn . Prince Friso lost his right to the throne because no approval was asked for his marriage to Mabel Wisse Smit to the States - General . The two other sisters of Beatrix, Irene and Christina, have lost their rights to the throne because their marriages were not approved by the States - General . They both married Roman Catholics and Irene herself converted to Roman Catholicism, which at that time (the 1960s) was still politically problematic for an heir to the throne . An additional complication which the government wanted to avoid, was that Irene's husband, Prince Carlos - Hugo of Bourbon - Parma (whom she later divorced), was a member of a deposed Italian dynasty who claimed rights to the Spanish throne . Traditionally, Dutch monarchs have always been members of the Dutch Reformed Church although this was never constitutionally required . This tradition is embedded in the history of the Netherlands . </P> <P> On 28 January 2013, the Queen announced that she would be abdicating on 30 April 2013 in favour of her eldest son . </P> <P> The current monarch is King Willem - Alexander (born 1967), who has been on the Throne since 30 April 2013 . He studied history at the University of Leiden and became actively involved in water management . His wife is Queen Máxima (née Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti), an economics major, whose father was a minister of agriculture in the dictatorial regime under General Videla in Argentina . Because of that their relationship was accompanied by fierce public debate and only officially sanctioned after quiet diplomacy, resulting in Máxima's father agreeing not to be present on their wedding day (2 February 2002). Former minister Max van der Stoel and Prime Minister Wim Kok seem to have played a crucial role in this process . </P> <P> On 7 December 2003 Princess Máxima gave birth to a daughter: Princess Catharina - Amalia . On 26 June 2005 another daughter was born: Princess Alexia . On 10 April 2007 a third daughter was born, Princess Ariane . They are first, second and third in line to the Dutch throne . </P>

Who is the reigning monarch of the netherlands