Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands[?] (from 1954, with amendments) determines which affairs are handled by the kingdom. The monarch of the Kingdom is also the monarch of the separate countries -- Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and her legitimate heirs. The monarch heads the executive branch (regering) of the kingdom and each country individually. The monarch is represented by governors in the Netherland Antilles and Aruba. Other affairs of the kingdom are:

• Defence
• Foreign affairs
• Citizenship
• Extradition

Other affairs are delegated to the national governments. The statute ended the colonial relationship between the Netherlands on the one side and the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname on the other side. On November 25, 1975 Suriname became independent of the Kingdom. Aruba obtained a separate status from the remainder of the Caribbean islands.

Each of the countries has its own document describing the foundation of its government:

• the Constitution of the Netherlands -- the grondwet. Although the title refers to the kingdom, the document applies only to the Netherlands.
• the Constitution of Aruba[?] is the staatsregeling of Aruba.
• the Constitution of the Netherlands Antilles[?] is the staatsregeling of the Netherlands Antilles.

Before 1954, the "Kingdom of the Netherlands" referred to the Netherlands and its colonial possessions. Before 1830 (formally, 1839) the United Kingdom of the Netherlands also included Belgium.