New Law for Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

What is the role of the Queen in the Netherlands? (Hint: The Netherlands currently has no queen.) Who succeeds King Willem-Alexander in case of his death? And how to go about it if that successor is only 10 years old? Should she be taken out of school to be bored by the likes of Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin? The Netherlands obviously have a constitutional crisis.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

With the death of Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands in August 2013, Dutch MPs had become acutely aware that even Royals can die young. The successor to King Willem-Alexander is his daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia, the Princess of Orange. She is currently ten years old and no well meaning parent would wish her the role of Queen of the Netherlands at that age. But the constitution has no proviso for a regency. If you're alive, you reign. 

In December 2013, the parliament of the Netherlands passed a law naming Queen Maxima as regent for the Princess of Orange in case something happened to King Willem-Alexander. The regency would be limited by Catharina-Amalia's coming of age at 18. That seems to solve the problem, but only sort of. Because it actually opens a can of worms they will have to deal with when the unlikely case becomes a reality. Lets get back to the statement that the Netherlands has no queen.

Kings and queens in the Netherlands aren't crowned; they are enthroned and take an oath on the constitution. On April 30, 2013, King Willem Alexander was enthroned; Princess Maxima wasn't. That makes Willem-Alexander king, but the necessary laws to make Maxima queen are missing. After ofter 120 years of reigning queens, such a minor oversight can be understood. In Dutch law, Maxima is Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau. Dutch parliament issued a statement that she would be known under the honorary title of Queen Maxima following international usage, but it is not a title by law.

That brings us to the point where her regency becomes necessary. By law, she would still not be queen. But as regent she would become head of state. As head of state, she would have to take the oath on the constitution. Would she also receive the title of queen by law to give her an equal standing with other monarchs? It isn't as if a total commoner was crowned, she is a descendant of King Afonso III of Portugal, after all. We may assume that the guys in the protocol section of the Royal Court in the Hague have a solution ready in their drawers somewhere.

Further reading
Prime Minister for Dinner Anyone?
How Many Monarchies Exist in Europe?
The Elect Circle of Elected Monarch on Europe's Thrones