On November 12, 2024, at Sint Janskerk in Maastricht, NATO Admiral Rob Bauer will deliver the second annual Princess Beatrix Lecture. This initiative, launched by Studio Europa Maastricht in collaboration with Maastricht University, the Province of Limburg, and the City of Maastricht, honors Princess Beatrix’s dedication to European integration. In our interview, Dr. Bart Stol, Project Manager for European Heritage and the Maastricht Treaty at Studio Europa Maastricht, explains how he conceived the idea for the lecture and the message it aims to convey to young Europeans today. Join us on November 12 by registering here.
Princess Beatrix and European integration
Growing up in post-war Europe, former queen of the Netherlands developed a deep enthusiasm for European integration, which she demonstrated from the early 1960s, Stol says:
“As a young woman, she was greatly inspired by the ideal of European integration. When Beatrix was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, European integration was a prominent idea, especially among young intellectuals. In those decades memories of horrors of the Second World War were still vivid, and integration was seen as the remedy for the centuries of conflict that had torn Europe apart. It was an ideal she embraced and made her own, and she wanted to make an active contribution to it.
“Beatrix wanted to inspire young people to work toward a united Europe, not only for Europe’s sake but also so Europe could serve the wider world.“
In 1961, at a multi-day gathering of European students in Toulouse organized by the European Cultural Foundation, she delivered an address titled Our Generation and Her Responsibility. In her speech, Beatrix encouraged young people to take action for European integration and to start working together. She even criticized the older generation of politicians and thinkers for failing to move beyond phrases and platitudes and speed up the process of integration. Beatrix wanted to inspire young people to work toward a united Europe, not only for Europe’s sake but also so Europe could serve the wider world.
This event was emblematic of her enthusiasm and commitment to the European ideal. From this meeting she helped establish a European working group, with her as chair, of idealistic young Europeans dedicated to aid work in other parts of the world. This was the foundation of her thinking about Europe.”
Inspiring the Maastricht Treaty
In December 1991, the European Council attended a two-day summit that led to the creation of the Maastricht Treaty. Then-Queen Beattrix hosted the government leaders of the twelve member states of the European Community, as the European Union was still called then, at Château Neercanne in Maastricht. While she could not directly influence the negotiations, due to her particular position as head of state, her role should not be underestimated, Stol emphasizes:
“You can see the impact she made in newspaper reports from that time and in memoirs of politicians who witnessed her actions during the summit. She attended the summit as a head of state and organized a welcoming lunch for the European leaders on the first day at Château Neercanne. In her brief address before the lunch, she famously urged the leaders to take action, echoing the themes she’d championed earlier in her life. She urged the European leaders to get on with their work, to take the bold step forward in European integration. They must not let the momentum slip out of their hands.
“Though she could only make a symbolic gesture, she declared that she’s fully prepared to offer her head on the coin if that would make creating a common European currency easier.“
Though she could only make a symbolic gesture, she declared that she’s fully prepared to offer her head on the coin if that would make creating a common European currency easier. She recognized that a European currency was not just a financial matter but also a hugely symbolic one.”
The Princess Beatrix Lecture: A message to the young generation
The idea to create the Princess Beatrix Lecture was born as a way to continue the legacy of the former queen in inspiring young Europeans to take action:
“It surprised me that there wasn’t already a Princess Beatrix Lecture, and I wanted to somehow connect this empowering, symbolic moment – when the queen made an extraordinary gesture: an official head of state offering to relinquish her image on one of the key symbols of a nation’s sovereignty, the coin. This was a profound statement, especially when tied to the significance of the Maastricht Treaty. So, I thought, why not try to combine the European Heritage Label, the Maastricht Treaty, and this unique, symbolic gesture of the queen, especially given her strong support for European integration.
We wrote a letter, together with Maastricht University, supported by the Province of Limburg, and, hoping that Princess Beatrix would approve of the idea – and she did. She really appreciated it in fact, likely because of her strong inclination to connect European integration with young people. She has always emphasized the importance of young people as those who must carry forward the spirit of European integration and cooperation.
“The lecture provides an undeniable historical link to Princess Beatrix’s efforts to mobilize young people in favor of European cooperation.“
The lecture provides an undeniable historical link to Princess Beatrix’s efforts to mobilize young people in favor of European cooperation. This is not in a superficial, overly idealistic way, but in a realistic sense, recognizing that collaboration is essential for securing our future and enabling Europe to be a positive force in the world. It’s our responsibility to do this.”
Dr. Bart Stol, Project Manager for European Heritage and the Maastricht Treaty at Studio Europa Maastricht
