NETHERLANDS: Women reigned in the Netherlands throughout the 20th century. Queen Wilhelmina inherited the throne in 1890, when she was ten. Her mother, Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont, served as regent until Wilhelmina turned 18. Wilhelmina helped her country remain neutral during World War I. The Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940 and the queen escaped to England. From there she brought hope to her occupied nation through regular radio broadcasts. She returned home in 1945 and abdicated three years later in favor of her daughter Juliana. Queen Juliana reigned until 1980, when she too abdicated in favor of her eldest daughter, Beatrix. Queen Beatrix continues to reign today. Her mother, now called Princess Juliana, celebrated her 90th birthday in 1999.
NORWAY became independent from Sweden in 1905. The new government offered the crown to King Frederick of Denmark's second son, Prince Carl. He accepted it and chose the reign name King Haakon VII. Like the Netherlands, Norway remained neutral in the First World War but was invaded by Germany in WWII. And like Queen Wilhelmina, King Haakon fled to England, remained in exile for five years, and was welcomed by exultant crowds upon his return home in 1945. After his death in 1951 he was succeeded by his son Olaf V. King Olaf died in 1991; the present king is his son, Harald V. Both the Netherlands and Norway are constitutional monarchies; neither monarch has much real power.
OMAN is ruled by Sultan Qaboos al Said, a member of the Al-Busaid dynasty, which came to power in the 18th century. His father, Sultan Said bin Taimur, was a dictator who resisted the influence of the Western world. Yet Said was supported by the British government, and his son attended school in Great Britain and served in the British military. In 1970 Qaboos deposed his father and took the throne. Said spent the rest of his life in exile in London. An absolute monarch, Sultan Qaboos has modernized Oman and is thought by some to be inching it toward democracy, although he has stated that the country is not ready for democracy.
QATAR has been ruled by the Al-Thani family since the 19th century. Like Oman, Qatar signed treaties with Great Britain and enriched itself by exporting oil. But the people of Oman suffered povery during Sultan Said's reign, while the people of Qatar shared their rulers' prosperity. Qatar declared its independence in 1971, during the reign of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali bin Abdullah Al-Thani, who was deposed by his cousin Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani the following year. Khalifa was himself deposed in 1995 by his son Hamad, who abolished censorship and is moving Qatar toward democracy.
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