Beatrix of the Netherlands is a member of the Dutch royal family who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands for 33 years before abdicating in favor of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, the current king of the Netherlands. As the oldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Beatrix became heir presumptive when her mother ascended the throne. Educated in Canada and the Netherlands, she holds a degree in law. She inherited her grandmother's passion for freedom and her mother's passion for social welfare. Throughout her rule, she advocated the ideals of democracy and freedom around the world. It even earned her the gratitude of Nelson Mandela who acknowledged her nation's support in his struggle against apartheid in Africa. During her reign, the country's Caribbean possessions were reshaped, and Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a separate constituent country in the Dutch Kingdom. Shortly before her abdication, the Netherlands Antilles were formally dissolved, creating new municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, in addition to new constituent countries of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.