The rulers of the Netherlands have included various monarchs and heads of state throughout history. The current monarch is King Willem-Alexander, who ascended to the throne in 2013 after the abdication of his mother, Queen Beatrix. The Netherlands has a constitutional monarchy, which means that the monarch's powers are limited by the constitution and that the country is also governed by a parliamentary system. The role of the monarch is largely ceremonial, with the day-to-day governance of the country being carried out by elected officials.