 With the certain loss of the prized colony, the queen announced her intention to abdicate, doing so on 4 September 1948.Two days later, with the eyes of the world upon her, Juliana was sworn-in and inaugurated as monarch during a joint session of the States General at a ceremony held in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, becoming the 12th member of the House of Orange to rule the Netherlands.On 27 December 1949 at Dam Palace in Amsterdam, Queen Juliana signed the papers that recognised Indonesian sovereignty over the former Dutch colony.