Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on Tuesday ordered an election to be held on June 9 after the fall of the coalition government over whether to continue the country's military role in Afghanistan invasion.

The queen said a caretaker government should remain in power until the election was held.

The Dutch monarch had met her advisers and the nation's political leaders over the past two days after the Labour Party (PvdA) stepped out of the three-party coalition government on Saturday, opposed to extending the invasion role.
 

Reuters