Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willem-Alexander |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpeg)
Formal portrait, 2013
|
|||||
| King of the Netherlands | |||||
| Reign | 30 April 2013 – present | ||||
| Inauguration | 30 April 2013 | ||||
| Predecessor | Beatrix | ||||
| Heiress apparent | Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange | ||||
| Born | 27 April 1967 Utrecht, Netherlands |
||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue |
|
||||
|
|||||
| House |
|
||||
| Father | Claus von Amsberg | ||||
| Mother | Beatrix of the Netherlands | ||||
| Religion | Protestant | ||||
| Signature |  |
||||
| Military career | |||||
| Service/ |
|
||||
| Years of service | 1985–2013 | ||||
| Rank |
|
||||
Willem-Alexander (born 27 April 1967) is the current King of the Netherlands. He has been the king since 30 April 2013.
He was born in Utrecht when his grandmother, Queen Juliana, was the queen. He is the oldest child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. When his mother became queen on 30 April 1980, he became the Prince of Orange. This title means he was the next in line to the throne.
Willem-Alexander went to public schools in the Netherlands and an international school in Wales. He also served in the Royal Netherlands Navy and studied history at Leiden University. In 2002, he married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti. They have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Alexia, and Princess Ariane.
On 30 April 2013, his mother stepped down from the throne. Willem-Alexander then became king. He is the first man to be king of the Netherlands since his great-great-grandfather William III died in 1890. Before him, three queens ruled: Wilhelmina, Juliana, and Beatrix.
King Willem-Alexander is very interested in sports and how we manage water around the world. Before he became king, he was part of the International Olympic Committee. He also led groups that advised on water issues for the Dutch government and the United Nations.
Contents
His Early Life and Education
Willem-Alexander was born on 27 April 1967, in Utrecht. He was the first child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. He was also the first grandchild of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. He was the first boy born into the Dutch royal family in a long time.
From birth, he had titles like Prince of the Netherlands and Prince of Orange-Nassau. He was baptised in the Dutch Reformed Church on 2 September 1967. His godparents included his grandfather, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
He has two younger brothers: Prince Friso (who passed away in 2013) and Prince Constantijn. The family lived in a castle called Drakensteyn until 1981. Then they moved to a larger palace, Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague. When his mother became Queen in 1980, Willem-Alexander became the Prince of Orange at 13 years old. This meant he was the next in line to become king.
School Days and University
Willem-Alexander went to primary school in Baarn. He then attended secondary schools in Baarn and The Hague. From 1983 to 1985, he studied at the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales. There, he earned his International Baccalaureate diploma.
After his military service, he studied history at Leiden University from 1987 to 1993. He earned a Master of Arts degree. His main project was about how the Netherlands reacted when France left NATO's main command structure.
Besides Dutch, Willem-Alexander can speak English, Spanish, French, and German. German was his father's first language.
Military Service and Career
Before going to university, Willem-Alexander served in the Royal Netherlands Navy. This was from August 1985 to January 1987. He trained at the Royal Netherlands Naval College. He served on frigates like HNLMS Tromp and HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen. He started as an ensign. In 1988, he got more training and became a lieutenant (junior grade).
As a reservist (someone who can be called to serve if needed), Willem-Alexander was promoted many times. He became a lieutenant commander in the Navy in 1995. He also rose through the ranks in the Royal Netherlands Army and Royal Netherlands Air Force. By 2005, he was a commodore in the Navy and an Air commodore in the Air Force. He was also a brigadier general in the Army and Royal Marechaussee.
When he became king in 2013, he was honorably discharged from the armed forces. This is because the head of state cannot be a serving military member. The government is in charge of the military. As king, he can wear a military uniform with special royal symbols, but not his old rank badges.
His Interests and Activities
Since he turned 18 in 1985, Willem-Alexander has been a member of the Council of State of the Netherlands. This is a very important advisory group for the Dutch government. The head of state, which was his mother Queen Beatrix at the time, leads this council.
Willem-Alexander cares a lot about water management and sports. He was an honorary member of a global group focused on water for the 21st century. He also supported the Global Water Partnership. In 2006, he was chosen to lead the UN Secretary General's advisory group on water and sanitation.
In 2010, Willem-Alexander and Máxima went to Willemstad. They represented the Queen at a ceremony for the end of the Netherlands Antilles.
He was a patron of the Dutch Olympic Games Committee. In 1998, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). After becoming King, he gave up his membership. He received the Gold Olympic Order for his work. He even supported the idea of the Netherlands bidding for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
He also served on the board of the Dutch central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank. He was involved in other groups that connect government, businesses, and people.
Becoming King
.jpeg)
On 28 January 2013, Queen Beatrix announced she would step down. On 30 April 2013, she signed the papers to give up her throne. Later that day, Willem-Alexander was officially made king. This ceremony took place in the Nieuwe Kerk before the Dutch Parliament.
As king, Willem-Alexander meets weekly with the prime minister. He also talks regularly with other government ministers. He signs all new laws and royal decisions. He represents the Netherlands both at home and when visiting other countries. Every year, he gives a speech to Parliament that announces the government's plans. The Constitution says the king must appoint and dismiss government ministers. He is also the President of the Council of State, which advises on new laws. However, the king usually does not lead these meetings in modern times.
When he became king at 46, he was the youngest monarch in Europe. He is currently the third youngest, after Frederik X of Denmark and Felipe VI of Spain. He is the first male monarch of the Netherlands since his great-great-grandfather William III in 1890. In 2013, he was one of four new monarchs, along with Pope Francis, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, and King Philippe of Belgium.
Other Activities and Hobbies
Willem-Alexander loves to fly planes. He once said that if he wasn't royal, he would have wanted to be an airline pilot. He wanted to fly large planes like the Boeing 747 around the world. Even when his mother was queen, he often flew the Dutch royal aircraft.
In 2017, Willem-Alexander shared a secret: for 21 years, he had been working as a co-pilot for KLM flights! He flew KLM Cityhopper's Fokker 70 planes twice a month, even after becoming king. Passengers rarely recognized him in his uniform and cap. Some noticed his voice, but he never said his name. He only welcomed passengers on behalf of the captain and crew. Now that KLM is retiring the Fokker 70, he is training to fly Boeing 737s.
He also enjoys sports. In 1986, he took part in the Frisian Elfstedentocht. This is a very long ice skating tour, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) long. He used the name "W. A. van Buren", which is one of the lesser-known titles of the House of Orange-Nassau. He also ran the New York City Marathon in 1992 using the same name. He finished both events.
Marriage and Children
On 2 February 2002, Willem-Alexander married Máxima Zorreguieta in Amsterdam. They were married at the Nieuwe Kerk. The marriage caused some discussion because of Máxima's father's past role in the Argentinian military government. The couple has three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane.
| Name | Date of birth | Place of birth | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange | 7 December 2003 | The Hague, Netherlands | 21 |
| Princess Alexia of the Netherlands | 26 June 2005 | The Hague, Netherlands | 19 |
| Princess Ariane of the Netherlands | 10 April 2007 | The Hague, Netherlands | 18 |
Privacy and the Press
To help the royal family have some privacy while still being available to the media, a special media code was created in 2005. This code says that:
- Photos of the royal family while they are doing their official duties are always allowed.
- For other times, like holidays, the government will arrange a photo session. After that, the press should leave the family alone.
In 2009, during a ski trip in Argentina, some private photos of the prince and his family were taken and published. This happened even though a photo opportunity had already been given. Willem-Alexander and the government sued the news agency. The court decided that the family had a right to privacy. It ruled that these private photos did not add to any public discussion. The news agency was told to stop publishing the photos.
In October 2020, King Willem-Alexander apologized for a family holiday trip to Greece. This trip happened when the Netherlands was under a partial lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his family quickly returned home. In a video, he said it "hurts to have betrayed" people's trust. Earlier, he and his wife were photographed with a restaurant owner in Greece. This was against social distancing rules at the time.
Royal Homes
From 2003 to 2019, Willem-Alexander and his family lived in Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar. After his mother stepped down and became Princess Beatrix again, she moved to the castle of Drakensteyn. In 2019, the King and his family moved to the newly renovated Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague.
Willem-Alexander also owns a villa near Kranidi, Greece.
Machangulo Villa Project
In 2008, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima announced they had invested in a project in Mozambique. This project was to build an eco-friendly holiday resort. It included a hotel and luxury homes. The project aimed to help the local economy by building schools and a clinic. It also planned to hire local staff. The couple decided to invest after checking with the Mozambican President.
In 2009, there was some public discussion about the project. Some people questioned building such a resort in a poor country like Mozambique. Because of this, the royal couple decided to sell their property in Machangulo once their house was finished. In 2012, it was confirmed that the villa had been sold.
Titles and Honours
Titles and Styles
- 27 April 1967 – 30 April 1980: His Royal Highness Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau
- 30 April 1980 – 30 April 2013: His Royal Highness The Prince of Orange
- 30 April 2013 – present: His Majesty The King
Willem-Alexander's full title is: His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, etc., etc., etc.
He is the first Dutch king since Willem III (who died in 1890). Before he became king, he had thought about using the name Willem IV. But in January 2013, it was announced that his royal name would be Willem-Alexander.
Military Ranks
Before becoming king, Willem-Alexander held various ranks as a reservist in the Dutch armed forces:
- In the Royal Netherlands Navy, he rose to Commodore.
- In the Royal Netherlands Air Force, he became an Air Commodore.
- In the Royal Netherlands Army and Royal Marechaussee, he reached the rank of Brigadier general.
As King, he now wears the Royal insignia on his uniform.
Awards and Honours
King Willem-Alexander has received many awards and honours from the Netherlands and other countries. These include:
- The Military William Order, the highest honour in the Netherlands.
- The Order of the Netherlands Lion.
- The Order of Orange-Nassau.
- The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau.
- The Olympic Order in Gold from the International Olympic Committee.
He has also received important awards from countries like Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Coat of Arms
 |
|
As King, Willem-Alexander uses the official Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm. This coat of arms has a lion holding a sword and seven arrows. The seven arrows represent the seven provinces that formed the Union of Utrecht. The motto is "JE MAINTIENDRAI," which means "I will maintain" in French.
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo Alejandro de los Países Bajos para niños
