New photos have been released to celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s 50th birthday on 27 April 2017.

These five photos were taken at Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar.

You too can send your birthday greetings or messages of congratulations to King Willem-Alexander via this link – https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/actueel/felicitaties/50e-verjaardag-koning-willem-alexander

The Royal Family will be spending King’s Day (Koningsdag) in Tilburg this year.

Birthday Dinner

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will play host to 150 people for a celebratory dinner at the Royal Palace.

After the dinner, the Royal Palace will be open for 50 hours, with free entry, with performances and an exhibition focusing the last 50 years of Dutch history.

Interview

Journalist, theatre and television maker Wilfried de Jong interviewed King Willem-Alexander during a special on Dutch television to mark his 50th Birthday. The interview was broadcasted on RTL 4 and NPO1 at 8.33 pm on Wednesday, 26 April.

Hashtag: #WA50 #Koningsdag

A Short Biography

Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus’ eldest son Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born on 27 April 1967 at the University Hospital, Utrecht.

He was baptised in The Hague on 2 September 1967. His godparents were Queen Margrethe of Denmark,  Prince Bernhard, Ferdinand von Bismarck, former Prime Minister Jelle Zijlstra and Ms Renée Smith-Roëll.

Willem-Alexander has two younger brothers: Prince Friso (1968-2013) and Prince Constantijn (1969).

Willem-Alexander was educated at Nieuwe Baarnse School in Baarn, and began his high school years at the Baarns Lyceum, Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague from 1981, and finishing at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major in Wales, where he graduated with an International Baccalaureate in 1985.

He completed military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1985 to 1988, before he studied history at Leiden University, graduating in 1993

Willem-Alexander gained his Military Pilot’s Licence with 334 Transport Squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and continued with more study at Netherlands Defence College to learn more about Army and Air Force operations.

His grandfather Prince Bernard presented Willem-Alexander with his Military Pilot’s Licence in 1994.

He is also a qualified airline pilot who flew with KLM to keep his hours up, as well as the government aeroplane or a Fokker 70 from the regular fleet.

Willem-Alexander married Máxima Zorreguieta on 2 February 2002, with a civil ceremony held at Beurs van Berlage, followed by a church wedding at the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam.

They have three daughters: Princess Catharina-Amalia, the current Princess of Orange, who was born on 7 December 2003. Princess Alexia, born on 26 June 2005, and Princess Ariane on 10 April 2007.

He succeeded his mother Queen Beatrix after she signed the Instrument of Abdication on 30 March 2013. Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as King that afternoon in front of both houses of parliament in the Nieuwe Kerk.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima also visited Australia, including Sydney, in November 2016.