King Willem-Alexander celebrated his 52nd birthday on 27 April 2019, with the biggest party in the Netherlands, known as Koninsdag or ‘King’s Day’.

However, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will be celebrating Koninsdag 2019 with the people in Amersfoort.

Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born at the University Hospital in Utrecht in 1967, the eldest son of Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg.

He has two younger brothers, Prince Friso, who died in 2013, and Prince Constantjn.

Willem-Alexander became Prince of Orange, as the heir apparent, when his mother became Queen on 30 April 1980, when his grandmother Queen Juliana abdicated.

He attended schools in the Netherlands, before studying in the UK where he received his International Baccalaureate, before completing two years of military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Then Willem-Alexander studied history at Leiden University and received his Master of Arts degree in 1993, before returning to the Navy where he received extra training as well as a reservist in the Army and the Air Force.

Willem-Alexander speaks English, Spanish, French and German as well as Dutch.

He is also an airline pilot and flew the Dutch Royal aeroplane during his mother’s reign.

Willem-Alexander married Argentine Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam on 2 February 2002.

They have three daughters, Catharina-Amalia Princess of Orange (born 7 December 2003), Princess Alexia (born 26 June 2005) and Princess Ariane (born 10 April 2007).

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a state visit to Australia in November 2016.

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