Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born ) is
King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following
his mother's
abdication in 2013.
Willem-Alexander was born in
Utrecht as the oldest child of
Princess Beatrix and diplomat
Claus van Amsberg
Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his death in 2002 as the husband ...
. He became
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The titl ...
as
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
upon his mother's accession as Queen on , and succeeded her following her
abdication on . He went to public primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands, an international sixth-form college in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, served in the
Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city o ...
. He married
Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti Máxima may refer to
* ''Máxima'' (magazine)
* Máxima FM, Spanish radio station
* Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, consort to the King of the Netherlands
{{Disambig ...
in 2002 and they have three daughters:
Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (born 2003),
Princess Alexia (born 2005), and
Princess Ariane (born 2007).
Willem-Alexander is interested in sports and international
water management
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; sl ...
issues. Until his accession to the throne, he was a member of the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...
(1998–2013), chairman of the Advisory Committee on Water to the Dutch
Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment (2004–2013), and chairman of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations'
Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (2006–2013).
Early life and education
Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born on at the
Utrecht University Hospital (now known as the
University Medical Center Utrecht
The University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU; Dutch: ''Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht'') is the main hospital of the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. It is affiliated with the Utrecht University. Since the foundation of the university in 1636 an ...
) in
Utrecht,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. He is the first child of
Princess Beatrix and
Prince Claus, and the first grandchild of
Queen Juliana and
Prince Bernhard. He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of
Prince Alexander Prince Alexander may refer to:
* Alexander, a character from the ''King's Quest'' series of video games
* Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, born as Prince Alexander of Teck
* Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia (r. 1842–1858)
* Ale ...
in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884.
From birth, Willem-Alexander has held the titles Prince of the Netherlands ( nl, Prins der Nederlanden), Prince of
Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Prins van Oranje-Nassau''), and
Jonkheer
(female equivalent: ; french: Écuyer; en, Squire) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used by the untitled nobility. In Belgium, this is the ...
of
Amsberg (Dutch: ''Jonkheer van Amsberg''). He was baptised as a member of the
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
on in Saint Jacob's Church in
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
. His godparents are his maternal grandfather
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, his paternal grandmother
Gösta Freiin von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen,
Prince Ferdinand von Bismarck, former Prime Minister
Jelle Zijlstra,
Jonkvrouw
(female equivalent: ; french: Écuyer; en, Squire) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used by the untitled nobility. In Belgium, this is ...
Renée
Röell, and Queen
Margrethe II of Denmark.
He had two younger brothers:
Prince Friso
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
(1968–2013) and
Prince Constantijn (born in 1969). He lived with his family at the castle
Drakensteyn in the hamlet
Lage Vuursche near
Baarn from his birth until 1981, when they moved to the larger palace
Huis ten Bosch
Huis ten Bosch ( nl, Paleis Huis ten Bosch, ; English: "House in the Woods") is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague a ...
in The Hague. His mother, Beatrix, became Queen of the Netherlands in 1980, after his grandmother Juliana abdicated. He then received the title of
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The titl ...
as
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
to the throne of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands
, national_anthem = )
, image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg
, map_width = 250px
, image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png
, map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale
, capital = ...
at the age of 13.
Willem-Alexander attended local state primary school Nieuwe Baarnse Elementary School in
Baarn from 1973 to 1979. He went to two different state secondary schools: the Baarns Lyceum in Baarn from 1979 to 1981 and the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
from 1981 to 1983, and the private sixth-form college
United World College of the Atlantic
Atlantic College (formally the United World College of the Atlantic; alternatively styled UWC Atlantic College, UWCAC, or UWCA) is an independent boarding school in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. Founded in 1962, it was the first of th ...
in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, the
UK (1983 to 1985), from which he received his
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...
.
After his military service from 1985 to 1987, Willem-Alexander studied
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city o ...
from 1987 onwards and received his
MA degree () in 1993. His final thesis was on the Dutch response to France's
decision
Decision may refer to:
Law and politics
*Judgment (law), as the outcome of a legal case
*Landmark decision, the outcome of a case that sets a legal precedent
* ''Per curiam'' decision, by a court with multiple judges
Books
* ''Decision'' (novel ...
under
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...
to leave the
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
's integrated command structure.
Willem-Alexander speaks
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
,
Spanish,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
(his father's native language, despite never getting German language lessons from him) fluently in addition to his native
Dutch.
Military training and career
Between secondary school and his university education, Willem-Alexander performed military service in the
Royal Netherlands Navy from August 1985 until January 1987. He received his training at the
Royal Netherlands Naval College and the frigates
HNLMS ''Tromp'' and
HNLMS ''Abraham Crijnssen'', where he was an
ensign. In 1988 he received additional training at the ship
HNLMS ''Van Kinsbergen'' and became a
lieutenant (junior grade)
Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies.
United States
Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), ...
().
As a
reservist for the Royal Netherlands Navy, Willem-Alexander was promoted to
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...
in 1995,
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
in 1997,
Captain at Sea in 2001, and
Commodore in 2005. As a reservist for the
Royal Netherlands Army, he was made a
Major (
Grenadiers' and Rifles Guard Regiment
The Grenadiers and Rifles Guards Regiment ( nl, Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers) is a regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army; along with the Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene it is one of the two Dutch Guard regiments.
History
The two antec ...
) in 1995, and was promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel in 1997,
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
in 2001, and
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...
in 2005. As a reservist for the
Royal Netherlands Air Force, he was made
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...
in 1995 and promoted to
Air Commodore in 2005. As a reservist for the
Royal Marechaussee, he was made
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...
in 2005.
Before his investiture as king in 2013, Willem-Alexander was honourably discharged from the armed forces. The government declared that the
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
cannot be a serving member of the armed forces, since the government itself holds supreme command over the armed forces. As king, Willem-Alexander may choose to wear a military uniform with
royal insignia
The royal insignia ( nl, koninklijk distinctief) is the military insignia specially designed for Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands for use on his military uniforms after his investiture as King of the Netherlands in 2013. The insignia co ...
, but not with his former rank insignia.
Activities and social interests
Since 1985, when he became 18 years old, Willem-Alexander has been a member of the
Council of State of the Netherlands. This is the highest council of the
Dutch government
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy, and a decentralised unitary state.''Civil service systems in Western Europe'' edited by A. J. G. M. Bekk ...
and is chaired by the head of state (then Queen Beatrix).
Willem-Alexander is interested in
water management
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; sl ...
and sports issues. He was an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st century and patron of the Global Water Partnership, a body established by the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
, the UN, and the Swedish Ministry of Development. He was appointed as the Chairperson of the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation on .
On 10 October 2010, Willem-Alexander and Máxima went to the
Netherlands Antilles' capital,
Willemstad, to attend and represent
his mother, the Queen, at the
Antillean Dissolution ceremony.
He was a patron of the Dutch Olympic Games Committee until 1998 when he was made a member of the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...
(IOC). After becoming King, he relinquished his membership and received the Gold
Olympic Order at the
125th IOC Session. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated fro ...
held in Amsterdam, he had expressed support to bid for the
2028 Summer Olympics.
He was a member of the supervisory board of (the Dutch central bank), a member of the Advisory Council of ECP (the information society forum for government, business and civil society), patron of Veterans' Day and held several other patronages and posts.
Reign
On , Beatrix announced her intention of abdicating. On the morning of , Beatrix signed the instrument of abdication at the (Moses Hall) at the
Royal Palace of Amsterdam
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam in Amsterdam (Dutch: ''Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam'' or ) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. It is situated on the west side of Dam Squar ...
. Later that afternoon, Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as king in front of the joint assembly of the
States General in a ceremony held at the
Nieuwe Kerk.
As king, Willem-Alexander has weekly meetings with the prime minister and speaks regularly with ministers and state secretaries. He also signs all new Acts of Parliament and royal decrees. He represents the kingdom at home and abroad. At the State Opening of Parliament, he delivers the Speech from the Throne, which announces the plans of the government for the parliamentary year. The Constitution requires that the king appoint, dismiss and swear in all government ministers and state secretaries. As king, he is also the President of the
Council of State, an advisory body that reviews proposed legislation. In modern practice, the monarch seldom chairs council meetings.
At his accession at age 46, he was Europe's youngest monarch. On the inauguration of Spain's
Felipe VI
Felipe VI (;,
* eu, Felipe VI.a,
* ca, Felip VI,
* gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, an ...
on , he became, and remains, Europe's second-youngest monarch. He is also the first male monarch of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather
William III in 1890. Willem-Alexander was one of four new monarchs to take the throne in 2013 along with
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
, the
Emir Tamim bin Hamad of Qatar, and
King Philippe of Belgium.
Other activities
Willem-Alexander is an avid pilot and has said that if he had not been a royal, he would have liked to be an airline pilot so he could fly internationally on large-sized aircraft such as the
Boeing 747. During the reign of his mother, he regularly flew the Dutch royal aircraft on trips. However, in May 2017, Willem-Alexander revealed that he had served as a first officer on
KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally ''Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amste ...
flights for 21 years, flying
KLM Cityhopper's
Fokker 70s twice a month, even after his accession to the throne. Following KLM's phased retirement of the Fokker 70, he began training to fly
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...
s. Willem-Alexander was rarely recognized while in the KLM uniform and wearing the KLM cap, though a few passengers recognized his voice, even though he never gave his name and only welcomed passengers on behalf of the captain and crew.
Using the name "W. A.
van Buren", one of the least-known titles of the
House of Orange-Nassau, he participated in the 1986 Frisian
Elfstedentocht, a distance
ice skating tour. He ran the
New York City Marathon under the same pseudonym in 1992. Willem-Alexander completed both events.
Marriage and children
On 2 February 2002, he married
Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti Máxima may refer to
* ''Máxima'' (magazine)
* Máxima FM, Spanish radio station
* Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, consort to the King of the Netherlands
{{Disambig ...
at the
Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The marriage triggered significant controversy due to the role the bride's father,
Jorge Zorreguieta
Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta Stefanini (28 January 1928 – 8 August 2017) was an Argentine politician who served as Secretary of Agriculture in the regime of General Jorge Rafael Videla. Zorreguieta was the father of Queen Máxima of the Nethe ...
, had in the
Argentinian military dictatorship. The couple have three daughters:
The Princess of Orange,
Princess Alexia, and
Princess Ariane.
Privacy and the press
In an attempt to strike a balance between privacy for the royal family and availability to the press, the
Netherlands Government Information Service (RVD) instituted a media code on which essentially states that:
* Photographs of the members of the royal house while performing their duties are always permitted.
* For other occasions (like holidays or vacations), the RVD will arrange a photo-op on condition that the press leave the family alone for the rest of the activity.
During a ski vacation in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
, several photographs were taken of the prince and his family during the private part of their holiday, including one by
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
staff photographer Natacha Pisarenko, in spite of the media code, and after a photo opportunity had been provided earlier. The Associated Press decided to publish some of the photos, which were subsequently republished by several Dutch media. Willem-Alexander and the RVD jointly filed
suit against the Associated Press on , and the trial started on at the
district court in Amsterdam. On , the district court ruled in favour of the prince and RVD, citing that the couple has a right to privacy, that the pictures in question add nothing to any public debate, and that they are not of any particular value to society since they are not photographs of his family "at work". Associated Press was sentenced to stop further publication of the photographs, on pain of a fine per violation with a maximum.
Properties
From 2003 until 2019, Willem-Alexander and his family lived in Villa Eikenhorst on the De Horsten Estate in
Wassenaar.
After his mother abdicated and became Princess Beatrix once again, she moved to the castle of
Drakensteyn, after which the King and his family moved to the newly renovated monarch's palace of
Huis ten Bosch
Huis ten Bosch ( nl, Paleis Huis ten Bosch, ; English: "House in the Woods") is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague a ...
in The Hague in 2019.
Willem-Alexander has a villa near
Kranidi
Kranidi ( el, , Katharevousa: ) is a town and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ermionida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal ...
, Greece.
Villa in Machangulo
On 10 July 2008, the Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima announced that they had invested in a development project on the
Mozambican peninsula of
Machangulo The southern perimeter of Maputo Bay from space: Machangulo peninsula and Inhaca Island are at right and top right respectively.
The Machangulo peninsula is situated in the southernmost part of Mozambique adjacent to Inhaca and Portuguese Isla ...
. The development project was aimed at building an ecologically responsible vacation resort, including a hotel and several luxury holiday homes for investors. The project was to invest heavily in the local economy of the peninsula (building schools and a local clinic) with an eye both towards responsible sustainability and maintaining a local staff. After contacting Mozambican President
Armando Guebuza to verify that the Mozambican government had no objections, the couple decided to invest in two villas. In 2009, controversy erupted in parliament and the press about the project and the prince's involvement. Politician
Alexander Pechtold questioned the morality of building such a resort in a poor country like Mozambique. After public and parliamentary controversy, the royal couple announced that they had decided to sell the property in Machangulo once their house was completed. In January 2012, it was confirmed that the villa had been sold.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
* : ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg
* : ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of Orange
* present: ''His Majesty'' The King of the Netherlands
Willem-Alexander is the first Dutch king since
Willem III ( 1890). Willem-Alexander had earlier indicated that when he became king, he would take the name ''Willem IV'', but it was announced in January 2013 that his regnal name would be ''Willem-Alexander''.
Military ranks
Royal Netherlands Navy – conscripted
*
Lieutenant at sea, third class (
Ensign) (August 1985January 1987)
*
Lieutenant at sea, second class (
Sub-lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces.
In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second hig ...
) (watch officer, 1988)
Royal Netherlands Navy – reserve
*
Lieutenant at sea, second class (senior grade) (
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
) (1988–1995)
*
Lieutenant at sea, first class (
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...
) (1995–1997)
*
Captain-lieutenant at sea (
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
) (1997–2001)
*
Captain at Sea (2001–2005)
*
Commodore (2005–2013)
Royal Netherlands Air Force – reserve
*
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...
(1995–2005)
*
Air Commodore (2005–2013)
Royal Netherlands Army – reserve
*
Major,
Grenadiers' and Rifles Guard Regiment
The Grenadiers and Rifles Guards Regiment ( nl, Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers) is a regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army; along with the Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene it is one of the two Dutch Guard regiments.
History
The two antec ...
(1995–1997)
*
Lieutenant Colonel (1997–2001)
*
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
(2001–2005)
*
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...
(2005–2013)
Royal Marechaussee – reserve
*
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...
(2005–2013)
King's Insignia, all services
*
Royal insignia as King (2013–present)
Qualifications
*
Military Pilot
Honours
National
*
Grand Master of the
Military William Order
*
Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Netherlands Lion
*
Grand Master of the
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands.
The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
*
Co-Grand Master and Knight of the
Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (french: Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau, nl, Huisorde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau) is a chivalric order shared by the two branches of the House of Nassau (the Ottonian and Walramia ...
*
Grand Master and Grand Cross of the
Order of the House of Orange
*
Grand Master of the
Order of the Crown
*
Grand Master of the
Order for Loyalty and Merit
The Order for Loyalty and Merit ( nl, Orde van Trouw en Verdienste) is a house order of the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau. The Order came into being as a result of Queen Juliana
Juliana (variants Julianna, Giuliana, Iuliana, Yuliana, etc) ...
*
Honorary Commander of the
Order of Saint John in the Netherlands
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
*
Grand Master of the
Order of the Golden Ark
The Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark ( nl, Orde van de Gouden Ark) is a Dutch order of merit established in 1971 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. It is awarded to people for major contributions to nature conservation. Although not aw ...
*
Recipient of the
Eleven Cities Cross
*
Recipient of the
*
Recipient of the
Queen Beatrix Inauguration Medal
*
Recipient of the
Wedding Medal of Prince Willem-Alexander to Maxima Zorruigeta
Foreign
*: Collar of the
Order of the Liberator General San Martín
*: Grand Star of the
Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
*:
** Grand Cordon of the
Order of Leopold (2016)
** Grand Cross of the
Order of the Crown (1993)
*: Grand Cross of the
Order of the Southern Cross
Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross ( pt, Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1 ...
*: Member 1st Class of the
Family Order of Laila Utama
The Most Esteemed Family Order of Laila Utama ( ms, Darjah Kerabat Laila Utama Yang Amat Dihormati) is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DK" as ...
*: Member 1st Class of the Amílcar Cabral Order ()
*: Grand Cross of the
Order of the Merit
*: Knight of the
Order of the Elephant ()
*: Collar with Star of the
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of t ...
()
*:
** Grand Cross of the
Order of the Legion of Honour ()
** Grand Cross of the
National Order of Merit An order of merit is conferred by a state, government or royal family on an individual in recognition of military or civil merit.
Order of merit may also refer to:
* FIFA Order of Merit, for significant contribution to association football
* PDC ...
*:
** Grand Cross First class of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
** Grand Cross Special Class of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
()
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...
(31 October 2022)
*:
Star of Mahaputera 1st Class
*: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-rankin ...
*: Grand Cordon with Collar of the
Order of the Chrysanthemum ()
*: Commander Grand Cross with Chain 1st Class of the
Order of the Three Stars ()
*: Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the
Order of Vytautas the Great ()
*:
** Grand Cross of the
Order of Adolphe of Nassau
The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau (french: Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire d’Adolphe de Nassau) is an order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for meritorious service to the Grand Duke, the Grand-Ducal House a ...
** Grand Cross of the
Order of the Oak Crown
The Order of the Oak Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne de chêne, german: Eichenlaubkronenorden, lb, Eechelaafkrounenuerden) is an order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
History
The Order of the Oak Crown was established in 1841 by Grand ...
*: Sash of the
Order of the Aztec Eagle (2009)
*: Grand Cross with Collar of the
Order of St. Olav
The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...
(1996) (2021)
*: Member Special Class of the
Order of Oman
The Order of Oman (''Wisam al-Oman'') is the second highest order of Oman.
History
The Order of Oman was instituted in 1970 by Sultan Qaboss in two divisions, civil and military. He added in 1982 a Special Class, "The Most Honourable Order of ...
*: Knight of the
Order of the White Eagle
*: Grand Collar of the
Order of Prince Henry ()
*: Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...
*: Knight with Collar of the
Royal Order of the Seraphim () (2022)
*: Knight Grand Cordon of the
Order of Chula Chom Klao
*: Grand Cross of the Order of Union
*: Stranger Knight of the
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...
()
*: Grand Cross of the
Order of the Liberator
Awards
*
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...
: Recipient of the
Gold Olympic Order ()
Honorary appointment
*
Aide-de-camp to Her Majesty The Queen (until 2013)
Arms
Ancestry
Through his father, a member of the
House of Amsberg
Amsberg (german: von Amsberg, nl, van Amsberg) is the name of a German noble family from Mecklenburg. A great-grandson of a blacksmith, parish pastor August Amsberg (1747–1820) started calling himself "von Amsberg" in 1795 and the family's ...
, he is descended from families of the lower
German nobility, and through his mother, from several royal German–Dutch families such as the
House of Lippe,
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the
House of Orange-Nassau,
Waldeck and Pyrmont, and the
House of Hohenzollern. He is descended from the first king of the Netherlands,
William I of the Netherlands, who was also a ruler in Luxembourg and several German states, and all subsequent Dutch monarchs.
Through his mother, Willem-Alexander also descends from
Paul I of Russia and thus from German princess
Catherine the Great
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...
and Swedish King
Gustav I
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföre ...
. Through his father, he is also descended from several Dutch–Flemish families who left the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
during Spanish rule, such as the
Berenbergs. His paternal great-great-grandfather Gabriel von Amsberg, a major-general of Mecklenburg, was recognized as noble as late as 1891, the family having adopted the "
von
The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''.
Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de ...
" in 1795.
Willem-Alexander is a descendant of King
George II and, more relevant for his succession rights, of his granddaughter
Princess Augusta of Great Britain. Under the
British Act of Settlement, King Willem-Alexander temporarily forfeited his (distant) succession rights to the
throne of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...
by marrying a Roman Catholic. This right has since been restored in 2015 under the
Succession to the Crown Act 2013
The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 (c. 20) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the laws of succession to the British throne in accordance with the 2011 Perth Agreement. The Act replaced male-preference primogenit ...
.
References
External links
* (English)
Official website(Dutch)
*
{{Thai sort key not needed
1967 births
Amsberg
Collars of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin
Dutch aviators
Dutch monarchs
Dutch people of German descent
Extra Knights Companion of the Garter
Grand Collars of the Order of Prince Henry
Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Grand Crosses with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great
House of Orange-Nassau
International Olympic Committee members
Jonkheers of Amsberg
Knights Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Leiden University alumni
Living people
Members of the Council of State (Netherlands)
People educated at a United World College
People educated at Atlantic College
People from Utrecht (city)
People from Wassenaar
Princes of Orange-Nassau
Princes of Orange
Protestant Church Christians from the Netherlands
Protestant monarchs
Recipients of the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
Recipients of the Cross of Recognition
Recipients of the Olympic Order
Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Royal Netherlands Navy officers