Military training and career Willem-Alexander in the navy uniform of ensign in 1986īetween secondary school and his university education, Willem-Alexander performed military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy from August 1985 until January 1987. Willem-Alexander speaks English, Spanish, French and German (his father's native language, despite never getting German language lessons from him) fluently in addition to his native Dutch. His final thesis was on the Dutch response to France's decision under President Charles de Gaulle to leave NATO's integrated command structure. Īfter his military service from 1985 to 1987, Willem-Alexander studied History at Leiden University from 1987 onwards and received his MA degree ( doctorandus) in 1993. 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 from 1981 to 1983, and the private sixth-form college United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, the UK (1983 to 1985), from which he received his International Baccalaureate. Willem-Alexander attended local state primary school Nieuwe Baarnse Elementary School in Baarn from 1973 to 1979. He then received the title of Prince of Orange as heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the age of 13. His mother, Beatrix, became Queen of the Netherlands in 1980, after his grandmother Juliana abdicated. 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 in The Hague. He had two younger brothers: Prince Friso (1968–2013) and Prince Constantijn (born in 1969). 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 Renée Röell, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. He was baptised as a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on 2 September 1967 in Saint Jacob's Church in The Hague. He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of Prince Alexander in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884.įrom birth, Willem-Alexander has held the titles Prince of the Netherlands ( Dutch: Prins der Nederlanden), Prince of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: Prins van Oranje-Nassau), and Jonkheer of Amsberg (Dutch: Jonkheer van Amsberg). He is the first child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus, and the first grandchild of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born on 27 April 1967 at the Utrecht University Hospital (now known as the University Medical Center Utrecht) in Utrecht, Netherlands. Early life and education Prince Willem-Alexander (left) at age 14 and his brother Friso in 1982 Until his accession to the throne, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee (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). Willem-Alexander is interested in sports and international water management issues. He married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002 and they have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (born 2003), Princess Alexia (born 2005), and Princess Ariane (born 2007). He went to public primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands, an international sixth-form college in Wales, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University. He became Prince of Orange as heir apparent upon his mother's accession as Queen on 30 April 1980, and succeeded her following her abdication on 30 April 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and German diplomat Claus van Amsberg. Willem-Alexander ( Dutch: Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand born 27 April 1967) is King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013.
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