Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
King of the Netherlands / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willem-Alexander (Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 27 April 1967), is the King of the Netherlands. He is the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. He has been the head of the House of Amsberg since the death of his father in 2002. He served in the Dutch military. He studied history at Leiden University. King Willem-Alexander is interested in international water management issues and sports. He married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002. They have three daughters: Princess Catharina-Amalia (born 2003), Princess Alexia (born 2005), and Princess Ariane (born 2007).
Willem-Alexander | |||||
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King of the Netherlands | |||||
Reign | 30 April 2013 – present | ||||
Predecessor | Beatrix | ||||
Heiress apparent | Catharina-Amalia | ||||
Prime Minister | Mark Rutte | ||||
Born | (1967-04-27) 27 April 1967 (age 57) Utrecht, Netherlands | ||||
Spouse | Máxima Zorreguieta | ||||
Issue Detail | Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange Princess Alexia Princess Ariane | ||||
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House | Orange-Nassau | ||||
Father | Claus von Amsberg | ||||
Mother | Beatrix of the Netherlands | ||||
Religion | Protestant |
On 28 January 2013, the king's mother announced in a television broadcast that she would abdicate the throne. That made Willem-Alexander, King on 30 April 2013.[1] He is the first king of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather, William III, in 1890.[2]