The ruler of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, celebrated King’s Day in the company of his wife and daughters

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April 27 is traditionally celebrated as King’s Day in the Netherlands. This holiday originated at the end of the 19th century. It is dedicated to the birthday of the current king (or queen) of the country. The main celebrations were held in Rotterdam. It was there that the current King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, arrived by water taxi, accompanied by his wife, Queen Maxima, and daughters, Ariana and Alexia. A warm welcome awaited the royal family in the city.

Celebrations in honor of the holiday were accompanied by street concerts and bazaars. They were held not only in Rotterdam, but also in other cities of the country, including Amsterdam and Breda. The Dutch call this day “oranjegekt”, which means “orange madness”. This is because the whole country is painted in orange – the family color of the royal family. Initially, the holiday appeared as Queen’s Day, in honor of the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina. For almost 130 years, the kingdom was ruled by women. Only in 2013, Queen Beatrix ceded the throne to her son Willem-Alexander. Queen’s Day has become King’s Day. It began to be celebrated on April 27, the birthday of Willem-Alexander.

Recall that this year the monarch celebrates 10 years on the throne. He met his main love in life – the Argentine Maxima Sorregueta Cerruti – in the spring of 1999 during a traditional fair in Seville, Spain. Willem-Alexander generally had a reputation for drinking and having fun. Fellow students even gave him the nickname “Prince Pils” – after the name of one of the popular brands of beer. You can find out other interesting facts about the monarch here.