Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands - wikipedia Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands Willem - Alexander King of the Netherlands Reign 30 April 2013 -- present Inauguration 30 April 2013 Predecessor Beatrix Heir apparent Catharina - Amalia, Princess of Orange Prime Minister Mark Rutte Born ( 1967 - 04 - 27 ) 27 April 1967 ( age 51 ) University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands Spouse Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti ( m. 2002 ) Issue Catharina - Amalia, Princess of Orange Princess Alexia Princess Ariane Full name Willem - Alexander Claus George Ferdinand House Orange - Nassau ( official ) Amsberg ( agnatic ) Father Claus von Amsberg Mother Beatrix of the Netherlands Religion Protestant Church in the Netherlands Signature Dutch royal family HM The King * HM The Queen * HRH The Princess of Orange * HRH Princess Alexia * HRH Princess Ariane * HRH Princess Beatrix * HRH Princess Mabel Countess Luana Countess Zaria HRH Prince Constantijn * HRH Princess Laurentien * Countess Eloise Count Claus - Casimir Countess Leonore Extended royal family HRH Princess Irene HRH The Duke of Parma HRH The Duchess of Parma HRH The Countess of Colorno Mr Tjalling ten Cate HRH The Count of Bardi HRH The Countess of Bardi HRH The Marchioness of Sala Mr Albert Brenninkmeijer HRH Princess Margriet * Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven * HH Prince Maurits HH Princess Marilène HH Prince Bernhard HH Princess Annette HH Prince Pieter - Christiaan HH Princess Anita HH Prince Floris HH Princess Aimée HRH Princess Christina Mr Bernardo Guillermo Mrs Eva Guillermo Mr Nicolás Guillermo Miss Juliana Guillermo * Member of the Dutch royal house Willem - Alexander ( Dutch : ( ˈʋɪləm aːlɛkˈsɑndər ) ; born Willem - Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, 27 April 1967 ) is the King of the Netherlands, having ascended the throne following his mother 's abdication in 2013. Willem - Alexander was born in Utrecht and is the oldest child of Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg. 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. He went to public primary and secondary schools, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University. 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 ). Willem - Alexander is interested in sports and international water management issues. 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 ). At the age of 51, he is currently the second youngest monarch in Europe after Felipe VI of Spain. Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Military training and career 3 Activities and social interests 4 Reign 5 Leisure activities 6 Marriage and children 7 Privacy and the press 8 Properties 8.1 Villa in Manchagulo 9 Titles, styles, honours and arms 9.1 Titles and styles 9.2 Military ranks 9.3 Qualifications 9.4 Honours 9.4. 1 National honours 9.4. 2 Foreign honours 9.5 Awards 9.6 Honorary appointment 9.7 Arms 10 Ancestry 11 References 12 External links Early life and education Prince Willem - Alexander ( left ) at age 14 and his brother Friso in 1982 Willem - Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born on 27 April 1967 in the Utrecht University Hospital, Now the University Medical Center Utrecht in Utrecht, Netherlands. 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 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 ( Dutch : Prins der Nederlanden ), Prince of Orange - Nassau ( Dutch : Prins van Oranje - Nassau ), and Jonkheer of Amsberg ( Dutch : Jonkheer van Amsberg ). He was baptised as a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on 2 September 1967 in Saint Jacob 's Church in The Hague. His godparents are Prince Bernhard of Lippe - Biesterfeld, Gösta Freiin von dem Bussche - Haddenhausen, Ferdinand von Bismarck, former Prime Minister Jelle Zijlstra, Jonkvrouw Renée Röell, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. He had two younger brothers : Prince Friso ( 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 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 as heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Willem - Alexander attended Nieuwe Baarnse Elementary School in Baarn from 1973 to 1979. He went to three different secondary schools : the Baarns Lyceum in Baarn from 1979 to 1981, the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague from 1981 to 1983, and the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, the UK ( 1983 to 1985 ), from which he received his International Baccalaureate. After 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. His final thesis was on the Dutch response to France 's decision under President Charles de Gaulle to leave the NATO 's integrated command structure. Willem - Alexander speaks English, Spanish, French and German in addition to his native Dutch. Military training and career Willem - Alexander in the navy uniform of Sub-lieutenant in 1986 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 ) ( wachtofficier ). As a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Navy, Willem - Alexander was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1995, Commander 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 ) in 1995, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1997, Colonel in 2001, and Brigadier General in 2005. As a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, he was made Squadron Leader in 1995 and promoted to Air Commodore in 2005. As a reservist for the Royal Marechaussee, he was made Brigadier General in 2005. Before his investiture as king in 2013, Willem - Alexander was honorably discharged from the armed forces. The government declared that the head of state can not 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, but not with his former rank insignia. Activities and social interests Prince Willem - Alexander and Princess Máxima meet Michelle Obama, Barack Obama and Fay Hartog - Levin at the White House in 2009. 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 and is chaired by the head of state ( then Queen Beatrix ). King Willem - Alexander is interested in water management 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 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 12 December 2006. 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 ( 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 held in Amsterdam, he has expressed support to bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the supervisory board of De Nederlandsche Bank ( 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 King Willem - Alexander and Queen Máxima on the day of the investiture in 2013 Main article : Investiture of Willem - Alexander On 28 January 2013, Beatrix announced her intention of abdicating. On the morning of 30 April, Beatrix signed the instrument of abdication at the Moseszaal ( Moses Hall ) at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. 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 on 19 June 2014 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, the Emir Tamim bin Hamad of Qatar, and King Philippe of Belgium. Leisure activities Willem - Alexander with his family at the 2012 Summer Olympics, here supporting Ellen van Dijk 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 big planes such as the Boeing 747. During the reign of his mother, he regularly flew the Dutch royal airplane on trips. In May 2017, Willem - Alexander revealed that he had served as a co-pilot on KLM flights for 21 years, flying KLM Cityhopper 's Fokker 70s twice a month, even after his ascension to the throne. With KLM 's phased retirement of the Fokker 70, he began training to fly Boeing 737s. Willem - Alexander was rarely recognized while in the KLM uniform and wearing the KLM cap, though a few passengers had 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 200 kilometres ( 120 mi ) long 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 Prince Willem - Alexander and Princess Máxima kiss at the balcony of the Royal Palace of Amsterdam on their wedding day in 2002. On 2 February 2002, he married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. Máxima is an Argentine woman of Basque, Portuguese and Italian ancestry, who prior to their marriage worked as an investment banker in New York City. The marriage triggered significant controversy due to the role the bride 's father, Jorge Zorreguieta, had in the Argentinian military dictatorship. The couple have three daughters : The Princess of Orange ( Catharina - Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria ; born 7 December 2003 at HMC Bronovo in The Hague ) Princess Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien of the Netherlands ( born 26 June 2005 at HMC Bronovo in The Hague ) Princess Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés of the Netherlands ( born 10 April 2007 at HMC Bronovo in The Hague ) King Willem - Alexander and Queen Máxima with their daughters Princess Catharina - Amalia ( left ), Princess Alexia ( right ) and Princess Ariane ( center ) 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 21 June 2005 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, several photographs were taken of the prince and his family during the private part of their holiday, including one by Associated Press 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 5 August 2009, and the trial started on 14 August at the district court in Amsterdam. On 28 August, 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 € 1,000 fine per violation with a € 50,000 maximum. Properties The royal family currently lives in Villa Eikenhorst on the De Horsten estate in Wassenaar. After the move of Princess Beatrix to the castle of Drakensteyn and a renovation, Willem - Alexander and his family moved to the palace of Huis ten Bosch in The Hague. Willem - Alexander has a villa near Kranidi, Greece. Former actor Sean Connery has his own house nearby. Villa in manchagulo 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 development project was aimed at building an ecologically responsible vacation resort, including a hotel and several luxury vacation houses 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 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 27 April 1967 -- 30 April 1980 : His Royal Highness Prince Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange - Nassau, Jonkheer of Amsberg 30 April 1980 -- 30 April 2013 : His Royal Highness The Prince of Orange 30 April 2013 -- present : His Majesty The King His style and title, as appearing in preambles, is : `` Willem - Alexander, by the Grace of God, King of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange - Nassau, etc. etc. etc. '' The triple ' etc. ' refers to the Dutch monarch 's other titles. Willem - Alexander is the first Dutch king since Willem III, who died in 1890. Willem - Alexander had earlier indicated that when he became king, he would take the name Willem IV, but it was announced on 28 January 2013 that his regnal name would be Willem - Alexander. Military ranks Willem - Alexander in the navy uniform of Commodore at the wedding of the Crown Princess of Sweden and Daniel Westling in June 2010 King Willem - Alexander in uniform with the Royal insignia Royal Netherlands Navy -- Conscription Lieutenant at sea, third class ( Ensign ) ( August 1985 -- January 1987 ) Lieutenant at sea, second class ( Sub-lieutenant ) ( watch officer, 1988 ) Royal Netherlands Navy -- Reserve Lieutenant at sea, second class ( senior grade ) ( Lieutenant ) ( 1988 -- 1995 ) Lieutenant at sea, first class ( Lieutenant Commander ) ( 1995 -- 1997 ) Captain - lieutenant at sea ( Commander ) ( 1997 -- 2001 ) Captain at Sea ( 2001 -- 2005 ) Commodore ( 2005 -- 2013 ) Royal Netherlands Air Force -- Reserve Squadron Leader ( 1995 -- 2005 ) Air Commodore ( 2005 -- 2013 ) Royal Netherlands Army -- Reserve Major, Grenadiers ' and Rifles Guard Regiment ( 1995 -- 1997 ) Lieutenant Colonel ( 1997 -- 2001 ) Colonel ( 2001 -- 2005 ) Brigadier General ( 2005 -- 2013 ) Royal Marechaussee -- Reserve Brigadier General ( 2005 -- 2013 ) King 's Insignia, all services Royal insignia as King ( 2013 -- present ) Qualifications Military Pilot Honours See also : List of honours of the Dutch royal family by country National honours 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 Co-Grand Master and Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau 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 Honorary Commander of the Order of Saint John in the Netherlands Recipient of the Eleven Cities Cross Recipient of the Officer Long Service Cross ( nl ) Recipient of the Queen Beatrix Inauguration Medal Foreign honours Argentina : Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín Belgium : Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown Brazil : Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross Brunei : Member 1st Class of the Order of the Most Esteemed Family Order of Brunei Chile : Grand Cross of the Order of the Merit Denmark : Knight of the Order of the Elephant Estonia : Collar with Star of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana France : Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit Germany : Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Indonesia : Member 1st Class of the Order of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia Italy : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Japan : Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum Latvia : Grand Cross with Chain 1st Class of the Order of the Three Stars Lithuania : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Vytautas the Great Luxembourg : Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown Mexico : Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle Norway : Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav Oman : Member Special Class of the Order of Oman Poland : Knight of the Order of the White Eagle Portugal : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Prince Henry Spain : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Sweden : Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim Thailand : Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao United Arab Emirates : Grand Cross of the Order of Union Venezuela : Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator Awards International Olympic Committee : Recipient of the Gold Olympic Order Honorary appointment Aide - de-camp to Her Majesty The Queen ( until 2013 ) Arms Main article : Coat of arms of the Netherlands Coat of arms of Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands show Notes As the Monarch, Willem - Alexander uses the Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm, ( or `` Grote Rijkswapen '' ). The components of the coats of arms were regulated by Queen Wilhelmina in a royal decree of 10 July 1907 and were affirmed by Queen Juliana in a royal decree of 23 April 1980. Crest Between two trunks Azure billetty Or a sitting lion Or Escutcheon Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or. Supporters Two lions rampant Or armed and langued Gules Motto JE MAINTIENDRAI French : I will maintain ( in Dutch : Ik zal handhaven ) Other elements The monarch places this coat of arms on a mantle Gules lined with Ermine. Above the mantle is a pavilion Gules again topped with the royal crown. Banner Upon his succession to the throne, Willem - Alexander adopted the ( partly modified ) Royal Standard of the Netherlands, which is a square orange flag, divided in four - quarters by a nassau - blue cross. All quarters show a white and blue bugle - horn, taken from the coat of arms of the Principality of Orange. In the centre of the flag is the ( small ) coat of arms of the Kingdom, which originates from the arms of the House of Nassau, surmounted by a royal crown and surrounded by the insignia of the Grand Cross of the Military William Order. Symbolism The seven arrows stand for the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. Previous versions Quarterly, 1 and 3, Azure, billetty or a lion with a coronet or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together or ( royal arms of the Netherlands, i.e. that of his mother, Queen Beatrix ), 2 and 4, Or, and a bugle - horn azure, langued gules ( arms of the former Principality of Orange ), on an inescutcheon vert, a castle proper, on a mount of the last ( arms of the House of Amsberg, i.e. that of his late father, Prince Claus ). Ancestry Through his father, a member of the House of Amsberg, 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. By his mother, Willem - Alexander also descended from Paul I of Russia and thus from German princess Catherine the Great. Through his father, he is also descended from several Dutch / Flemish families who left the Low Countries during Spanish rule, such as the Berenbergs. His paternal great - great - grandfather Gabriel von Amsberg ( 1822 -- 1895 ), a Major - General of Mecklenburg, was recognized as noble as late as 1891, the family having adopted the `` von '' in 1795. King 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 by marrying a Roman Catholic. This right has since been restored in 2015 under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. He is King of the Netherlands because he represents the most direct descendant of the brother of William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch Independence movement, acceptable to the citizens of the Netherlands. show Ancestors of Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands 16. Gabriel von Amsberg 8. Wilhelm von Amsberg 17. Marie von Passow 4. Claus Felix von Amsberg 18. Leopold von Vieregge 9. Elise von Vieregge 19. Baroness Agnes von Gutschmid 2. Jonkheer Claus von Amsberg 20. Baron Julius von dem Bussche - Haddenhausen 10. Baron Georg von dem Bussche - Haddenhausen 21. Juliane Mathilde von Salviati 5. Baroness Gösta von dem Bussche - Haddenhausen 22. Baron Eberhard von dem Bussche - Ippenburg 11. Baroness Gabriele Marie von dem Bussche - Ippenburg 23. Barbara Warinka von Chelius 1. Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands 24. Ernest II, Count of Lippe - Biesterfeld 12. Prince Bernhard of Lippe - Biesterfeld 25. Countess Karoline of Wartensleben 6. Prince Bernhard of Lippe - Biesterfeld 26. Baron Aschwin of Sierstorpff - Cramm 13. Baroness Armgard of Sierstorpff - Cramm 27. Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff - Driburg 3. Beatrix of the Netherlands 28. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg - Schwerin 14. Duke Henry of Mecklenburg - Schwerin 29. Princess Marie of Schwarzburg - Rudolstadt 7. Juliana of the Netherlands 30. William III of the Netherlands 15. Wilhelmina of the Netherlands 31. 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Aerts, Arnout van Cruyningen, Jean Klare ( eds. ), Encyclopedie van het Koninklijk Huis, p. 17, Winkler Prins, 2005 Jump up ^ `` Willem - Alexander maakt nu kans op de Britse troon ''. Nos.nl. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands Official page ( English ) ( Dutch ) on website of the Dutch Royal House Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands House of Orange - Nassau Born : 27 April 1967 Regnal titles Preceded by Beatrix King of the Netherlands 2013 -- present Incumbent Heir apparent : Catharina - Amalia Dutch royalty Vacant Title last held by Alexander Prince of Orange 1980 -- 2013 Succeeded by Catharina - Amalia Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands Born ( 1967 - 04 - 27 ) 27 April 1967 ( age 51 ) Monarchies Netherlands ( including the Caribbean Netherlands ) Curaçao Aruba Sint Maarten Ancestry Dutch royal house House of Orange - Nassau House of Amsberg Family Queen Máxima ( wife ) Catharina - Amalia, Princess of Orange ( daughter ) Princess Alexia ( daughter ) Princess Ariane ( daughter ) Prince Claus ( father ) Beatrix of the Netherlands ( mother ) Prince Friso ( brother ) Prince Constantijn ( brother ) Monarchs of the Netherlands Kingdom of Holland ( 1806 -- 1810 ) Louis I Louis II Kingdom of the Netherlands ( 1815 -- present ) William I William II William III Wilhelmina Juliana Beatrix Willem - Alexander 1. See also the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands ( 1813 - 1815 ) and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( 1815 -- 1839 ). Princes of Orange William ( 1815 -- 1840 ) William ( 1840 -- 1849 ) William ( 1849 -- 1879 ) Alexander ( 1879 -- 1884 ) Willem - Alexander ( 1980 -- 2013 ) Catharina - Amalia ( 2013 -- present ) Dutch princes Generations indicate descent from William I, the first king of the Netherlands. 1st generation King William II Prince Frederick 2nd generation King William III Prince Alexander Prince Hendrik Prince Ernest Casimir Prince Frederick Nicholaas Prince Willem 3rd generation William, Prince of Orange Prince Maurice Alexander, Prince of Orange Hendrik, Prince Consort 4th generation Bernhard, Prince Consort 5th generation Claus, Prince Consort 6th generation King Willem - Alexander Prince Friso Prince Constantijn Prince Maurits Prince Bernhard Prince Pieter - Christiaan Prince Floris title granted by Royal Decree to consort of the Queen Current monarchs of sovereign states Africa Letsie III Mohammed VI Mswati III Asia Hamad Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Hassanal Bolkiah Norodom Sihamoni Akihito Abdullah II Sabah IV Muhammad V Qaboos Tamim Salman Rama X Khalifa * Europe Macron ^ and Vives Sicília ^ Philippe Margrethe II Hans - Adam II ( Regent : Alois ) Henri Albert II Willem - Alexander Harald V Felipe VI Carl XVI Gustaf Elizabeth II Francis Americas Elizabeth II Oceania Elizabeth II Tupou VI * Officially President ^ Ex officio as President of France and Bishop of Urgell Heads of state of the European Union member states Van der Bellen ( AT ) Philippe ( BE ) Radev ( BG ) Grabar - Kitarović ( HR ) Anastasiades ( CY ) Zeman ( CZ ) Margrethe II ( DK ) Kaljulaid ( EE ) Niinistö ( FI ) Macron ( FR ) Steinmeier ( DE ) Pavlopoulos ( GR ) Áder ( HU ) Higgins ( IE ) Mattarella ( IT ) Vējonis ( LV ) Grybauskaitė ( LT ) Henri ( LU ) Coleiro Preca ( MT ) Willem - Alexander ( NL ) Duda ( PL ) Rebelo de Sousa ( PT ) Iohannis ( RO ) Kiska ( SK ) Pahor ( SI ) Felipe VI ( ES ) Carl XVI Gustaf ( SE ) Elizabeth II ( UK ) Council of State of the Netherlands President King Willem - Alexander Vice-President Piet Hein Donner Members Sylvia Wortmann Winnie Sorgdrager Hanna Sevenster Ben Vermeulen Yvonne Timmerman - Buck Jaap Polak Advisory Members Sjaak Jansen Luc Verhey Theo van der Nat Guus Heerma van Voss Jan Franssen Ronald van den Tweel Peter van den Berg Niels Koeman Nico Schrijver Richard van Zwol Extraordinary Members Dick Sluimers Gerard Roes Ad Melkert Age Bakker Ex officio Members Queen Máxima GND : 119142597 ISNI : 0000 0001 0784 1986 LCCN : n85152174 VIAF : 78770708 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Willem-Alexander_of_the_Netherlands&oldid=846392085 '' Categories : 1967 births Dutch aviators Dutch people of German descent Dutch monarchs Amsberg House of Orange - Nassau International Olympic Committee members Leiden University alumni Living people Members of the Council of State ( Netherlands ) People educated at Atlantic College People from Utrecht ( city ) People from Wassenaar Protestant Church Christians from the Netherlands Protestant monarchs Princes of Orange Princes of Orange - Nassau Jonkheers of Amsberg Royal Netherlands Navy officers Recipients of the Olympic Order Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Collars of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Grand Collars of the Order of Prince Henry Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Recipients of the Cross of Recognition Hidden categories : CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) Webarchive template wayback links Articles with Dutch - language external links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from November 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links CS1 Latvian - language sources ( lv ) Webarchive template webcite links Use dmy dates from April 2016 Articles containing Dutch - language text Interlanguage link template link number Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Afrikaans Ænglisc Aragonés Asturianu تۆرکجه Беларуская Български Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Frysk Galego 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Interlingue Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Kapampangan ქართული Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Limburgs Lumbaart Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands Nedersaksies नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча پنجابی Papiamentu Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Vepsän kel ' Tiếng Việt West - Vlams 粵語 Zeêuws 中文 69 more Edit links This page was last edited on 18 June 2018, at 13 : 36 ( UTC ). 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Question: who is the current ruler of the netherlands
Answer: Willem-Alexander