King’s Day (koningsdag) may have come and gone, but did you know that today, April 30, marks 10 years since Queen Beatrix abdicated and Willem-Alexander assumed the throne? As we all recover from King’s Day 2023, let’s rewind the clock and return to the day that King Willem-Alexander was crowned.
Before there was King’s Day, the Netherlands had a different public holiday: Queen’s Day (koninginnedag). The name (and date) changed after Willem-Alexander became the King of the Netherlands on April 30, 2013 at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
This means that 2023 marks a decade of kingship for Willem-Alexander, and next year will mark 10 years since the Netherlands first celebrated King’s Day on April 27. At a recent press conference following a state visit to Slovakia, the Dutch King said the 10 years had “[flown] by with highs and lows”.
In case you weren’t in the Netherlands back on the big day in 2013, or feel that it’s been far too long for you to remember what the day looked like, revisit the major milestone in Dutch history in the video below, which shows both Queen Beatrix’s abdication and King Willem-Alexander ascension to the throne (and see if you can spot any familiar faces):
Interested to learn more about the Dutch royal family? Read all about the Dutch monarchy here, or learn why Dutch royals love abdicating the throne here!
Thumb: Mauvries via Shutterstock.com.