What the King will be doing on his 50th birthday

King Willem-Alexander will be turning 50 on April 27. Quite the milestone though it may be, he will not be celebrating with a traditional Dutch circle party. Find out what the royal family will be doing!

Take the train

For the first time in 18 years, the royal family will be taking the train for their celebratory activities.

This way, they plan to set the right example and promote using public transport. Don’t look out for regal birthday boys among the commuters though, they will be getting on their own royal train carriage at a secret location.

Celebrate in Tilburg

Every year, the monarch selects a municipality with a central role in the country and pays it a visit.

This year, the train will transport the King and his family to an honoured Tilburg. The city gets to put together their own programme to receive their festive visitors and display their local identity.

For two hours, Tilburg will guide the royal family through 13 themes, as their area code is 013. They will present their local culture, education, sports, nature, tech and history, and end with a grand performance by local celebrities.

Receive gifts

Various companies will use King’s Day to offer playful and serious gifts and tributes to the King, although he will probably not be accepting them in person.

Presents will include a 7,5 kilo chocolate sculpture of his head, a special orange brewed beer, harking back to the King’s university days when they called him Prins Pils (Prince Lager), as well as a specially produced royal limoncello liquor drink.

A special national commemoration coin will be pressed to mark the King’s 50th birthday. It will be a heavily gilded 10-euro coin, showing the King’s head and the words Encourage, Connect and Represent, which was the motto used at the his inauguration.

Button up

However the royal family will be celebrating, they will probably be buttoning up. This year’s King’s Day is expected to be even colder than last year’s Christmas, with the temperature staying below nine degrees Celsius.

Tilburg’s plan for the Royal Family in Dutch

Sources: Metronieuws, Tilburg.com