Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

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 (Prins der Nederlanden), Prince of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: Prins van Oranje-Nassau), and Jonkheer of Amsberg (Dutch: Jonkheer van Amsberg).

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.

Willem-Alexander (Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 1967-04-27) is King of the Netherlands.

Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus.

Prince Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born on 1967-04-27 at the Utrecht University Hospital (now known as 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 baptised as a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on 1967-09-02 in Saint Jacob's Church in The Hague.

His godparents are his maternal grandfather Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, his paternal grandmother Gösta Freiin von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen, Prince 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).

Willem-Alexander attended local state primary school Nieuwe Baarnse Elementary School in Baarn from 1973 to 1979.

He went to two different state secondary schools: the Baarns Lyceum in Baarn from 1979 to 1981 and the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague from 1981 to 1983, and the private sixth-form college United World College of the Atlantic in Wales (1983 to 1985), from which he received his International Baccalaureate.

He became Prince of Orange as heir apparent upon his mother's accession on 1980-04-30.

He went to public primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands, an international sixth-form college in Wales, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University.

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 at the age of 13.

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.

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 NATO's integrated command structure.

Willem-Alexander speaks English, Spanish, French and German (his father's native language, despite never getting German language lessons from him) fluently in addition to his native Dutch.

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.

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 political system and is chaired by the head of state (then Queen Beatrix).

Willem-Alexander is interested in water management and sports issues.

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.

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).

He was a patron of the Dutch Olympic Games Committee until 1998 when he was made a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

He married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002, and they have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Alexia, and Ariane.

As a reservist for the Royal Marechaussee, he was made brigadier general in 2005.

He was appointed as the Chairperson of the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation on 2006-12-12.

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.

Willem-Alexander succeeded his mother as monarch upon her abdication in 2013.

Willem-Alexander is interested in sports and international water management issues.

Before his investiture as king in 2013, Willem-Alexander was honourably discharged from the armed forces.

The government declared that the head of state cannot 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.