A king reveals birthday plans and he’s starting the party early

The Dutch Royal Family have announced how they will be marking one of the biggest events in their calendar.

Each year, there is a public holiday held to celebrate the Dutch monarch’s birthday. King Willem-Alexander’s birthday is 27 April, so it is celebrated as Koningsdag and because the 27th falls on a Sunday this year, events take place on Saturday, 26 April. 

A couple of cities are chosen to host the royals on Koningsdag. This year, Doetinchem in the Achterhoek region will be decked out in orange to celebrate the birthday. 

In 2024, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima visited Emmen to celebrate. They have travelled to a different city and region -each year of the reign for Koningsdag. The only year that they did not travel was 2020 because of the pandemic.

Koningsdag was first celebrated as Prinsessedag on 31 August 1885 to mark the then-heir to the throne, Princess Wilhemina. It was known as Koninginnedag throughout her reign (1890 to 1948). 

The title has been used for both Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix’s reign. Juliana chose to hold the day on her birthday, 30 April, and Beatrix continued to mark the day on 30 April instead of her actual birthday which is in January.

In 2013, she chose April 30 as the date of her abdication meaning that the end of this spring month is extra special for the King of the Netherlands as he marks the anniversary of his accession as well as his birthday.