Want to know more about the Dutch royal family? They have a fascinating history that dates back to the 12th century, when nobles from the French principality of Orange began styling themselves as Princes. In 1568, William I the Silent helped lead the Netherlands revolt against Spain until the Dutch republic was founded in 1588. After centuries of power struggles that seesawed between the Princes of Orange and the Counts of Nassau, the Prince of Orange became the official sovereign king of the Netherlands in 1815. In 1908, Queen Maxima declared that all her descendants would have the surname of Orange-Nassau.
Today, King Willem Alexander sits on the Dutch Throne with his wife, Queen Maxima, beside him. Wondering who else the modern members of the royal family are—and what the line of succession is? Read our explainer, below.
King Willem-Alexander
Photo: Getty Images
Willem Alexander has been the king of the Netherlands since 2013. He’s currently married to Queen Maxima and has three children: Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane. Born in 1987, he was educated at the University of Leiden and served in the Dutch Navy. As the Crown Prince of the Netherlands, he showed a keen interest in sports: he ran the New York City Marathon in 1992 and worked on the International Olympic Committee for over a decade.
In April 1999, he met Argentinian-born, New York-based banker Maxima Zorreguieta at Seville’s spring fair. They married three years later in Amsterdam. Currently, the couple and their children live at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in the Hague.
Queen Maxima
Photo: Getty Images
