History of the Dutch Royal Family

Although the Netherlands first became a monarchy in 1815, the Royal House of Orange had played an important role in its history since 1559 when Emperor Charles V assigned Prince William of Nassau to the post of stadtholder (literally "place-keeper") of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht.

Later William inherited the title of Orange from his cousin René van Châlon. For reasons of safety, William settled in the town of Delft, but was murdered there in 1584.

Maurits, his son and warlord, turned the Binnenhof parliamentary seat into a military fortification. Later stadtholders in The Hague resided at the Oude Hof, now known as the Binnenhof.

Stadtholder William III, married to Mary Stuart, daughter of Jacob II, King of England, was crowned king of England in 1689 and resided in England and the Netherlands by turns. The death of William III in 1702, who died without children, meant the end of the stadtholdership for a while.

Stadholdership to Kingdom

In 1747, Friesian stadtholder Willem Friso, descendent of William of Orange, was appointed to the post of stadtholder of Holland. A period of inheritance stadtholders with members of the House of Orange followed until 1795 when they had to flee the French occupying forces, marking the end of the Republic, as well as the end of the 200-year reign of the Princes of Orange.

Following the French occupation, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was established in 1815. The first Head of State was William Frederik, the son of William V, the stadtholder whom had fled earlier. He was crowned King of the Netherlands, which then comprised the Netherlands and Belgium. When the two countries separated in 1830, William I remained King of the Netherlands while Leopold of Saksen Coburg was crowned King of Belgium.

A succession of Queens

The Netherlands was reigned by successive kings until the death of King William III in 1890. His wife, Queen Emma, who acted as regent until their daughter Wilhelmina came of age, succeeded him. Wilhelmina (1880-1962) was crowned Queen in 1898.

During the Second World War and Nazi occupation, another time of great strife for the Dutch and all of Europe, Queen Wilhelmina served as a beacon of hope for her people, delivering pirate radio speeches during her exile. She is hailed as a hero and remembered in a statue opposite the Noordeinde Palace.

Her daughter, Juliana, succeeded her in 1948 and she was in turn succeeded in 1980 by her daughter, Beatrix. Until this day, the Netherlands is reigned by a Queen. Queen Beatrix has three sons, so succession to the throne is guaranteed.

Queen Beatrix’s eldest child, Prince Willem-Alexander, is the first in the line of succession to the throne. He is followed by his three daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.

Facts

• The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy since 1815.
• Full voting rights for all men were granted in 1917 and full women’s suffrage in 1919.
• Queen Beatrix was married to the late Prince Claus and has three sons: Willem-Alexander, Johan Friso and Constantijn.
• Queen Beatrix was born on 31 January 1938.
• On 6 October 2002 Prince Claus passed away at the age of 76.
• On 7 December 2003 Princess Catharina-Amalia, the first child of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima was born.
• On 20 March 2004 Princess Juliana passed away at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn at the age of 94.
• On 1 December 2004 Prince Bernhard passed away at the age of 93.

More info

Government Information Service (Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst)

The Government Information Service (RVD) provides information on the Royal House, government policy in general, and the Ministry of General Affairs.
Visitors' address:
Binnenhof 19
Correspondence address:
Postbus 20001
2500 EA The Hague
Telephone: +31 70 356 40 00
Website: www.minaz.nl

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Information and Communication Department
Visitor’s address:
Bezuidenhoutseweg 67
Correspondence address:
P.O. Box 20061
2500 EB The Hague
Telephone: +31 70 348 64 86
Website: www.minbuza.nl

For more information on the Dutch royal family visit the website of The Dutch Royal House.