Willem-Alexander

King Willem-Alexander became King of the Netherlands on 30 April 2013, when his mother Beatrix abdicated after 33 years on the throne. He was the country's first male monarch in 123 years, since King Willem III died in 1890. Willem-Alexander is the eldest son of Beatrix and Prince Claus, and studied history at Leiden University after service in the Royal Netherlands Navy. The King is a trained pilot and has kept his licence current in a most unusual way for a head of state: he regularly flies as co-pilot on ordinary KLM passenger flights, often without passengers realising the King is in the cockpit. Before his accession he made his mark internationally as an expert on water management, chairing the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, and he served as a member of the International Olympic Committee for 15 years. Willem-Alexander married Argentine-born Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002, and together they have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Alexia and Ariane. As king he is known for an informal, approachable style, very much in the Dutch royal tradition.