1 The newest king sewed his very own wetsuit

Willem-Alexander spent 24 months staying in rainy Wales in the mid-1980s as he are a student during the an international sixth-function college. His mum, Queen Beatrix, stumbled on Atlantic College or university near Bridgend to decrease their guy out-of. Dutch Television crews had been enjoy collectively to checklist as soon as and you can had been sometimes noticed later hiding for the shrubbery. The institution, known as Ac, hosts college students out-of more 90 regions. (There clearly was a comparatively large Dutch contingent; the slogan went: “If you are not Dutch, you are not far.”) Ac has actually a powerful idealistic ethos, with an emphasis towards internationally expertise; most children take scholarships. The brand new campus is sold with an effective Harry Potter-build gothic palace, an excellent jousting field, and capturing feedback of Bristol Route. Youngsters investigation the fresh Around the globe Baccalaureate. The brand new adolescent prince joined AC’s student-crewed RNLI lifeboat services, that has been both called away getting rescues; you’d in order to sew their wetsuit. He was along with a fairly decent squash user. A beneficial laidback figure, Willem got a track record due to the fact a party-companion and you will a bit of good Romeo. The guy dated several women youngsters off Latin America and you will no one is really amazed when he later partnered an Argentinian girl. LH

2 The latest Dutch regal friends costs over british you to definitely

To possess a purportedly reduced-trick, Scandinavian-build cycling monarchy, the fresh Dutch royal household members already been very costly. Centered on past year’s annual study of the Herman Matthijs, teacher regarding administrative research and you will societal funds within Ghent College or university, the house regarding Oranje-Nassau can cost you the nation’s taxpayers ?31m annually. That is more than virtually any regal family members in the western Europe – along with, for the first time, the house of Windsor, whoever head costs were reduced because of the 16% a year ago to around ?29.7m.

All round costs for the Dutch monarchy is four times brand new cost of brand new Spanish regal friends – and proportionately even dearer, given that Netherlands’ society regarding 16.7 billion is a third the size of Spain’s and 25 % the dimensions of Britain’s. Brand new cost is divided between allowances repaid towards monarch and you may the new heir noticeable (this year, Queen Beatrix, Prince Willem-Alexander and Little princess Maxima acquired €eight.1m), expenses obtain about show out-of formal responsibilities (€27m), or other costs about the treating the newest royal domestic (€5.7m). New Dutch regal relatives is also really rich. Last year, Forbes mag projected King Beatrix’s wealth from the $200m, listing accounts your Queen and her family unit members was actually strike by the declines when you look at the real estate and you may security investment but may plus have forfeit around $100m inside the Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi strategy – while the regal family has actually continuously refused that allegation. JH

King Beatrix (centre), along with her spouse Prince Claus and her kissbrides.com wikipedia reference sons brand new today Queen Willem-Alexander (right), Prince Constantijn (2nd correct) and you will Prince Johan Friso (currently within the a coma pursuing the a skiing crash). Photograph: Reginald Davis/Rex Has actually

3 Willem keeps a credibility

Queen Willem-Alexander try a bit of a lad, generating themselves the new nickname Prins Pils (Lager Prince) for their scholar alcohol-consuming, as soon as drove his auto on the an effective forget. JH

cuatro Brand new monarch’s birthday celebration is actually celebrated having a vehicle footwear income

From the following year, Koninginnedag, or Queen’s Day, will end up Koningsdag, or King’s Big date. It’s a charming in the event that quite crazed Dutch federal getaway well known all of the seasons once the 1948 into 31 April (otherwise thereabouts). They scratching the birthday out-of Beatrix’s mommy, Juliana, and you can Beatrix decided to celebrate the lady birthday celebration for a passing fancy big date. Koninginnedag try, strikingly, really the only day in the year when the Dutch are permitted to offer whatever they such as for instance, wherever they prefer, and therefore essentially function the world becomes a large fleamarket. That one of world history’s most useful mercantile regions should select so you can celebrate the monarch’s birthday of the presenting a form of federal vehicles boot sales was, in some way, fun. JH