About HRH Willem-Alexander Prince of Orange

Prince Willem-Alexander, as the eldest child of Queen Beatrix, is first in line of succession to the throne. Since his mother's investiture on 30 April 1980, he has borne the title Prince of Orange, which has been held by the heir to the throne since 1815. The Prince is married to Princess Máxima. They have three daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.

The Prince completed his military service, after which he enrolled as a history student in the Arts Faculty of Leiden University in 1987. This gave the Prince a wide-ranging knowledge of a broad spectrum of subjects, including general and Dutch history, economic history, political science and constitutional law, EC law, international law, human rights and economics.

The Prince concluded his studies with a dissertation on the Dutch response to France's decision under President de Gaulle to leave NATO's integrated command structure. He was awarded a degree in history in 1993.

After his extensive introductory programme with the armed services, Prince Willem-Alexander spent some time studying Dutch society, with a focus on the legal system. He went on to study government and the constitutional system, and visited ministries and the High Councils of State to learn how central government and other authorities function. He also visited the European institutions. He then completed an introductory programme with the Dutch business community.

The Prince represents the Royal House on official occasions of all kinds. He regularly represents the Queen at international events or accompanies her on state visits. Prince Willem-Alexander frequently pays working visits in the Netherlands, to familiarise himself with social issues. He also visits the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

The Prince occupies many public posts, in particular within the fields of water and sport for which he has great interest. Public posts that he occupies are amongst others:

- Chair of the Water Advisory Committee in the Netherlands
- Chair of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
- Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- Member of the Advisory Board of ECP-EPN (Dutch Platform for the Information Society)

Furthermore, he and Princess Máxima are patrons of the Orange Fund, which was set up to promote social welfare and social cohesion in the Netherlands.