Together with Queen Máxima (54) and their three daughters Amalia (22), Alexia (20) and Ariane (19), the King paraded through the orange-lit streets today. But what few spectators knew was that this was not Willem-Alexander's first visit to Dokkum. He has been here before - incognito, 40 years ago.
Mayor Johannes Kramer summed up the moment in his speech: "Forty years ago you were here too, Your Majesty. You arrived, picked up a stage stamp and plunged back into the darkness, heading for Leeuwarden." Back then, on February 26, 1986, a young 18-year-old skater named "W.A. van Buren" made it through one of the toughest sporting events in the world: the legendary Elfstedentocht, a 200-kilometre speed skating tour across eleven Frisian cities. The name was a disguise. The athlete was Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.
Willem-Alexander: The bet with a friend
What hardly anyone knows is that the young prince decided to take part in the race at short notice, just two days before the event. "It was a bet with a friend. I told him I would make it to the finish," Willem-Alexander later revealed with a smile. He had not trained seriously. "The longest I've ever ridden is 65 kilometers," he confessed. At minus 13 degrees and in an icy easterly wind, he set off on stamp card number 1 - under the cover of the Frisian darkness.
The Dutch royal family has used the cover name "Van Buren" for generations to travel incognito. The roots go back to the 15th century, when Anne of Boer became the first wife of William of Orange. However, the secret only lasted until the fifth city of Stavoren, where the prince was recognized. From then on, the Dutch cheered him on along the route with "Willem, Willem!". Exhausted but proud, W.A. van Buren reached the finish line at 21:45. Willem-Alexander collapsed in the arms of his proud mother, then Queen Beatrix.
Willem-Alexander and Máxima: Love in the tango bar
Willem-Alexander was born on April 27, 1967 in Utrecht as the eldest son of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. Trained as heir to the throne from an early age, he studied history in Leiden and completed his military service in the Dutch navy. Then, in 1999, came the moment that would change his life: In a tango bar in Seville, he met Máxima Zorreguieta - an Argentinian investment banker, six months younger than him. "She didn't know who I was," he later recounted with a laugh. Máxima only found out two days later that she had just fallen in love with the Dutch crown prince.
The two married in 2002. The marriage produced three daughters: Amalia, who is now heir to the throne as Crown Princess, Alexia and Ariane. Amalia recently made headlines when she completed her basic training in the Dutch armed forces and is now completing her reservist training in addition to her law studies. A modern royal family with both feet firmly planted in real life.
Willem-Alexander 2026: Popularity at a new high
At the age of 59, Willem-Alexander's popularity is at a stable high. Recent surveys by the public broadcaster NOS show that 62% of Dutch people are in favor of retaining the monarchy. Confidence in the king himself rose from 51 to 54 percent - especially among young people between 18 and 34. Queen Máxima traditionally receives the best ratings (7.5), followed by Crown Princess Amalia with 7.3.
Despite republic demonstrations with an inflatable dinosaur called "Wim" on the sidelines of today's celebrations, the relationship between the Dutch and their royals is warmer than ever before. Perhaps also because Willem-Alexander has never tried to make himself look better than he is - a king who once fought 200 kilometers on skates as "Van Buren" because he didn't want to lose a bet. It is precisely this down-to-earth attitude that the Dutch love about their king.
