Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

Born in Utrecht on 27 April 1967, Willem-Alexander grew up as the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus during the reign of his grandmother Juliana. He became Prince of Orange when his mother took the throne in 1980. He attended public schools in the Netherlands and Wales, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University. In 2002 he married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti; they have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Alexia, and Ariane. Before his accession he chaired international water management boards and sat on the International Olympic Committee. On 30 April 2013 his mother abdicated and he became king, closing more than a century of female succession.