by Pim van Nes
For the first time since 1890 – one and a quarter century ago – the Kingdom of the Netherlands will welcome a new King after three Queens: Wilhelmina till 1948, Juliana till 1980 and Beatrix till 2013. On Tuesday April 30, the first son of Queen Beatrix and her German born husband Prince Claus, will be sworn in as King of the Netherlands. To-morrow April 27, Willem Alexander will celebrate his 46th anniversary accompanied by family and friends in The Hague.
This morning in the city of Enschede, close to the German border, the Prince of Orange and his Argentinian born spouse Princess Maxima, opened officially the so-called King’s Games, a national sports event for 1.300.000 school children across the 16 million populated country. The national sports event was intended for one day and one time, but Games chief Richard Krajicek, former tennis player, was asked by the future King to repeat the happening yearly in future.
In the afternoon, the Crown Prince opened officially the new Willem Alexander Baan, the 2000 meter rowing canal north-east of Rotterdam, financed by this City of Sports but in cooperation with the neighbour community named Zuidplas and the Province of Zuid-Holland. This ceremony was Willem Alexander’s last official appearance as a Crown Prince before Queen Beatrix will abdicate, upgrading her son to the Netherlands new King with immediate effect.
Inspired by his parents, but especially his father Claus van Amsberg, Willem Alexander developed a special involvement in sports. A stunning performance was the completion of the 200 km natural ice skating tour in the northern province of Friesland: the Eleven Cities Tour (Elfstedentocht in 1986). In 1998 he became personal member of IOC, International Olympic Comittee and effective April 30, 2013 his new position disallows him to continue this international job.
At the age of 2 years, Willem Alexander received a baseball bat as a gift from Haarlemse Honkbal Week to his father Prince Claus, who accepted the invitation for the ceremonial first pitch in the 1969 edition of the tournament. As a school boy the crown prince played a short shape of baseball with his father and two younger brothers in the palace garden. In 2001 Willem Alexander executed himself a ceremonial first pitch, when he opened the biannual Kingdom Games, hosted that year by Rotterdam. At that occasion he also initiated a conversation with national and municipal authorities, who then inspired KNBSB president Theo Reitsma to arrange for the next possible IBAF World Cup to be held in the Netherlands. And so it happened in 2005.