Netherlands Royal Family Tree: Exploring the Dutch Monarchy

The Netherlands royal family of the House of Orange-Nassau can be traced back to the 13th century. However, they didn’t really become a royal family until the Netherlands became a monarchy in 1815. That doesn’t make them any less important in the history of the Netherlands, though, since it was a member of the House of Orange-Nassau that helped establish Dutch independence.

Table of Contents

Origins of the Netherlands Monarchy

The monarchy of the Netherlands has some fascinating origins. It was originally a collection of provinces in the Spanish Netherlands, ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty. From 1559 until 1795, the Spanish Netherlands was ruled by stadtholders (officials) from the House of Orange-Nassau. The Dutch Revolt, coined the Eighty Years War, led to the formation of the Dutch Republic. The role of the stadtholder then became hereditary, setting the early foundations for a monarchy.

While the position of stadtholder continued past the Dutch Revolt, the French occupation of the Netherlands later inspired actual government change and reform. By the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Netherlands was officially acknowledged as a kingdom. The monarchy has been in place ever since, with the heir-apparent Princes of Orange being the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg until 1890.

William I

King William I of the Netherlands, born Willem Frederik, was the first actual king of the Netherlands in 1815. This is despite the House of Orange-Nassau having already acted as hereditary sovereigns for generations.

At the Congress of Vienna, William posited that he should be the king of the new kingdom of the Netherlands, and those present saw no reason to object – as long as he was cool with handing over his family’s land in Germany to the Nassau-Weilburg branch. Which, no surprise, he was. William was titled the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Duke of Limburg, and the Count of Nassau during his reign. He abdicated in 1840 in favor of his son, William II.

The House of Orange-Nassau

The House of Orange-Nassau is the current dynasty reigning over the Netherlands. They have been in power since the monarchy’s inception in 1815. Before then, the Netherlands had been under the influence of the House of Habsburg and the House of Nassau.

The Royal House of Orange-Nassau is a branch of the House of Nassau. It got its footing after William the Silent led the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Empire, which directly led to an autonomous Dutch state: the Dutch Republic. While those of the House of Orange-Nassau didn’t start as kings, they did hold the prestigious role of stadtholder.

Key figures

Here are important monarchs and figures from the House of Orange-Nassau, the current royal family of the Netherlands:

William the Silent (1533–1534)

William the Silent was the man who made the Dutch Revolt happen. Fondly remembered as William of Orange in the Netherlands, this stadtholder beefed with the Spanish Habsburgs and waged war with Spain and its European allies. The conflict lasted 82 years!

There was a lot of back and forth in the rebellion’s early years. In 1580, William the Silent was officially made an outlaw by King Philip II of Spain. The Spanish Empire, the Habsburgs, and the Catholics simply had enough of his rebel rousing. Coincidentally, William got a bounty on his head.

Surely it wouldn’t come back to haunt him, right? He had been up to no good for nearly 20 years at that point. If someone wanted to have stopped him, they would have.

Well, it turns out none were as determined to lay low William as a random Burgundian Catholic named Balthasar Gérard. July of 1584 saw the assassination of William the Silent at the hands of Gérard. Despite the animosity Gérard had towards William, he funnily enough cemented him in history as a martyr of the Dutch cause and as the first politician to be assassinated with a handgun, ever.

King William III (1817–1890)

King William III of the Netherlands was the last Grand Duke of Luxembourg from the Orange-Nassau line. He skirted around war with France and Prussia over Luxembourg several times during his rule. More significantly, William III had to contend with the liberal restrictions placed on royal authority that were enacted during his father, King William II’s, reign. He wasn’t crazy about the whole constitutional monarchy thing but ultimately failed to champion his cause.

William ended up having no male heir after his last son, Alexander, died in 1884 from typhus. Thus, the throne would go to his only daughter, Wilhelmina. While this worked out fine in the Netherlands, Luxembourg was beholden to the old Salic Law that states women could not inherit land. Luxembourg was instead given to the Orange-Nassau’s distant relatives, the House of Nassau-Weilburg, who continue to rule the nation to this day. Meanwhile, no male heir would be born into the Dutch royal family until the birth of the current monarch in 1967, a span of 116 years!

Queen Wilhelmina (1880–1962)

Queen Wilhelmina was the daughter of King William III and his insanely popular (and terribly young) wife, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. She was the couple’s only child and the only surviving child of William. Having ruled the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948, a span of 58 years, Wilhelmina became the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history. She is the second longest-reigning female monarch, second only to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Wilhelmina navigated the Netherlands through some tumultuous times. These included World War I, the Dutch Great Depression, and World War II. She became the spearhead for Dutch neutrality in WWI and the face of Dutch resistance in WWII. Her efforts to stabilize the economy led to an industrial boom in the Netherlands.

Given the circumstances faced in the Netherlands in the Second World War, the Dutch royal family was exiled. Nazi forces invaded in 1940. Wilhelmina did not return to the Netherlands until 1948. She abdicated in favor of her daughter, Juliana, the same year.

Queen Juliana (1909–2004)

Queen Juliana became the Queen of the Netherlands in 1948, inheriting a post-war country that was still recovering from occupation. Her husband, whom she married in 1936, was a German prince, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. His nationality had made him far less popular than his wife, given the negative public perception of Germany, and the royal family worked overtime to separate Bernhard’s image from the growing Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler. When Germany occupied the Netherlands in 1940, Juliana, her husband, and her daughters went into exile with the rest of the members of the Dutch royal line.

Of the most significant acts Juliana fulfilled in her time as monarch, one of the most memorable is her acknowledgment of Indonesia as a sovereign nation in 1949. Indonesia was a former Dutch colony, the Dutch East Indies, occupied by Japan in WWII. Following the conflict, leaders staked the claim of independence for Indonesia.

In 1953, Juliana officially endeared herself to the Dutch public after the disastrous North Sea Flood. Unforeseen storm tides formed and killed over 1,800 people in the Netherlands. Thousands more were trapped by severe flooding. Juliana made personal efforts to aid those in need, bringing food, blankets, and other necessities to survivors affected by the flooding.

The public adoration she earned from her various acts of goodwill allowed other disruptions later in her administration to be easily recovered from. Or, at least, smoothly recovered from. This would include her heir’s marriage to a former Hitler Youth member, which as one could imagine, the public wasn’t thrilled about.

The Modern Royal Family

The modern royal family, that is, the descendants of the House of Orange-Nassau, display the sparkling imagery of every other modern royal. Their lives appear idyllic. They have been, and continue to be, the face of the Netherlands and the Dutch population.

Current members of the Netherlands royal family include the following individuals, who are identified on the royal family of the Netherlands’ official site. These individuals are members of the family, though they are not all members of the royal house:

King Willem-Alexander
- Queen Máxima, wife of King Willem-Alexander
  - Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange and heir apparent
  - Princess Alexia, 2nd in line
  - Princess Ariane, 3rd in line
Prince Constantijn, younger brother of King Willem-Alexander, 4th in line
- Princess Laurentien, wife of Prince Constantijn
  - Countess Eloise
  - Count Claus-Casimir
  - Countess Leonore
Princess Margriet, third daughter of Queen Juliana
- Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven, husband of Princess Margriet
  - Prince Maurits
  - Prince Bernhard
  - Prince Pieter-Christiaan
  - Prince Floris
Princess Beatrix (former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands)
Princess Irene, second daughter of Queen Juliana
Princess Mabel, widow of Prince Friso and sister-in-law to King Willem-Alexander
- Countess Luana
- Countess Zaria

A majority of those listed as members of the royal family have their own children, spouses, and grandchildren. Most are considered too distantly related to Willem-Alexander to be counted as members of the royal house viable for succession. They are nonetheless members of the royal family at large, with a majority acting as private citizens.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima

The current monarchs of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander and Máxima, have been king and queen since the abdication of Queen Beatrix in 2013. The royal family today consists primarily of them, their daughters, and Willem-Alexander’s maternal relatives.

King Willem-Alexander married Argentina-born Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002 after their first meeting in 1999. The couple has three daughters together. Their eldest daughter is next in line for the throne.

As the head of the royal family of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander has traditional duties within the government. He works alongside a cabinet of ministers that oversees the nation’s parliament. Outside of weekly meetings with the prime minister of the Netherlands, it is also up to the monarch to open parliament. He is the president of the Council of the State. Queen Máxima is also a member of the Council of the State.

Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange

Catharina-Amalia is the Princess of Orange and the current heir presumptive to the Dutch throne. She was born in 2003. Since 2022, Catharina-Amalia has been studying at the University of Amsterdam. When she turned 18, the princess automatically became a member of the Council of the State, such as her position of heir permits.

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands

Alexia of the Netherlands is the second daughter of Willem-Alexander and Máxima and second in line to the throne. She was born in 2005. Since 2021, Alexia has been studying at the United World College of the Atlantic in South Wales.

Princess Ariane of the Netherlands

The youngest of the daughters born to Willem-Alexander and Máxima, Ariane was born in 2007. She is currently a student at Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet, the same high school her elder sisters attended.

Relations to Other European Royal Families

The royal house of the Netherlands has a long history, one both amicable and turbulent, with other European royal families. Their historical conflict with the Spanish Habsburgs (and thus Spain as a whole) survived well into the 20th century. They also frequently compete with England when it comes to trade. Despite this, the Netherlands is a relatively neutral country. They are members of NATO, the European Union, and the United Nations.

Intermarriage amongst European royal families was a common practice. In early history, royal intermarriage was a matter of diplomacy, which sought to bolster the economy or forge an alliance. The Netherlands has a history of seeking profitable marriages, especially in the Kingdom’s early years. In this case, royal marriage would have been pursued to improve legitimacy or Protestant standing in Europe. The Dutch Revolt, after all, did see a separation from the Catholic Church and the Dutch royal family has been famously Protestant since William the Silent.

John William Friso, Prince of Orange, and a great-great-grandson of William the Silent is a shared ancestor amongst all current European monarchs. Which, to be honest, is sort of crazy. Here is a quick list of some of the royal houses the House of Orange-Nassau is related to, though not all are included:

House of Bourbon
House of Hanover
House of Hohenzollern
House of Lippe
House of Mecklenburg
House of Palatine
House of Windsor
House of Stuart

Significant Events and Milestones

The Netherlands has been a monarchy since 1815. Thus, the royal family has lived through significant events in European history. They’ve even made history themselves.

World War II had a major impact on the royal family. They lived in effective exile for eight years with the queen and royal family acting as the faces of the Dutch resistance. By the time the family returned Queen Wilhelmina had to abdicate because of her poor health. This was in no way unusual: abdication in favor of one’s successor is pretty standard in the Netherlands. The intent of abdication is announced with a set date, of which the new monarch’s coronation would also occur.

1848 – The Netherlands becomes a constitutional monarchy under King William II

1849 – William III ascends the throne after his father’s dying

1890 – A 10-year-old Wilhelmina becomes Queen after William III’s death; her mother acts as regent until she reaches 18

1901 – Marriage of Queen Wilhelmina and Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

1937 – Princess Juliana marries Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, a German prince

1940 – Germany invades the Netherlands and the royal family seeks refuge in England on the HMS Hereward

1944 – Queen Wilhelmina was the first woman since the 15th century to be inducted into the Order of the Garter in England

1948 – The royal family returns from exile, Queen Wilhelmina celebrates her Golden Jubilee and abdicates in favor of her daughter, Juliana; she retires to Het Loo Palace

1966 – In controversy, Princess Beatrix marries German diplomat Claus von Amsberg

1967 – The first male heir to the Dutch Crown is born for the first time in 116 years

1973 – Queen Juliana celebrates her Silver Jubilee

1980 – Queen Juliana abdicates in favor of her daughter, Princess Beatrix

1983 – Constitutional reforms institute absolute primogeniture

2002 – Prince Willem-Alexander marries Máxima Zorreguieta

2005 – Queen Beatrix celebrates her Silver Jubilee

2013 – Queen Beatrix abdicates in favor of her son, Willem-Alexander

The Role of the Monarchy in Modern Netherlands

Many monarchies around the world have adapted to modern times. Though restricted by the Constitution of the Netherlands, the royal family – more specifically, the monarch – has an essential position with the nation’s parliamentary democracy. Laws are passed through the sovereign, who is the Head of State. They have a ceremonial role as monarchs and are restricted by the ministers they select, who are considered responsible for his or her actions. Ministers are also accountable for acts of government.

It is also important to note the crucial role the monarchy plays in maintaining Dutch culture. Their appearances at public events, both at home and abroad, reflect their nation. Much of the Dutch royal family is considered quite popular, though no modern royals compare to Queens Wilhelmina and Juliana, who shared sparkling public perceptions. As of 2023, the monarchy had dropped in popularity, with only 55% of the nation supporting its existence. That is compared to a whopping 80% in 2008.

Wrapping Up the Netherlands Royal Family Tree

The Dutch royal family tree has old roots in Europe despite the relatively young history of the Netherlands. They began as governors in the Spanish Netherlands, marrying among the fringes of nobility. Then, during the Eighty Years’ War, the Dutch Republic developed, later the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and ultimately the Kingdom of the Netherlands. For each of these early iterations of the Netherlands, a member of the House of Orange-Nassau has been in power.

Overall, the Dutch royal family has a history and legacy of resistance. William the Silent was, after all, a leader of the Dutch Revolt. Queen Wilhelmina, as well as others in the immediate family, became symbols of resistance during the 40s. While the monarchy has survived into the modern age and gained a new king as of 2013, the Dutch public may begin to question the monarchy’s relevancy as recent polls suggest. Until then, the royal family will continue to be the face of the Netherlands.