The Hague, the Netherlands (AP), in all the Netherlands, people put on orange clothes, from tuxedo to feathers boas, and juerguistas full ships obstructed Amsterdam channels to celebrate their king’s birthday on Saturday.
In an Amsterdam park, a dog named Lucy lucia dyed orange fur.
“I love that it is a day when every year everyone joins, they simply celebrate and it is not it is not that they are not accepted,” said Dicky Van Warmerdam, 22. “And if you look around, it’s just a giant party and who doesn’t want that?”
The official royal walk of King Willem-Alexander and family members in the Eastern city of Doetinchem began an hour later than planned not to face the funeral in the Vatican of Pope Francis.
In a video message, Willem-Alexander said that the day of the Dutch celebration “has two faces” due to the funeral of the Pope and paid tribute to Francis.
“For many Catholics and not Catholics, it was a source of inspiration,” said the king.
The King’s 58th birthday is Sunday, but King’s day was a hero a day before.
(L / r): The princess of the Netherlands Amalia, Queen Maxima, King Willem-Alexander and Princess Alexia pose for a photograph during the King’s Day celebrations in Doetinchem on April 26, 2025. (Photo by Emiel Muijman / Affmaitar (photo)
The celebrations begged Friday night with the street markets in the central city of Utrecht and parties in other towns and cities.
For Saturday afternoon, some channels in the Dutch capital were full of boats, the water sometimes barely visible through the multitude of people and clouds of orange smoke of flares.
In a message on social networks, the municipality of Amsterdam said that parts of the city were “too full” and urged people not to visit Amsterdam and “celebrate King’s Day elsewhere.” Other cities also reported that the events were overcrowded.
In Amsterdam Vondel Park, the children extended blankets and sold toys, clothing and unwanted books in one of the many “free markets” that arise on sidewalks and parks.
And it was only the Dutch who celebrated in Amsterdam.
“It’s a great moment for together to be with friends, you know, … make new connections,” said Lorenzo Soldi, 23, from Italy.