Monarchy of the Netherlands: History and Key Facts

The monarchy of the Netherlands is governed by the country's charter and constitution, roughly a third of which explains the mechanics of succession, accession, and abdication; the roles and duties of the monarch; the formalities of communication between the States General of the Netherlands; and the monarch's role in creating laws. The monarch is head of state of the Netherlands.

The once-sovereign provinces of the Spanish Netherlands were intermittently ruled by members of the House of Orange-Nassau from 1559, when Philip II of Spain appointed William the Silent (William of Orange) as stadtholder, until 1795, when the last stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange, fled the country. William the Silent became the leader of the Dutch Revolt and of the independent Dutch Republic. Some of his descendants were later appointed as stadtholders by the provinces, and, in 1747, the role of stadtholder became a hereditary position in all provinces of the thus "crowned" Dutch Republic.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands has been a hereditary monarchy since 20 November 1813, when it was constituted as a principality upon independence from Napoleonic France. It was raised to a kingdom on 16 March 1815. Willem-Alexander has been King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013, following the abdication of his mother, Queen Beatrix.

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