Today it's Kingsday in the Netherlands. If I were in the Netherlands right now in a post-covid world, I would be dressed up in orange, partying in the street, buying things from the flea market and eating an orange tompouce. But why orange? And why is Kingsday celebrated on the 27th of April? 

To understand all of this, the story of one man is essential: William the Silent, Duke of Nassau, Prince of Orange, better known as William of Orange.

He was born in the Duchy of Nassau, Germany, in 1533. Aged 11, he inherited the Princedom of Orange, France, from his cousin who died childless together with some possessions in the Netherlands. Emperor Charles V agreed with this inheritance under two conditions: William had to convert to Catholicism and move to the court in Brussels.

William became a talented leader and diplomat and was appointed as 'Stadtholder' (the ruler instead of the emperor) of the most important part of the Netherlands. At that time there was a lot of dissatisfaction with the emperor and the Spanish rule about taxation, religious persecution and political representation.

This dissatisfaction eventually turned into the Dutch revolt. Instead of siding with emperor Philips II, William of Orange sided with the rebels and became their leader. William played a pivotal role in making the revolt a success, before he was murdered in 1584 by a catholic fanatic and is seen as the founding father of The Netherlands. 

During the Dutch revolt, the rebels needed a flag and they decided to make a new one based on Williams's clothes (blue and white) and name (orange). Orange therefore became one of the national colours and its importance grew as until the end of the 18th century the 'Orange' family kept playing a role in Dutch politics.

After being occupied by Napoleon, the Netherlands became a kingdom in 1815 and another William of Orange, a direct descendant of the original William, became the first Dutch king. Our current king, William-Alexander of Orange, is the 8th ruler of the House of Orange. His birthday is on the 27th of April and that's what we are celebrating today. 

Originally posted on Instagram on April 27, 2021