The King at 50: the Royal Palace Amsterdam open to the public

On Friday evening 28 April 2017, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will receive 150 guests for a birthday dinner at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. After the dinner, the palace will be opened to the public for a period of 50 hours. The start of this period will be marked by a festive ceremony on Dam Square.

Earlier this year, the King posted a message on the Royal House Facebook page, inviting anyone who shares his birthday to apply to attend the dinner. From the many entries that poured in, 150 guests have been selected by lottery. Fifty of them were born the same year as the King (1967), and the remaining 100 are celebrating a ‘crown year’ birthday (i.e. their age is divisible by 5).

Following the dinner the Royal Palace Amsterdam will be opened, free of charge, to the public for 50 hours. A special exhibit will offer an overview of the last 50 years of Dutch history, with the help of a variety of objects, including those belonging to the King himself, and video from the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. There will also be a number of brief performances at various times. The programme will centre on community life in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

A festive ceremony on Dam Square will mark the official opening of the Palace. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will gather in front of the Palace with their 150 guests. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. A group photo will be taken with all the guests, the King and Queen and the assembled crowd on Dam Square. At 22.00 the Palace will be opened, and it will remain open until midnight on Sunday 30 April.

Starting today, tickets to visit the exhibition at the Palace can be reserved at the website www.wa50.nl.