The Netherlands celebrates birthday of King Willem-Alexander
By PETER DEJONG
Associated Press
AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Netherlands is celebrating the 56th birthday of King Willem-Alexander with street markets, parties and orange-glazed pastries, even as an annual poll shows support for the monarchy continuing to decline. An annual poll conducted for national broadcaster NOS by Ipsos ahead of the King’s Day national holiday showed support for the monarch continuing to fall after it plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the king and his family angered many by taking a vacation in Greece during a nationwide lockdown.Ten years after Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne, support for the House of Orange — that was at 74% before the pandemic — has dropped to 55% while backing for the Netherlands becoming a republic rose in the same period from 15% to 24%.