Royal family to spend 2020 King’s Day in Maastricht

The Royal family will spend King's Day, King Willem-Alexander's birthday on April 27th, in Maastricht next year, government information service Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst announced on Monday. Maastricht is looking forward to the visit, mayor Annemarie Penn-te Strake said to AD.

"It is an absolute honor that the King will celebrate King's Day in our city next year. The city has everything to offer the Royal family a great day. Together with all people from Maastricht, we will make a festive Kings Day", the mayor said. In the coming months, the city will work hard on an interesting and festive program.

"It will of course be a party for the King, but also for the city", Penn-te Strake said to the newspaper. "Of course everyone knows Maastricht, but does everyone really know Maastricht well? We are one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, but also with one of the youngest and most international populations. Everyone knows the beautiful historic city center, but on the outskirts developed a rugged area full of industrial monuments, sanctuaries, and meaningful creativity that gives this city a new identity."

Hosting King's Day next year is a nice consolation prize for Maastricht. The city lost the bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year to Rotterdam. And in 2018, Maastricht lost out on being a European Capital of Culture to Leeuwarden. 

This year King Willem-Alexander and his family celebrated his birthday in Amersfoort.