King Willem-Alexander to celebrate his birthday in Dokkum next year

King Willem-Alexander and his family will celebrate his 59th birthday in Dokkum next year, the government information service RVD announced. A wide variety of local parties, from entrepreneurs to schools, will help organize the day.

Mayor Johannes Kramer of Noardeast-Fryslán, which covers Dokkum, called it a great honor to receive the royal family. “That day we will be the center of the Nehterlands,” he said in a statement released by the municipality.

This will be the first time Willem-Alexander will celebrate King’s Day in Friesland. The last time the provinces hosted a Royal birthday party was Queen’s Day in 2008. That year, Queen Beatrix visited Makkum and Franeker, NOS reports.

After ticking Friesland off the list, there are only two provinces in which Willem-Alexander has not celebrated King’s Day yet - Flevoland and Zeeland. Since his inauguration in 2013, he has visited Zuid-Holland and Noord-Brabant twice.

This year, the royals celebrated King’s Day in Doetinchem on April 26. The King’s actual birthday, April 27, fell on a Sunday.