Most plan to celebrate King’s Day; 22% want an end to the holiday

A recent survey conducted by the Hart van Nederland panel found that 22 percent of Dutch respondents now support scrapping King’s Day, up from 18 percent in 2024. Despite the increasing opposition, a clear majority of 72 percent of respondents still want to keep the holiday, though that figure is down from 74 percent last year.

Koningsdag, held each year on April 27 to mark the king’s birthday, remains one of the most widely celebrated national holidays in the Netherlands. The king’s visit to a different city each year is a central tradition. This year marks the eleventh time King Willem-Alexander will participate in the official celebration of his birthday, and Doetinchem will host the national festivities. In addition to the royal visit, villages and cities across the country will organize events.

Political affiliation appears to play a significant role in public opinion on the issue. The poll revealed that 52 percent of FVD voters support ending Koningsdag celebrations, the highest share among any political group surveyed.

Among other parties, 28 percent of voters for both the PVV and Volt also said they were in favor of abolishing the holiday.