The Dutch royal family celebrated King’s Day in the Gelderland town of Doetinchem in blazing sunshine on Saturday, a day earlier than normal, to avoid the Sunday.

Thousands of well-wishers turn out to meet the king, queen and two older daughters, as they took part in traditional King’s Day games and posed for photographs.

Doetinchem, wij zijn klaar voor Koningsdag in de Achterhoek!

De Koning en zijn familie zijn onderweg naar het centrum van Doetinchem voor de viering van Koningsdag.

Vanaf 12.00 uur live te volgen via https://t.co/XmkIetqgsY pic.twitter.com/y2BQ37utfU

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) April 26, 2025

The celebrations started an hour later than planned because of the funeral of pope Francis.

The king took the unusual step of broadcasting a message to the nation before the visit, in which he described the day as one with two faces.

The royal family has met the pope a few times and, the king said, adding that he cherished the memory of him.

“He had a way of touching on the essence of what life is about: love, humanity, and caring for one another,” said the king. “The sense of community that was so characteristic of pope Francis is also a hallmark of King’s Day.”

This, the king said, is why it was so meaningful to be in Doetinchem. “It is all the more important in a time of tensions and uncertainties in the world around us.”

The king rarely makes a public address to the nation, and the last time he did this on King’s Day was during the coronavirus pandemic.

Popularity

The annual NOS survey of attitudes towards the monarchy shows “significant” rise in support for the king and queen, the public broadcaster said.

Six in 10 people now say they support the monarchy, up five percentage points when compared with last year. Older people are more likely to back the king and queen, with seven in ten of the over-55s expressing support.