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William Alexander of the Netherlands

b. 1967

Born
27 Apr 1967, University Medical Center Utrecht
Country of birth
Netherlands

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

facts
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sources
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images and files
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Facts and their sources

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A life in time

  1. Born · University Medical Center Utrecht

    Birth, University Medical Center Utrecht

  2. Child born: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange

    Birth, Bronovo Hospital

  3. Child born: Princess Alexia of the Netherlands

    Birth, Bronovo Hospital

  4. Child born: Princess Ariane of the Netherlands

    Birth, Bronovo Hospital

What was it like?

The world around University Medical Center Utrecht, 1967: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Between 1950 and 1970, many Dutch religious congregations modernized their habits, eventually transitioning to civilian clothing to better connect with society. These changes were often introduced on the feast day of the congregation's patron saint.

Fashion

Modernization of Dutch religious habits

Between 1950 and 1970, many Dutch religious congregations modernized their habits, eventually transitioning to civilian clothing to better connect with society. These changes were often introduced on the feast day of the congregation's patron saint.

Around 1950–1959

Home sewing was common for Dutch women

In the 1950s, many Dutch women regularly sewed, knitted, and embroidered their own clothing and transformed existing garments to save money or follow trends. Professional dressmakers were often considered a luxury service accessible primarily to higher social classes.

Music

Brass Bands in Local Community Life

Brass bands were essential for community identity, performing at important village celebrations like First Communion, Saint Nicholas Day, and Queen's Day. They also acted as local music schools for villages before professional music schools were widely available.

Around 1950–1959

Making Music with Kitchenware

In the 1950s, a popular Dutch group called the Utrecht Housewives Orchestra performed music using everyday kitchen items like pots, pans, and even a drum made from a mayonnaise bucket.

Getting around

The rise of roadside picnicking

As car ownership exploded, a new phenomenon called bermtoerisme emerged where people used road verges for recreational stops and picnics while watching passing traffic.

Walking and cycling dominated short journeys

Most daily travel between towns, especially for distances under 5 kilometers, was done on foot or by bicycle, as the car only became dominant in the late 1960s.

Daily life

Saturday baths in shared water basins

Most homes lacked private bathrooms, so families relied on a zinc basin placed near the coal stove for Saturday night baths, with children sharing the same water.

The multi-purpose coal stove

The coal stove was the heart of the home, used not only for heating but also for drying laundry, roasting bread, keeping coffee warm, and heating flat irons.

Food
Around 1964–1964

Time spent on meal preparation in 1964

In 1964, a Dutch housewife spent on average 515 minutes per day on household tasks, with 150 minutes specifically dedicated to meal preparation.

Rise of dining out in the Netherlands

While almost no one ate out in 1950, by 1980 three-quarters of the Dutch population frequently dined at restaurants, including Chinese establishments which accounted for 1 in 4 eateries by the 1970s.

Prices and wages

Work time required for milk purchase

In 1953, an industrial worker had to work eleven minutes to afford a liter of milk, whereas by 1993, that time had decreased to only four minutes.

Around 1975–1975

Grocery prices in 1975 Netherlands

In 1975, a loaf of brown bread cost 0.44 guilders, a liter of milk 0.33 guilders, and a kilogram of chicken 2.56 guilders.

Work

Challenging conditions for manual workers

During this period, many manual workers in industries like construction and docks faced harsh working conditions, with a significant portion experiencing noisy, dirty, or shift-based work. By 1974, roughly 46% of workers reported facing at least one of these difficult conditions.

Long work weeks and intense housework

A standard 48-hour work week remained common for many industrial workers during the 1950s, though it gradually decreased to around 40 hours by the 1970s. Housework was also a full-time, labor-intensive daily task, often involving manual cleaning, cooking on coal stoves, and seasonal food preservation like canning.

News and letters
Around 1969–1970

Post delivery reduced to once daily

By around 1970, the Dutch post office reduced deliveries from multiple times per day to only once a day. This change was implemented because the expanding telephone network made urgent communication faster and more efficient.

Limited telephone access and long waits

In the 1950s and 60s, phone ownership was not common, and many people had to wait months for a connection due to long waiting lists. Some people relied on public phone booths or had to visit a post office to make calls.

During their lifetime

  1. 1975

    Large-scale migration after Surinamese independence

    Following the independence of its colony, one-third of the population of Suriname emigrated to the Netherlands.

  2. 1993

    Regulation of euthanasia by doctors

    The government officially regulated euthanasia, acknowledging a practice already estimated to account for 2% of deaths.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

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Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.