King Willem-Alexander accompagned by his wife Queen Maxima attends the ceremony of the Military Order of William (Militaire Willemsorde) to honor and award the Commando Corps at the Binnenhof on March 15, 2016 at the Hague, The Netherlands. This unit is distinguished for their extraordinary efforts in Afghanistan.


The award was instituted by King William I on April 30, 1815 in recognition of outstanding acts of bravery, skill and loyalty in battle. The first Military Order of William was awarded to Hereditary Prince William Frederick of Orange-Nassau for his actions during the Campaign of 1815 against Napoleon.