#through the years: Willem Alexander

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,594/∞) 14 March 2025 | King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix are participating in NLdoet of the Oranje Fonds. The Royal Couple will help in a community center with the beautification of the location. On March 15, Princess Beatrix will help in a toy library and playground. NLdoet is the largest volunteer action in the Netherlands and is taking place for the 21st time this year. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Oranje Fonds/Koninklijkhuis)

[celebrityfanfictionblog]

"King of the Netherlands"

Chapter One: The King's Secret Service

Featuring King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

The late afternoon sun filtered through the heavy drapes of King Willem-Alexander’s office in Noordeinde Palace, casting golden streaks across the polished oak desk. At 57, the king carried the weight of his years with a solid, sturdy physique—6’2” of mature, robust muscle softened by a stockier frame. His graying light brown hair was swept neatly to the side, and his trimmed beard lent him a distinguished air. Dressed in a tailored navy suit, he sat hunched over a stack of correspondence, but his mind was far from the mundane duties of state. His blue eyes, sharp yet weary, flickered toward the door.

Queen Máxima had been distant for months, consumed by her own obligations. Their three daughters were nearly grown, leaving the palace quieter than ever. The absence of intimacy gnawed at him. Willem-Alexander, a man of vigor—once an avid pilot and sportsman—felt his erotic passions simmering beneath the surface, unfulfilled. And then there was Bram Smit.

Bram entered silently, as he always did, a tray of coffee in his hands. At 34, the royal servant was a vision of understated elegance—6 feet tall, lean and athletic, with sandy blond hair parted neatly and hazel eyes that caught the light like polished amber. His faint tan and freckled cheekbones spoke of summers by the sea, and his tailored black uniform hugged his frame just enough to hint at the strength beneath. He set the tray down with practiced grace, the faint clink of porcelain breaking the silence.

“Your coffee, Your Majesty,” Bram said, his voice smooth and low, tinged with the soft cadence of his Scheveningen upbringing. “Black, with a touch of cinnamon, as you like it.”

Willem-Alexander leaned back in his chair, studying him. He’d noticed Bram before—how could he not? The servant’s quiet dignity, his sly smiles, the rumors of a florist in Amsterdam. The king had heard whispers of Bram’s sexuality, and curiosity had morphed into something hungrier over weeks of stolen glances. Today, with the palace unusually still and Máxima away, that hunger felt impossible to ignore.

“Thank you, Bram,” Willem-Alexander replied, his Dutch accent rich and deliberate. He hesitated, then added, “Stay a moment. Close the door.”

Bram’s hazel eyes flickered with surprise, but he obeyed, shutting the heavy door with a soft thud. He turned back, hands clasped behind him, waiting. The air thickened with unspoken tension.

“You’ve been here—what, ten years now?” the king asked, rising from his chair. His broad shoulders filled the room as he stepped closer, his 7-inch uncut cock stirring faintly beneath his trousers.

“Nearly, Your Majesty,” Bram said, his tone steady but his gaze dipping briefly to the king’s chest before meeting his eyes again. “Since 2015.”

Willem-Alexander stopped a foot away, close enough to catch the faint scent of Bram’s cologne—something crisp, like sea air and cedar.

“And in all that time,” he murmured, “I’ve never asked about you. That florist in Amsterdam—true or not?”

Bram’s lips curved into that sly smile, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, sire.”

The king chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “And I’m no gentleman today.” He reached out, his large hand brushing Bram’s jaw, testing the waters. Bram didn’t flinch—his breath hitched, but he leaned into the touch, a silent invitation.

Before either could second-guess it, Willem-Alexander closed the gap, his lips crashing against Bram’s with a desperate edge. Bram responded eagerly, his lean frame pressing into the king’s sturdier one. Hands roamed—Willem-Alexander’s thick fingers gripped Bram’s hips, while Bram’s slid up the king’s chest, tugging at his tie.

They stumbled toward the desk, papers scattering as Bram sank to his knees. He unbuckled Willem-Alexander’s trousers with deft fingers, freeing the king’s 7-inch uncut cock—thick, veined, and already half-hard. Bram’s hazel eyes flicked up, locking with the king’s as he murmured, “May I, sire?”

“Do it,” Willem-Alexander growled, voice rough with need.

Bram’s lips parted, and he took the king into his mouth, slow at first, savoring the weight of him. His tongue swirled around the foreskin, teasing the sensitive tip before sliding deeper. Willem-Alexander groaned, one hand gripping the desk’s edge, the other tangling in Bram’s sandy blond hair. The wet heat of Bram’s mouth was exquisite—his lips stretched around the king’s girth, his throat relaxing to take more. He sucked with a rhythm that spoke of skill, hollowing his cheeks, then pulling back to lap at the precum beading at the slit.

“Godverdomme,” Willem-Alexander muttered, his Dutch slipping out in a husky curse. “You’re too good at this.”

Bram hummed around him, the vibration sending a jolt through the king’s body. He worked faster, one hand stroking the base while the other cupped Willem-Alexander’s heavy balls, rolling them gently. The king’s hips bucked, chasing the pleasure,

until he felt the pressure building, his balls tightening as Bram’s throat relaxed, taking him deeper still.

With a guttural moan, the king came hard, his thick cock pulsing as he spilled into Bram’s mouth. The servant didn’t flinch, swallowing every drop of the royal cum, his throat working rhythmically until the king was spent.

Panting, Willem-Alexander looked down at Bram, who wiped his lips with the back of his hand and rose to his feet, a faint blush on his cheeks.

“Was that to your satisfaction, Your Majesty?” Bram asked, his voice steady despite the heat in his eyes. The king chuckled, adjusting himself back into his trousers.

“More than satisfactory,” he said, then paused, a spark of curiosity igniting within him. “But now… I want to try something.”

His gaze dropped to the bulge straining against Bram’s trousers.

“Let me suck you.”

Bram blinked, startled. “Sir, you don’t have to—”

“I want to,” Willem-Alexander interrupted, his tone firm. He stepped forward, nudging Bram back until the assistant’s hips hit the edge of the desk. With a mix of nerves and determination, the king sank to his knees—a rare reversal of power—and fumbled with Bram’s belt. His hands, more accustomed to piloting planes than this, trembled slightly as he freed Bram’s slender 8-inch cock, the pale shaft already leaking at the tip.

Willem-Alexander hesitated, then leaned in, his beard brushing Bram’s thighs as he took the head into his mouth. The taste was sharp and salty, unfamiliar but thrilling. He bobbed awkwardly at first, his lips stretching around the length, his tongue tentative. Bram gasped, his hands gripping the desk’s edge.

“Your Majesty… oh, God…”

Encouraged, Willem-Alexander tried to take more, gagging as the tip hit the back of his throat. He pulled back, coughing, then dove in again, his inexperience evident but his enthusiasm undeniable.

“Tell me what to do,” he mumbled around the cock, his voice muffled.

“Just… keep going,” Bram panted, his green eyes half-lidded. “Suck harder.”

Willem-Alexander obeyed, hollowing his cheeks and bobbing faster, his gag reflex protesting as he pushed himself. Saliva dribbled down his chin, matting his beard, but he didn’t care. Bram’s moans grew louder, his hips twitching.

“Sir, I’m close,” he warned, his voice tight. “You don’t have to—”

The king’s hands clamped onto Bram’s hips, holding him in place as he sucked harder, spurred on by the warning. Bram groaned, his slender cock throbbing as he came, hot spurts flooding Willem-Alexander’s throat. The king choked slightly, unprepared for the volume, but he swallowed what he could, the rest dripping down his chin as he pulled back, breathless.

Bram sagged against the desk, his chest heaving.

“I… I didn’t expect that,” he admitted, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

Willem-Alexander wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, rising to his feet with a grin. “Neither did I,” he said, his voice hoarse but satisfied. “But I think we’ll keep this between us, yes?”

Bram nodded, still catching his breath. “For the crown, sir. Always.”

The king clapped him on the shoulder, a spark of mischief in his graying eyes. “Good man. Now, let’s get back to my coffee.”

[b-skarsgard]

Bill Skarsgård in a big interview with MovieZine: "Horror is always best at the cinema"

"Nosferatu" current actor in great interview with Alexander Kardelo - about finding Orlok's look and voice, love for Robert Eggers and a busy 2025.

It is a great pleasure to follow Bill Skarsgård's career, which moves from one exciting collaboration to another. Now the Swede is very current in the title role in "Nosferatu", the hottest thriller of the winter. But the risk is that you won't recognize Bill, who has turned into a 350-year-old vampire count with a taste for blood.

MovieZine exclusively tells us that Daniel Day-Lewis could have played Orlok, and that he himself was initially considered for a completely different role in the film. But years of delays led to something good, and Robert Egger's "Nosferatu" is now ready for release.

We also talk about Bill's other intense roles, from last year's "The Crow" to the upcoming "Lords of War" where he meets Nicolas Cage.

read at the link above or below the cut

translated through google

Last time we talked about you being in "The Northman" but choosing "Clark" instead. But you got to work with Robert Eggers in the end, fun! What was it like stepping into his dark world?

- It has been fantastic. It's a long damn journey. I met him at a meeting in New York right after he had done The Witch. I saw it and thought "who the hell is this, I have to work with this man".

- Our meeting only confirmed even more how much I wanted to work with him. I felt that he speaks to all my interests. He inspires. He is so chill in his integrity, in his creative expression. I felt wow , this guy makes no compromises.

- I was cast in "Nosferatu" when it was to be his second film. I read the script and auditioned, first for the role of Harding, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and then for the role of Thomas Hutter, who is the male romantic lead, played by Nick (Hoult). I got it, and I was so incredibly excited and tickled!

The idea was that Bill Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy would have played the love couple at the center of "Nosferatu". But the project fell apart - Eggers refused to compromise his vision, and made "The Lighthouse" (2019) instead. Skarsgård got a minor role in Egger's third feature film "The Northman" but instead chose to jump on the Swedish miniseries "Clark".

- I felt that I love Robert, but that role could not be compared to the challenge in "Clark". I produced "Clark", it was mine and Jonas (Åkerlund's) baby. I didn't know if Robert would be easily offended and write me off forever... Then "Nosferatu" was going to be his next movie and I heard he chose Nick Hoult for the role that was promised to me - that bastard...!

- But the Harding role then? I think I can do it well. No, he wanted Aaron Taylor-Johnson for it. Both of those actors are really my peers, I've been losing roles to them for a hundred years. They are my competitors. I thought Eggers will never want to work with me again. Thanks and bye, I will survive. But out of nowhere he came to me and offered me Orlok.

It is not the most expected choice. Orlok is a 350 year old, stinking, living dead count. Maybe you're not the first person who comes to mind for the role?

- No, I didn't think so either. I know he was talking about Daniel Day-Lewis, and for a while it was Willem Dafoe who was going to play him, and Mads Mikkelsen... When he came to me years later, it was a shock at first, but then I was very flattered. He can have whoever the hell he wants. Giants, big names... What does Robert see in me that I might not see myself?

- But I know he's a perfectionist, and would never ever cast that role with someone he doesn't think can do it. Because the film is so personal to him. My trial filming process was 10 days back and forth, where he shared his research, as he is known for doing. I got a big folder with details, clothes, what Orlok looks like... I would watch some movies for references. Then we started dating: "What do you think of such and such inspiration?"

Bill Skarsgård is really unrecognizable under layers of all the makeup. It took six hours in the makeup chair, every day, to make him hideous and mysterious. But the biggest challenge was finding Orlok's voice:

- How can I make my voice almost so supernaturally dark? And breathing was damn important. I started recording clips and sending them to him. "Should I go more for Bela Lugosi? Or find someone more nuanced?" It was an intense 10 days of express development for the character. But that led to camera tests, which led to me booking the role.

- Then the film fell apart again. And it took two years before we actually started filming. Then the real work began, Bill remembers.

- I worked with an opera singer to get the technique, to activate the voice and get it as deep as I could. Then followed hundreds of hours of recording yourself, listening, recording yourself... From that I found my method - I knew when the voice was at its best. When I was most relaxed. Then I started to build up my routine. I had a 20-minute vocal warm-up process before every damn take.

It's absolutely incredible, you don't see and you don't hear that it's you.

- I have 600 hours of voice recordings that prove it's my voice, haha.

How did you find the look itself?

- The look was based on: what did a Transylvanian nobleman look like in the 16th century, and what would he look like if he had been dead for 300 years? I read the script for the first time almost 10 years ago. Not much has changed. He has marinated on this film for so long. As you know, he always goes to research and to authenticity, to historical clues, for his creation. That's how it always is. He strives to be as historically authentic as possible.

- I asked Robert at some point: "Will you ever make a contemporary film?" "Never," he said. He will never make a film that is not set in the past.

Did you guys use the old "Nosferatu" as a reference?

- I had already seen the old "Nosferatu" many times before. And Herzog's too, to some extent. But there was absolutely nothing I watched before this one. I think it can be harmful to study what people have done before. Even subconsciously, you can start stealing.

You choose courageous roles and exciting film projects. In 2024 you've released 'Boy Kills World', 'The Crow' and 'Nosferatu', all of which are quite dark and brutal in different ways. Just a coincidence, or are you attracted to such roles?

- For me, it is that the characters attract you, and you yourself attract characters. And then you meet in the middle. For some unfathomable reason, I'm drawn to these characters and they seem to be drawn to me. That year was a little too intense and a little too dark, to make the three films back to back. But I think all three of them deserve it. And if you look at the three films, you see that "Bill does different types of characters anyway", haha.

- I am a completely different person than when I was 16 or 18 years old. But what is it that has always been consistent? Playing as many different roles as possible is something that has been true for me ever since I was young.

"Boy Kills World" went under the radar a bit. And "The Crow" was already criticized in advance. Are you affected by that, how the films are received?

- I notice how "Boy Kills World" has grown on streaming. There were a lot of different reasons: it was an independent film, the marketing didn't have that high of a budget, so that film wasn't launched to do best in theaters in today's climate. Then these films can live on-demand. A bit suspicious, I think. How much have these movies made from home rentals? It is nothing that becomes public. I can almost wonder, because I should have a piece of that cake too…

- But "Boy Kills World" is growing and finding its audience, which is fun. I think that film has its place, says Bill.

- With "The Crow" there was just a wave of negativity already in front. I think that film was a little undeservedly harshly judged without that negativity. The film is not for everyone, and I have a lot of opinions about the result as well. But I see that it runs well on-demand. And I meet fans who say "that movie is really important to me". That movie resonates with people. It is not for everyone. But if you meet someone who says "I loved The Crow", then that's enough for me.

After these three dark roles, what's next for you in 2025?

- It's starting to clear up more and more. Looks like it's going to be a pretty busy year... and a bit dark too, haha.

Is "Lords of War" with Nicolas Cage one of your upcoming projects?

- I'm looking forward to it. It looks like it will be released later in 2025. It is a dark comedy. The character is a bit like Clark... A real self-centered sociopath who is an asshole but also quite fun.

- But next I will work with Gus van Sant. We will start recording in January. It is a very demanding and intensive role. It's something I seem to have stuck with, that the roles become demanding. I'm like that. If it's a tight uphill, then I get motivated to start climbing up. When I feel scared, "I can't do this" - I do it! I don't know how wise it is for my well-being, but there is something masochistic about it that motivates me.

But blockbusters don't seem to attract you, do they? On the other hand, you have appeared in two Marvel movies with "Eternals" and "Deadpool 2"... How is it - were you considered for the role of Lex Luthor in "Superman"?

- No, no one contacted me. It was just media rumours. But just because it's a Hollywood blockbuster... that's not enough to get me going on it. But if I feel that I see a challenge, that I can do something that feels good or that I believe in the project - then it suddenly becomes relevant. If you make a big film, you want to make a Gus van Sant film after that. It's fun to switch tracks like that.

- I hope that "Nosferatu" can become a blockbuster. I think it has the potential to be. It is art house. Extremely artistic, very scary, but it's also very conventional. It's the Dracula story. We know this story. It sits in our spine. It's horror. It's a big release. So in that way, I hope and believe that the film can really find a large audience.

- And horror is always best at the cinema. Not enough of that. It's also one heck of a craft. It's the kind of movie that can't be made anymore. Almost everything is practical effects. It is filmed on film. Every single picture looks like a painting. This is filmmaking of the highest order, and should be seen on the largest screen possible.

[pwlanier]

The Picture Gallery, the Sciences and the Arts, oil on an oak panel, by A. van Stalbemt.

In a vast interior, scholars and connoisseurs contemplate and discuss paintings, engravings, and portraits on vellum, sculptures, scientific objects and curiosities. A wide variety of pictorial genres are represented in the paintings: landscapes, still lifes, historical pieces, portraits, altarpieces, religious scenes and allegories. With this work, Adriaen van Stalbemt pays tribute to the richness of both contemporary Flemish painting and that of past centuries. On the left, hanging from the large piece of carved wooden furniture through which it was possible to access this room, is a work of the interior of a church as Pieter Neefs the Elder (with whom Adriaen van Stalbemt may have worked) would have depicted it, while above it is possible to recognise, through the Italianate landscape inspired by the Roman forum, the work of a member of the famous Bentveughels community, made up of Flemish and Dutch artists active in Rome in the early 17th century such as Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Jan Asselijn, Hendrik Frans van Lint and Willem van Nieulandt. The bluish tondo landscape is possibly by the hand of Paul Bril.

On the lower right, the painting showing game on an entablature covered in red drapery is undoubtedly by Pieter Snijders (the deer strung up in the foreground is a recurring motif in the master's work, as are the lobster and the basket garnished with bunches of white and red grapes) (1).

The work placed on a red armchair with a young man leaning over it in the foreground is inspired by The Abundance and the Four Elements painted by Hendrick van Balen in collaboration with Jan Brueghel the Elder (now in Madrid, Prado Museum, P001399, fig. 1), while the landscape placed on the floor against the foot of the chair evokes the work of Jaspar van der Laanen, Alexander Keirinx and Jan Brueghel the Younger. Among the paintings on the back wall, the Saint Jerome recalls the work of sixteenth-century Flemish painters Joos van Cleve, Pieter Coecke van Alst and Marinus van Reymerswaele, whose study of the saint depicted as a cardinal is a favourite subject, while the landscape to his left is probably by Joos de Momper. The large bacchanal in the centre is reminiscent of the work of Hendrick van Balen, while the scene depicting the Queen of Sheba before King Solomon is probably by Frans Francken II.

Finally, the portrait of the hunter holding the head of a fox is known from a painting in Karlsruhe attributed to the entourage of Karel Dujardin (no. 302) (2). Two men contemplate a curved altarpiece depicting the Virgin crowned by angels on a green background by Adriaen Isenbrant (now in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin (inv. 554), fig. 2), while the Holy Family surrounded by a wreath of flowers is probably a work by Frans Francken II or Jan Brueghel II in collaboration with Daniel Seghers.

Born in Antwerp and of Protestant faith, Adriaen Stalbemt took refuge in Middelburg between 1585 and 1609 due to the political unrest that engulfed the city of Antwerp in the 1580s. He returned to his hometown in 1609, probably after the proclamation of the Twelve Years' Truce, where he became master of the Guild of Saint Luke and then dean between 1618 and 1619. He participated in the intellectual life of the city through his membership in the chamber of rhetoric known as De Violeren. After a brief stay in England between 1632 and 1633, during which he produced a View of Greenwich with Charles I and Henrietta Maria (Royal Collection, Hampton Court, London) and collaborated with his compatriot Jan van Belkamp, ​​he returned to Antwerp, where he died in 1662. Well-established in the thriving Antwerp market at the beginning of the 17th century, he produced paintings for the merchant Chrysostomus van Immerseel between 1634 and 1641. Establishing a precise chronology of his production remains a challenge, since his paintings are rarely dated (3). A specialist in paintings that were intended for display in these picture cabinets, Stalbemt produced a variety of works over the course of his long career, ranging from landscapes to depictions of cabinet interiors. His religious, mythological and allegorical scenes are often set in elaborate landscapes, a genre in which he excelled. The Triumph of David over Goliath in the Prado Museum (Madrid) painted in concert with Jan Brueghel the Younger shows that he collaborated with other Antwerp artists as a figure painter (no. P001782).

In the 1610s and 1620s, Frans Francken the Younger and Jan Brueghel I were the first to paint this type of subject. As an example, one could look at the cabinet of curiosities painted by Frans Francken II from 1619, kept at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (inv. 816, fig. 3). Ursula Härting has shown that Frans Francken II produced these subjects before 1617, a milestone previously established as the year of the introduction of this genre by means of Jan Brueghel the Elder’s The Sense of Sight from 1617 (Prado Museum, Madrid, no. P001394, fig. 4). It is therefore in the wake of the production of Frans Francken II, who, with the help of a large workshop, produced numerous variants after a first prototype, that our work should be placed. Our painting is similar to another work by Stalbemt in the Prado Museum (inv. P001405, fig. 5) of which other versions are known, one having being with the De Jonckheere gallery in 2002 and the other appearing in a sale in Zurich (4). There are other interieur scenes that depict galleries of paintings of this painter.

Artcurial

[tiaramania]

Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan & Rajwa Al Saif's Upcoming Wedding

Only one week day left until the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa bint Khaled Al Saif! It will be held on June 1st at 4:00pm at Zahran Palace followed by a reception at Al Husseiniya Palace. The future Crown Princess Rajwa's engagement ring features a large pear shaped diamond but for her henna party she wore a different ring with tilted marquis cut diamonds.

If Rajwa chooses a tiara that already belongs to the JRF, my choice is Queen Rania's Arabic Scroll Tiara. She has already worn several pairs of earrings loaned by her future mother-in-law so wearing one of her tiaras is a strong possibility.

However, my prediction is for her getting a brand new tiara especially after Princess Iman debuted a new tiara at her wedding earlier this year. The tiara might be a gift from either from the JRF or from her own family, who are apparently quite wealthy, but I very much doubt that they will release any information about the tiara like they will for the gown.

Queen Rania hosted the henna party on May 22nd at Raghadan Palace (here's a longer video and the highlight video is below) and King Abdullah will host the sahra party on May 31st at the Bani Hashem Matharib. There's also a concert on the 29th and practices are underway for the parades and drone shows so I expect this to be a pretty big celebration.

The dress code for the guests will be long dresses but no tiaras. The Jordanian royals aren't very big on tiaras so I wasn't expecting the dress code to include them. Update: Saad Salman is now reporting that the guests will also be wearing tiaras most likely at the banquet following the wedding.

The foreign royals that have confirmed attendance so far are...

Belgium - King Philippe & Crown Princess Elisabeth

Bhutan - Queen Jetsun Pema & Princess Eeuphelma

Brunei - Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah & Prince Mateen

Denmark - Crown Prince Frederik & Crown Princess Mary

Japan - Princess Takamado & Princess Tsuguko

Kuwait - Sheikh Ahmad Al Abdullah Al Sabah

Liechtenstein - Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie

Luxembourg - Prince Sebastien

Malaysia - King Abdullah & Queen Azizah

Netherlands - King Willem Alexander, Queen Maxima, & Crown Princess Catharina Amalia

Norway - Crown Prince Haakon

Oman - Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham

Qatar - Sheikha Moza bint Nasser & Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad

Romania - Princess Margareta & Prince Radu

Saudi Arabia - Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (he's the official representation but I expect more Saudi royals because Rajwa is related to a lot of them through her mother)

Spain - King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia

Sweden - Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel

United Kingdom - Prince of Wales, Princess of Wales, & Princess Beatrice of York

[beardedmrbean]

At least five people have died and four others injured afterexplosions rocked a block of flats in The Hague in the Netherlands, authorities have said.

Firefighters rushed to the three-storey building following the blasts that caused the collapse of several homes in the Tarwekamp area at around 06:15 (05:15 GMT) on Saturday.

The city's mayor, Jan van Zanen, said it was unknown how many people were still missing.

The cause of the explosions is not yet clear, but Dutch police said a car drove away "at very high speed" shortly after, and have appealed for witnesses.

Van Zanen said the chance of survivors being pulled from the rubble was slim, and urged the community to prepare for a "worst case scenario".

It was earlier thought up to 20 people may have been in the flats at the time of the blast, but the mayor refused to speculate on this.

The Dutch fire service said five people are confirmed dead.

Dutch media reported five flats were destroyed in the explosion.

Rescue teams with sniffer dogs have been deployed to sift through the debris, but parts of the site remain too dangerous to access.

A large excavator has been brought in to remove debris and lighting erected at the site.

Fourteen-year-old Adam Muller told the AFP news agency the explosion "felt like an earthquake".

"I was asleep and suddenly there was this huge bang," he said.

"I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It's a massive shock," he added.

National police commissioner in the Netherlands Janny Knol said there was "disbelief and uncertainty" in the community.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima said in a statement: "We sympathise with all those who have been personally affected or who fear for the fate of their loved ones."

[felipeandletizia]

Felipe and Letizia retrospective: March 2nd

2006: Inauguration of the 5th Congress of Agrarian Cooperativeism & Visit to the Pedro Barrie de la Maza Foundation

2009: Lunch & Gala dinner offered to the president and first lady of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Svetlana Medvédeva

2011: Visited the Foundation for People with Disabilities of the Island of Menorca (FPDIM)

2013: Meeting of Crown Princely couples organized by Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima, Princess of Orange in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.

2015: Audience with Carlos Ghosn in Barcelona; Opening of “GSMA Mobile World Congress 2015” in Barcelona & Offered a gala dinner to the president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (1, 2)

2017: Rare Diseases offcial day event. & Audiences at la Zarzuela

2018: Audiences at la Zarzuela; Visited the Madrilenian basilica of Jesus de Medinaceli & ‘Digitalizadas’ Presentation. (1, 2)

2021: National Sports Awards 2018

2022: Delivered the Gold Medals for Merit in Fine Arts in Navarra

F&L Through the Years: 921/??

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,585/∞) 3 March 2025 | King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands arrive at the airport with the Dutch Government plane PH-GOV ahead of their two day state visit in Larnaca, Cyprus. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,612/∞) 23 April 2025 | King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands attends a commemoration mass for Pope Francis in the Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,604/∞) 3 April 2025 | King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands visits hospice Dome during a work visit focussed on palliative care, in Amersfoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,598/∞) 19 March 2025 | King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands visit the Inland Container Depot in Naivasha, Kenya. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,593/∞) 13 March 2025 | Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander arrives for the award ceremony for the 2025 Geuzen Medal in Schiedam. Ukraine 5 AM Coalition, an organization founded one day after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022 and collecting and documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity was awarded with the Geuzen Medal, intended to honour and support contemporary freedom fighters and human rights activists. (Photo by Freek van den Bergh/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

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Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,588/∞) 5 March 2025 | King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands visit the old town of Nicosia and the UN buffer zone during a tour in Nicosia, Cyprus. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

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Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,581/∞) 19 February 2025 | King Willem-Alexander receives the Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau, H.J. Vaz Gomes Lopes, the Ambassador of Cuba, E.E.S. Walker, and the Ambassador of Ethiopia, E.T. Woldeyes, in succession to present their credentials. (Photo by Wesley de Wit/Koninklijkhuis)

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Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,557/∞) 9 December 2024 | King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands visit the disaster area Tarwekamp where six people died after an explosion at an apartment building last Saturday in The Hague, Netherlands. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

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Through the Years → Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1,613/∞) 24 April 2025 | Dutch King Willem-Alexander listens to explanation about a robot for wounded transport during a visit to the armed forces at a military base in Vredepeel. (Photo by Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)