The king of the Netherlands has secretly been flying airplanes for a Dutch commercial airline for 21 years

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
(Image credit: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

King Willem-Alexander does more than just preside over the Netherlands — twice a month for the past 21 years he has secretly worked as a co-pilot for the Dutch commercial airline KLM, The New York Times reports.

"The advantage is that I can always say that I wish everyone a heartfelt welcome in the name of the captain and the crew," Willem-Alexander, 50, revealed to the Netherland's De Telegraaf newspaper. "So I don't have to say my own name. But most of the people don't listen anyway."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.