Alex Van Halen Knighted in the Netherlands

Alex Van Halen has been appointed a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw), one of the country’s highest and oldest civilian honours.

Established by King Willem I in 1815, the Order recognises exceptional service to society. Alex received the royal decoration in Nijmegen, the Dutch city where he and his brother Eddie spent much of their childhood before the Van Halen family moved to Pasadena, California.

During the ceremony at the Berchmanianum, the academy building of Radboud University, Alex was also invited to sign Nijmegen’s Book of the City. The register is reserved for distinguished visitors, with previous signatories including Bruce Springsteen and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

Accepting the honour, Alex said: “My cousin organised most of this, but I’m very grateful. I think institutions like this are important in people’s lives because it adds a dignity and a gravity to what we do. Whether it’s actually deserved or not, that’s another question. But we can live up to it. That’s the whole thing, is you gotta have something to live up to.”

Ahead of publication, more than half of the copies in Alex Van Halen's signed limited edition VAN HALEN have already been spoken for. Click here to find out more and reserve your copy.