Queen Máxima is both the first non-European and the first “commoner” to join the Dutch Royal Family.

But who is Queen Maxima, and how did she become a beloved Dutch royal? Here’s a tale of adventure, travel, acceptance, and a hint of scandal.

Queen Máxima: the first Argentinian on the Dutch throne

Queen Máxima was born in 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti. While she would not become well known until her engagement to King Willem-Alexander and is technically a “commoner”, Máxima has quite an interesting heritage. 

Her father, Jorge Zorreguieta, was part of the Zorreguieta family. A powerful family in Buenos Aires, the Zorreguietas were descended from landed gentry and consisted of many politicians and statesmen throughout the generations — think Downton Abbey but set in Argentina.

Máxima completed her studies in Argentina, and in 1995, she graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina with a degree in economics. From there, she jetted off to New York, where she became a successful working woman — no prince needed. 

The future Dutch queen worked as an investment banker for multiple banks and became vice president of her division when, one day, she stumbled across King Willem-Alexander. 

How King Willem-Alexander met Queen Máxima

The king and queen of the Netherlands met under surprisingly normal circumstances — at a fair. The fair in question was the 1999 Seville Fair in Spain — picture brightly coloured tents, an amusement park, classic fair games and, of course, drinks!

This is the setting in which Máxima met the future king of the Netherlands, although he did not tell her at that moment.

When first introducing himself, Willem-Alexander, who at this point was still only the Prince of Orange, introduced himself merely as Alexander. 

READ MORE | 9 things you didn’t know about King Willem Alexander

When Alexander later told Máxima he was actually the next in line to the Dutch throne, she initially thought he was joking. Following their meeting in Seville, the couple arranged to see each other again two weeks later back in New York. 

The pair dated for two years and in 2001, they announced their engagement over a televised broadcast. During the broadcast, Máxima addressed the nation in Dutch.

While she only spoke the language to a conversational level at this point, her willingness to learn it charmed many viewers.

See the speech here:

Family ties and controversy

However, the introduction of Máxima to the royal family was not all smooth sailing. Máxima’s family became a point of controversy, specifically her father’s ties to the Argentinian dictator Jorge Rafael Videla.

Like his ancestors, Jorge Zorreguieta enjoyed a position of power in Argentina. He was Secretary of Agriculture under dictator Jorge Rafael Videla during the beginning of what became known as the “Dirty War” (1974-83).

READ MORE | The Dutch King, Queen, and Prime Minister respond to the death of Queen Elizabeth

During this war, Rafael Videla’s civil-military dictatorship was responsible for the “disappearance” and murder of between 13,000 and 30,000 people in Argentina. 

Following the restoration of democracy in Argentina, Rafael Videla was prosecuted for crimes against humanity and large-scale human rights abuses.

As you can imagine, Máxima’s father became a controversial figure in her life. The question of his own involvement in such a violent dictatorship had to be answered. 

Investigation

Not only did the people of the Netherlands find this aspect of Máxima’s life to be concerning — the government did too.

As a result, the States-General asked Professor Michiel Baud, a professor in Latin American studies, to investigate whether Máxima’s father could have been involved in any of the atrocities carried out under the dictatorship.

Following his investigation, Baud determined that Máxima’s father was not directly involved in any of the atrocities.

However, while Zorreguieta claims he knew nothing of the horrific offences carried out during his time in the cabinet, Baud believes it is unlikely that a minister wouldn’t have known. 

Maxima later spoke on the issue and condemned the dictatorship that her father had worked under, saying, “I have long rejected the Videla dictatorship, the disappearances, the torture, the murders and all the terrible facts of that time. That has certainly left major scars on our society.” 

READ MORE |Conscious royal: Dutch Princess Amalia says no to allowance

She defended her father, saying she believed his appointment under the dictatorship was an issue of timing and nothing more.

“Regarding my father’s participation in that government at the time, I would like to say in all honesty that I regret that he did his best for agriculture under the wrong regime. He had the best of intentions, and I believe in him.” 

No invitation to the royal wedding

One of the main questions that followed the announcement of the royal wedding was whether or not Máxima’s father would be present.

Some people in the Netherlands called for his arrest should he enter the country, while others questioned whether Máxima was even a suitable addition to the royal family. 

#MeghanMarkle isn't the first actress to marry into Royalty, and she certainly isn't the first commoner to do so with embarrassing relatives. Queen Máxima of The Netherlands' father wasn't allowed at her wedding OR her husband's coronation: https://t.co/8Q5DZLTUYV#RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/1Zhy4AJobe

— Chocolate Duchess (@ChocolDuchess) May 6, 2018

However, Queen Beatrix showed her approval of Máxima. Her decision to pose with Willem-Alexander and his fiance on her 63rd birthday acted as an informal stamp of approval for the match. 

The matter was finally put to rest when Máxima’s parents decided not to attend the royal wedding in 2002. Her father’s presence would only bring controversy, and her mother decided she would only attend with her husband. 

In spite of the initial hiccup, Máxima and King Willem-Alexander were successfully married and now have three daughters: The Princess of Orange, Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane. 

The Dutch identity according to Queen Máxima

Surprisingly enough, Máxima would come under fire once again in 2007. When speaking about the subject during a speech for the Scientific Council for Government Policy in 2007, she claimed that there is no singular way to define the Dutch identity: 

“The Dutch identity? No, I have not found it. The Netherlands is large windows without curtains so everyone can look in, but also adhere to privacy and cosiness. The Netherlands is one biscuit at tea, but also great hospitality and warmth. The Netherlands is sobriety, control and pragmatism, but also the experience of intense emotions together. The Netherlands is far too diverse to summarize in one cliché.”

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of her statement was her claim that “The Dutchman does not exist. As a consolation, I can tell you that ‘the’ Argentinian also does not exist.” 

Whilst I’m sure the Dutch would have likely been far more aggravated by one sweeping stereotype — this definition did not sit well with them either. Many Dutch people were outraged at Máxima’s statement, interpreting it as a criticism of the Netherlands.

Is there a concrete Dutch identity?

But Máxima was baffled by the Dutch reaction, claiming that she only wanted to praise the country’s multiculturality

To make matters more confusing, when asked whether or not they felt there was a Dutch identity, only 41% of people answered yes, a survey carried out by The Low Countries found. 

READ MORE | Dutch Queen Máxima cheers for Oranje in Netherlands-Argentina showdown despite Argentinian roots

A further 42% of those surveyed found that it exists in some respect — but what exactly does that mean? Who knows! Of those surveyed, 6% said they absolutely reject the idea of any concrete Dutch identity.

So, was Máxima right in saying there’s no concrete Dutch identity? Some would argue yes.

A queen for integration and inclusion

Whilst Máxima has certainly had some hiccups, she seems to have integrated nicely into Dutch society — and she wants this for all who come to the Netherlands. She has been involved in multiple initiatives that aim to help integrate foreigners, particularly female immigrants.

Photos of #UNSGSA Queen Máxima delivering remarks about digital public infrastructure and #financialinclusion at an @IMFNews seminar during Spring Meetings today. Full speech: https://t.co/4Bn766apvJ pic.twitter.com/T3PrtlemhQ

— UN SG's Special Advocate Queen Máxima (@UNSGSA) April 14, 2023

She took part in a special parliamentary commission that sought ways to improve the integration of female immigrants into the Dutch workforce, and from 2003 to 2005, she was a member of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Women’s Participation. 

READ MORE | Queen Máxima jumps out of plane over Breda (and yes, there’s a video)

Currently, Máxima is a part of the Chair on the Management of Diversity and Integration at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a patron of the Orange Fund — a fund that promotes social welfare and cohesion. 

Just in case her involvement in these issues doesn’t convince you, Máxima is also the first member of any royal family to attend an LGBTQ+ rights conference, having attended one in 2008.

Moral of the story, she’s no absent queen. 

The people’s queen

Indeed, Máxima is actually a largely popular member of the royal family. In fact, for a number of years, she has been even more popular than the King himself! 

According to a survey carried out by Ipsos on King’s Day in April of 2022, when asked to rate their confidence in the royal family members, Máxima received an appreciation rating of 7.6.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was looking stylish in Claes Iversen Fall-Winter 2019 ensemble while visiting the BAM, the Library of Trees by the Bosco Verticale as part of the Milan Design Week 2023 in Milan 💙 #QueenMaxima pic.twitter.com/U925JA4XaQ

— Mr. Quijada (@UnaiQuijada) April 19, 2023

Before 2020, her popularity had been steady and high ever since her addition to the family. However, it has dropped over the last few years.

READ MORE | The Dutch and their monarchy; a two-sided coin

Confidence in King Willem-Alexander has seen a sharper decrease, however, dropping to 47% in 2022. (It’s fair to say these ratings probably weren’t helped by that controversial holiday to Greece during the pandemic.) Let’s see how people are feeling this year!

Queen Máxima’s journey to the throne has not been without the occasional bump in the road, but in spite of this, she has proven herself to the majority of Dutch people — be it through her charity work, her interesting roots, or even simply the fact that she was not born into royalty herself.

What’s your opinion of Queen Máxima? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! 

Feature Image: Image: Erwin Olaf/Koninglijk Huis/Wikimedia Commons/CC1.0

Ah, the Dutch and their monarchy. Let’s just say they have a bit of a love/hate relationship — like siblings who’ve never quite gotten along but will sit next to each other at formal events. 

You’re probably wondering, what do the Dutch even think of the monarchy? What’s their opinion of the king and queen? When did the Kingdom of the Netherlands even begin?

Well, you’re in geluck because we’ve compiled the unholy cacophony that is the history of the Dutch Royal Family and how Dutch people really feel about their monarchs. 

Spoiler: there’s a lot of tea — so pinkies up, queens. ☕

 🏰 A brief history of the monarchy in the Netherlands

Where did this interesting royal history begin? It all goes back to one man — surprise, surprise — the famous Prince of Orange (Willem I). 

Prince Willem I followed a long line of victorious nobles, and his descendants would go on to be celebrated across the world for their victories in war — including that one time Prince William III became King of England.

READ MORE | That time the Dutch conquered Britain (ja, we’re serious)

The Royal Family in the Netherlands was established all the way back in 1814 after Prince Willem I won a historical battle against Napoleon. Since then, the Netherlands has been its own independent kingdom. 

However, in terms of long-reigning monarchies across the world, the Dutch Royal Family is actually quite young. 

Who are the current Dutch monarchs?

King Willem-Alexander is currently the reigning monarch in the Netherlands, having been responsible for the crown since 2013. 

King Willem-Alexander is married to Queen Máxima. They married back in February 2002 and have three daughters together: Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane. 

🤴 What is the role of the monarchy in the Netherlands? 

The first thing you should know about the royal family in the Netherlands is that the King can’t decide to impose a ban on stroopwafels one morning because he ate a particularly bad one the day before. 

The monarchy in the Netherlands has a constitutional function. The King is the Head of State, and he, along with the other ministers, makes up the government. 

READ MORE | What was the Eighty Years’ War? The Dutch War of Independence explained

However, under the constitution, King Willem-Alexander is the president of the Council of State, a historical role that is purely symbolic in nature. The Dutch King’s main duties are: 

Receiving heads of state
Paying state visits
Attending jubilee events of important social institutions
Visiting and supporting the victims of national disasters

Sure, these are very kingly duties, but that doesn’t mean the King has much of a say when it comes to legislation and the introduction of laws — and you know what? Goed. 

🙄 How do the Dutch feel about the Royal Family? 

Yes, we know, it’s the burning question — do Dutch people actually like their monarchy?

Like many countries with monarchical constitutions, the answer to this question is a bit complicated. It sort of opens up a can of worms. 👇

As of 2023, 55% of Dutch people stated that they wanted the Netherlands to remain a monarchy.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #121: Hate on the King and all of his blunders

When you compare this figure to the 35% of young people who believed that Britain should remain a monarchy in 2020, it seems that the Dutch quite like their royal family. 

But, in 2023, it was revealed that less than half of Dutch people were satisfied with the King and his rule. That being said, 64% of survey respondents said they were happy with Queen Maxima’s performance in the royal family.

But the Dutch are obsessed with orange?

We know how it looks — the Dutch may not be 100% supportive of the monarchy, but they sure like to wear their orange hats, scarves, and T-shirts. 

Part of this comes down to national pride. While the colour orange brings us back to the Dutch monarchy and their beloved Prince of Orange, this doesn’t necessarily mean every single person who wears orange on King’s Day is a monarchist. 🍊

And they celebrate King’s Day!

Speaking of K-day, this major aspect of Dutch culture is celebrated annually on the king’s birthday. It is a day of festivity (and lots of drinking! 😉) across the Netherlands.

READ MORE | Why does the Netherlands love orange? The full explainer

Taking place on 27 April, the king visits a different city each year to take part in the festivities. 

The Dutch tend to enjoy a day of celebration, parades, and even street games on King’s Day. Perhaps comparable to St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, the day is dominated by orange-wearing Dutchies celebrating their nation and history.

😨 Major controversies in the Dutch monarchy

However, just like every monarchy, even the Dutch Royals have been involved in their share of controversies over the years. Grab the towels! We’re about to spill some hot royal tea. 

Coronavirus doesn’t spread to royals, apparently

Perhaps we should start with the fact that, while they were away on holiday during the global pandemic — y’know, the one where the entire country was in lockdown — they were also caught disobeying social distancing rules. 

Nice for some, but while y’all were partying it up in Greece, we were locked away from our closest friends and family. 😒

Or what about the party they threw for Princess Amalia’s birthday in December 2021 while coronavirus cases were surging? 

Prince Bernhard’s illegitimate children

After the death of Dutch Prince Bernhard, it was revealed that he had fathered two illegitimate children during his lifetime — one of which was living in France and another in America.

This was revealed during an interview which was released posthumously. Although the Prince fathered two children outside his marriage with Queen Julianna, mother to Queen Beatrix, he wasn’t the world’s biggest time-waster. 

He served in World War II, and, upon his death, he said, “If the image is that I was a scoundrel now and again, I’ll give people that.” 🤷‍♀️

The infamous golden coach

The Golden Carriage was rolled out and paraded about on Prinsjesdag every year — however, it was always met with great debate and pushback. 

Why? Well, one of the panels depicts images of slaves. Not only that, but the panel is of a white woman sitting on a throne, surrounded by dark-skinned people kneeling and offering gifts. 

And guess where the gold came from — yep, Suriname. 

READ MORE | Where’d you get that?! Golden Carriage decorated with gold from Suriname

The Netherlands’ long and troublesome history of colonisation is very apparent in the carriage, making it a controversial item. 

Yet, the Dutch Royal Family is making moves to acknowledge their sometimes nasty past, and the carriage was retired in January 2022. 

👑 How has the Dutch monarchy adapted in the 21st century?

Although the Kingdom of the Netherlands was established a mere 200 years ago, we have changed a huge amount as a society since those times, and the monarchy has had to change along with us. 

Dutch monarchs can now be in a same-sex marriage 

The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage, so the monarchy has had some time to adapt to this epic move towards equality.

In 2021, the news came that if Princess Amalia wished to marry a member of the same sex, she would not have to give up her future role as Queen, something she would have had to do in the past. 

READ MORE | All you need to know about marriage and parental rights for same-sex couples in the Netherlands

The Dutch monarchy said: gay queens welcome 💅 — and this is certainly a big achievement for any LBGTQ+ members of the royal family! 🏳‍🌈

Princess Amalia — a conscious royal

Speaking of Princess Amalia, she may go down in history as perhaps one of the more socially conscious royals. Upon their 18th birthday, most royals are given an allowance. 

Princess Amalia, however, declined the offer of a cool €1 million (!) a year and has chosen not to take her royal allowance whilst she completes her studies. 

The princess started her degree at University of Amsterdam in Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics this September and opted to live in a shared student house, like thousands of other students, rather than in a private, rented residence. 

Helaas, in spite of her willingness to live a normal student life, the princess has been forced to move back in with her parents due to outside threats. She recently even spent a year in Madrid amid these safety fears.

She is still considered normal in other ways, however. Like many other Dutch girls, at the age of 18, the princess was also sent a letter of conscription. 

🤔 But what does the monarchy really represent? 

The trouble with monarchies is that they are the result of a long history of war, and within that, there’s usually a fair bit of colonisation involved. 

The Netherlands was no stranger to colonisation, and with it, slavery. Though slavery was outlawed back in 1814, the effects of those years are still seen today — such as in the panels of the Golden Carriage. 

A dark colonial past

Like many European countries, the Netherlands sought to expand its wealth and territory in the 17th century into other areas.

READ MORE | What was the VOC? The Dutch East India Company explained

The headquarters for the Dutch Slave Trade was located in Fort Elmina in Ghana, where a massive 600,000 slaves were brought to the Netherlands for forced labour. 

The Dutch were responsible for half of all slave transports to the New World during the 17th century. 

The Dutch still suffer from some colonial hangovers. Celebrations such as Zwarte Piet, a Christmas tradition for many Dutchies, have certainly been shaped by their colonial history. 

What does this mean today?

Well, it means that the Dutch monarchy has to acknowledge its long history in order to move forward. 

Efforts such as retiring the Golden Carriage demonstrate a real desire to acknowledge the harm they have caused to the royal reputation.

Also, earlier in 2024, the majority of the Dutch Cabinet officially voted in favour of making the king pay taxes for the first time. For now, the king happily continues to enjoy paying zero tax on his annual income, but those days are numbered.

As we move further into this progressive century, we hope the monarchy can keep up and keep making changes to adapt and represent the Dutch people! 

Though the Dutch monarchy is barely over 200 years old, the royal family still has quite an influence on Dutch culture. 

This makes any progressive steps the family takes have even more impact on Dutch people and will help launch the Netherlands into this new, open-minded, century. 

What do you think of the Dutch monarchy? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! 

King Willem-Alexander has been the Netherlands’ head of state for over 10 years now, but there’s more to him than “just” being king.

From secretly flying KLM planes to having the nickname “Prince Pils” while in university, King Willem Alexander has led an interesting life, that’s for sure.

1. King Willem-Alexander’s pretty normal upbringing (for a future king)

Willem-Alexander was born in the Academic Hospital in Utrecht and attended primary school in Baarn nearby.

Following his family moving house, he attended Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague for high school and was placed in a ‘normal’ class.

His parents, Beatrix (then Queen of the Netherlands) and Claus, insisted that Willem-Alexander should not receive any form of preferential treatment from his teachers.

Here’s a cute video of Willem-Alexander and his brothers being interviewed about their upcoming move to The Hague in 1980 (Willem-Alexander reckons he’d rather stay where he is).

2. In his teens, King Willem-Alexander left for Wales

In his teenage years, Willem-Alexander found the pressure of being the heir to the throne a bit too much.

He biked to secondary school each day and would often try to escape from the detectives employed by the royal family to keep him safe.

He made a decision with his parents that it would be good for him to escape the Netherlands for a while, to finish his secondary school education at the Atlantic College in Wales.

3. King Willem-Alexander competed in the sports Elfstedentocht tour

King Willem-Alexander also competed in the 1986 Elfstedentocht tour — a 200-kilometre-long ice skating tour in Friesland (that might never happen again).

READ MORE: 2021 Elfstedentocht? Dutch cabinet in favour of ice skating competition as Netherlands freezes

It’s good that Willem did it back in the eighties, then! He competed in the ice skating tour under the pseudonym W. A. Van Buren, just as he did when he ran the New York marathon in 1992. He completed both events.

4. The Dutch King studied history at Leiden University

In 1987, Willem-Alexander began his studies in History at the oldest Dutch university, Leiden University and finished his MA in 1993.

He wrote his final thesis on how the Netherlands responded to the French decision to leave NATO’s integrated command structure. Helpful for someone destined to be the head of state!

READ MORE | Photo report! An ode to the lovely city of Leiden

Studying at Leiden University seems to be a tradition for the Dutch royal family, as Willem’s mother, Beatrix, and his grandmother, Juliana, also studied there.

5. While studying, Willem-Alexander acquired the nickname “Prince Pils”

During his university life, Willem Alexander acquired the nickname “Prince Pils” to his own displeasure, according to the NOS. He was a member of the infamous student association Minerva.

It was a rough time for the then-prince, as gossip magazines scrutinised his private life and especially his drinking activities.

His intellectual capacities were also questioned by not-so-illustrious magazines. You could hardly blame him for enjoying a Pilsner every once in a while. The crowds will certainly be raising one for him on King’s Day!

6. He didn’t tell Queen Máxima who he was when they first met

When the King first bumped into his future wife, Queen Máxima, he initially didn’t tell her who he was. The pair met at the 1999 Seville Festival in Spain.

When first introducing himself to Máxima, he said his name was merely Alexander — when he was, in fact, Willem-Alexander Prince of Orange.

When he finally did tell the queen his title, she thought he was joking!

7. He proposed to Queen Máxima while ice skating

It seems that the King is a bit of a romantic. He proposed to Queen Máxima whilst the two were ice skating on the frozen lake of Huis Ten Bosch.

Last year, he recreated that moment on Valentine’s Day and shared it with the public on Instagram — you must admit, it’s pretty sweet.

8. King Willem-Alexander might have secretly flown a plane you were on

King Willem-Alexander works as a pilot for KLM occasionally. He began doing this during his mother’s reign and has said that if he were not a member of the royal family, he would have liked to have been an airline pilot.

In 2017, King Willem-Alexander revealed that he had actually been flying Cityhopper KLM planes once or twice a month, even after his ascension to the throne.

READ MORE | King Willem Alexander’s secret flying career

In a pilot’s uniform and cap, he was rarely recognised when walking through the airport — though some clever passengers recognised his voice over the intercom.

9. Like any Dutchie, he has an interest in water management

Willem-Alexander knows his roots and his waterways.

He worked as an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st century, and he was a patron of the Global Water Partnership, a collaboration between the World Bank, the UN, and the Swedish government.

READ MORE | Do the royals pay taxes in the Netherlands?

His water-focused career continued when he was appointed Chairperson of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.

Well, the more you know! Hopefully, there are a few surprises here for you, even if there’s a lot about the Dutch royals that we already know and love (though that depends).

Did we miss any interesting facts about King Willem-Alexander? Let us know in the comments below.