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Queen Máxima of the Netherlands

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (born as Máxima Zorreguieta; 17 May 1971) is the wife of Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

Máxima
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Koningin-maxima-okt-15-s.jpg
Princess Máxima at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 19 June 2010
Born (1971-05-17) 17 May 1971 (age 52)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
SpouseKing Willem-Alexander
IssueCatharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange
Princess Alexia
Princess Ariane
FatherJorge Horacio Zorreguieta Stefanini
MotherMaría del Carmen Cerruti Carricart
ReligionRoman Catholic

Early life and education

She was born Máxima Zorreguieta in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 May 1971. Máxima is the daughter of Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta Stefanini, a farmer and a politician (died 2017).[1] He was the under-secretary of Agriculture under Jorge R. Videla's military dictatorship. She studied in Northlands School, in Argentina. She has two brothers, a sister and three half-sisters by her father's first wife. She graduated with a degree in Economics from the Universidad Católica Argentina in 1995 before working for large international companies in Finance in Argentina, New York and Europe.

In June 2018, her sister Inés Zorreguieta, committed suicide by hanging herself at her Buenos Aires apartment, aged 33.[2]

She has been serving as the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA) since 2009.

Relationship with Willem-Alexander

Máxima met the crown prince in April 1999 in Sevilla, Spain, during the Seville Spring Fair. This is an important annual event, to which many people from other countries come and dress in typical Spanish Andalusian costume. In an interview, they stated that he introduced himself only as "Alexander," so that she did not know he was a prince. She thought he was joking when he told her he was a Prince. They agreed to meet in New York, where Máxima was working for Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, two weeks later. Their relationship apparently began in New York, but the Princess did not meet the Prince's parents, Queen Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg, for some time.[source?]

The news of the couple's relationship and eventual marriage plans caused controversy in the Netherlands. Máxima's father had been the Minister of Agriculture during the regime of former Argentine President Jorge Rafael Videla, a military dictator who ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1981 and who was responsible for many atrocities against civilians (non-military people). An estimated 10,000–30,000 people disappeared during this and later military regimes. Democracy was restored to Argentina in 1983.

Jorge Zorreguieta claimed that, as a civilian, he did not know about the Dirty War while he was a cabinet minister. Professor Baud was asked by the Dutch Parliament to research in what way Jorge Zorreguieta was involved in the war. He concluded that it would have been unlikely for a person in such a powerful position in the government to not know about the Dirty War. But the research also found that Máxima's father had not been directly involved with the many deaths in question.[3]

The Dutch parliament gave permission for Máxima and Willem-Alexander to marry. This is necessary by law for the Prince of Orange to be able to become king. Because of the research around his involvement in the Dirty War, Máxima's father offered not to attend the wedding. Out of solidarity with her husband, Máxima's mother also did not come to the wedding on 2 February 2002 in Amsterdam.[source?]

Marriage

The couple announced their engagement on 30 March 2001. Princess Máxima talked to the nation in fluent Dutch during the live broadcast on the occasion of the engagement.[4][source?]

Princess Máxima and Prince Willem-Alexander were married on 2 February 2002 in a civil ceremony in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam. After that they had a religious ceremony at the Nieuwe Kerk (also in Amsterdam).[5]

Title

2 February 2002-30 April 2013 Her Royal Highness Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

30 April 2013-present Her Majesty The Queen

Children

The second names of all three of their daughters are also the names of the last three Dutch queens: Amalia's for her grandmother, Queen Beatrix, Alexia's for her great-grandmother, Queen Juliana and Ariane's for her great-great-grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina.

Queen Máxima is also godmother to two royal babies: Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau (daughter of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands) and of Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (son of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway).[source?]

Queen Máxima Of The Netherlands Media

  • Máxima Zorreguieta in 1977

  • Máxima and Willem-Alexander, 2001

  • The royal wedding, February 2002

  • Willem-Alexander, Máxima and their daughters on the balcony of the Royal Palace, after the abdication of Queen Beatrix in 2013

  • Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander in Saba in 2013

  • Máxima in 2015 with President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico

  • Royal standard of Queen Máxima

  • Order of the Netherlands Lion ribbon - Knight Grand Cross

  • Royal Wedding Medal 2002 (Willem-Alexander and Máxima)

  • King Willem-Alexander Investiture Medal 2013

References

  1. ↑ Ancestry of Maxima Zorreguieta (b. 1971), William Adams Reitwiesner Genealogical Services
  2. ↑ McCahill, Elaine (7 June 2018). "Queen Maxima of the Netherlands' sister found hanged in apartment". mirror.
  3. ↑ Human rights: Zorreguieta vs.humanrights Archived 2009-01-19 at the Wayback Machine, March 2001.
  4. ↑ "The Dutch Royal House". Archived from the original on 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  5. ↑ "The Dutch Royal House". Archived from the original on 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

Other websites

Dutch royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Claus von Amsberg
as Prince consort 		Queen consort of the Netherlands
2013–present 		Incumbent


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