Princess Máxima of the Netherlands

Princess Máxima of the Netherlands (born Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti on May 17, 1971) is the wife of Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, The Prince of Orange, heir to the Dutch throne, is the eldest son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Early life and education

Princess Máxima was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the daughter of Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta Stefanini and his second wife, Maria del Carmen Cerruti Carricart. She has two brothers, a sister and three half sisters. A former investment banker, she graduated with a degree in economics from the Universidad Católica Argentina in 1995 before working for companies in Argentina, New York and Europe.

Relationship with Prince Willem-Alexander

Máxima Zorreguieta and Prince Willem-Alexander met in April 1999 in Sevilla, Spain, where the ferias are popular and happen annually. It is a big event, where many people from other countries come and dress in the typical Spanish Andaluz costume. In an interview, they stated that he introduced himself only as "Alexander" so 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 two weeks later, beginning their relationship. Máxima was working for the Deutsche Bank in New York at that time. It was some time later when she met the Prince's parents, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, in the Palace. It was said that Prince Claus helped her a lot with the difficult task of learning all the things she needed to be a Princess. The news of the couple's relationship and eventual marriage plans raised a few eyebrows in the Netherlands. Máxima's father was 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, but the research the Dutch Parliament did in order to accept Máxima Zorreguieta as spouse to the future King, determined her father was uninvolved with the deaths. (An estimated 10,000-30,000 people disappeared during this and subsequent military regimes before democracy was restored to Argentina in 1983). His possible presence at the princely wedding was debated for several months.

Prime Minister Wim Kok gained much respect for his negotiation of the situation. In the end, approval for the marriage was granted by the Dutch parliament (necessary by law for The Prince of Orange to remain heir to the throne) but Máxima's father finally offered not to attend the wedding. Out of solidarity with her husband, also Máxima's mother remained absent from the princely wedding at the 2nd of February 2002 in Amsterdam.

Change of Nationality

Máxima was granted Dutch nationality on May 17, 2001. This provoked complaints from the left, since such a grant before marriage is not customary in the Netherlands (but required by Dutch law for a royal bride). Under normal circumstances, it is only possible after the marriage and usually takes several years to obtain.

Marriage

The couple announced their engagement on 30 March, 2001. By addressing the Nation in near fluent Dutch during the directly televised broadcast on the occasion of the engagement, she won the hearts of the Dutch public.

Máxima and Prince Willem-Alexander were married on 2 February 2002 in a civil ceremony in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam which was then followed by a religious ceremony at the Nieuwe Kerk (also in Amsterdam). After her wedding, she became the most popular person of the Netherlands royal family.

Children

The couple's first child was born December 7, 2003 in The Hague. The baby girl, Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, is second in line to the Dutch throne and will be heir apparent upon Willem-Alexander becoming King, due to a change in Dutch succession law which gives equal inheritance rights to the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender. Their second daughter, Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien, was born on 26 June,2005 in The Hague. She is third in the line of succession to the Dutch throne and was baptised on 19 November, 2005.

Trivia

Princess Maxima is 5 feet 10 1/2 inch tall (178 cm)
Her shoe size is 43 (EU)/11(US).

Titles and predicate

Miss Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti (1971-2002)
Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, mevrouw Van Amsberg (2 February 2002)

By Royal Decree of 25 January 2002, nr. 41, Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti is created Princess of the Netherlands and Princess of Orange-Nassau with the predicate Royal Highness. By her marriage to The Prince of Orange, she traditionally can be styled as The Princess of Orange. Current opinion is that only the Heir(ess) to the throne should be known as The Prince (Princess) of Orange.

By Royal Decree of 25 January 2002, nr. 42, Princess Máxima was granted her own personal coat of arms and a personal standard.

Work

Princess Máxima focuses on the issue of integration of immigrants into Dutch culture. She was a member of a special parliamentary commission which sought to recommend ways to increase the participation of female immigrants in the work force. Princess Máxima stresses the importance of learning the Dutch language, as she did, for immigrants to fully participate in Dutch society.

Drawing on her experience as a banker, Princess Máxima was a member of the Advisors Group for United Nations International Year of the Microcredit 2005. She undertook a trip to different locations in the world to promote Microcredit, including Africa and various South American countries. She has also attended many UN functions related to the International Year of the Microcredit. She participates actively in conferences around the world representing the Netherlands. The Princess was granted a seat in the Council of State, the very dignified and most honourable advisory body and highest Court of Administration (established by Emperor Charles V in 1531). She became a member of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Women’s Participation, has a seat in the board of governors of the Chair on the Management of Diversity and Integration at the Free University of Amsterdam, she (along with her husband) is a patron of the Orange Fund (established to promote social welfare and cohesion in the Netherlands), and also chairs the Board of Trustees of the Prince Claus Chair of the University of Utrecht.

The Princess toured all across the Netherlands and visited different countries in the past years on official state visits, including Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Baltic States, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, USA, Turkey, Chile, Morocco, and the Antilles.

External links

Dutch royal house official site

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