After the success of the series “The Crown”, it is now the turn of the Dutch royal couple: The love story of Willem-Alexander and Máxima offers enough material for drama.
A stiff Dutchman meets a fiery Argentinian woman: She laughs at him because he can’t dance. He hisses at her because she’s taking photos. The beginning of a love story – like in a dime novel. But it must have been something like that when the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta met in Seville, Spain in 1999. The spark flew. The rest is history. The couple married in 2002 and had three daughters. Willem-Alexander has been king since 2013.
It was only a matter of time before this story was made into a series. In the Netherlands, “Máxima” was a huge success and broke viewing records. It will be available to stream on RTL+ from August 17th.
It is one of the most expensive series of the Dutch streaming service Videoland, filmed on location in Argentina, Spain, New York and the Netherlands – with a star-studded cast. The Argentinian Delfina Chaves plays Máxima, the Dutchman Martijn Lakemeier is Willem-Alexander. The Crown Prince’s father, the German Prince Claus, is played by the German actor Sebastian Koch (“The Lives of Others”).
True events dramatized and exaggerated
“Máxima” tells the story of the young Argentinian woman up until her engagement to Willem-Alexander in 2001. It is based on the bestselling biography by Dutch author Marcia Luyten. Similar to the Netflix hit “The Crown”, true events are dramatized and exaggerated. But the true story is already intense enough. The lovers had to overcome difficult hurdles.
It is not just the story of the prince and the middle-class girl. It is also the story of a young woman who is just starting her career at a bank in New York. She is supposed to give this up to be just a wife, and that too in an unknown, cold, wet country on the North Sea.
The biggest obstacle, however, is the bride’s father. Jorge Zorreguieta was Secretary of State during the military dictatorship in Argentina in the 1970s and 80s and thus a henchman of a murderous regime. In the Netherlands, there was great outrage among citizens and politicians. Should the future head of state be allowed to marry such a man?
Royal soap, history lesson and political drama
The series also revolves around the question of fate: throne or love. Many flashbacks show Máxima’s childhood and youth in Argentina. She was her father’s favorite and was completely loyal to him.
“Máxima” is not only a royal soap opera, but also a history lesson and a political drama – and with a good portion of sex. The scenes in the royal bedroom, however, left many Dutch people gasping for air. It is, said one TV critic, speaking for many, like watching your parents having sex.
The series has already been sold to 25 countries, and that’s no wonder. After all, fashion queen Máxima, with her radiant smile, is not only popular in the Netherlands. Filming for the second season will begin in the autumn.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
