Máxima sheds tears to the sounds of a tango from her homeland. Later, on the balcony of the palace, the couple kisses, royals have probably never kissed so passionately – at least not in front of the eyes of the world.
And then? “It usually fades out after a happy ending in the film,” Kurt Tucholsky wrote almost 100 years ago. But there is no trace of the gray everyday life that pushes the pink cloud away with the Oranjes. Dozens of photos and film recordings prove it. You always see a naturally radiant couple. And the Dutch also have the impression: the two are happy with each other.
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Not just partners, but friends too
“They really like each other, they can talk well to each other and laugh a lot. They are not only partners, but also friends,” summarizes a royal family expert for the magazine “Libelle”. And Willem-Alexander confirmed that in an interview: “Máxima means everything to me. My happiness at home, my children, I owe everything to her. But she’s also my buddy, my sparring partner.” And Máxima said: “He is my anchor. He stimulates me to really do my work, but at the same time he also keeps me anchored.”
It didn’t look like that at first. Because when the two met at a party in Seville in 1999, things went wrong. He looked annoyed at her photo camera and thought she was a paparazzi. And the dashing Argentinian only saw a curmudgeon in the tall, reddish-blond Dutchman. “It was love at third sight,” Willem-Alexander later joked. And Máxima: “I really didn’t think he was nice, but that has changed.”
Of course it worked. But Máxima’s father’s past hung over young happiness. Jorge Zorreguieta was a member of Argentina’s military junta in the 1970s. Only after a compromise did parliament agree to the marriage. Máxima’s father was not allowed to come to the wedding.
For eleven years, the couple was able to enjoy family life relatively undisturbed on the Eikenhorst estate near The Hague. It had three daughters: Crown Princess Amalia came in 2003, Alexia in 2005, and Ariane was born in 2007.
2013 – The accession to the throne
Accession to the throne in 2013 changed her life. The king has many responsibilities as head of state and his wife supports him. “They are a good team,” say royalty experts.
Above all, the couple shines on happy occasions. Folk festivals, parties and on the official family photos. And at sports competitions, it sits in the stands, with a flag in its hand and in bright orange.
One thing is certain: Máxima clearly brought South American fire to the Oranje family. It lends unusual glamor to gala premieres and state visits. The Dutch can hardly get enough of the elegant robes and dizzyingly high heels. Máxima was the most popular member of the Oranje family right from the start – and of all things among the shirt-sleeved cyclist people with the motto: “Be normal, then you’re already crazy enough.”
But also crises
But the couple also went through difficult times. The death of Willem-Alexander’s brother Friso after a severe avalanche accident. And in 2018, the suicide of Máxima’s youngest sister Inés shook the family.
The most difficult test as a royal couple so far was the disaster with flight MH17 in July 2014. The passenger plane was shot down over a contested area in eastern Ukraine. Most of the 298 victims were Dutch. Deeply moved, the royal couple expressed their condolences to the relatives.
Violations of Corona rules
But the pandemic left scratches on the reputation. The family violated the Corona rules several times. When they quickly jetted off to their holiday villa in Greece in 2020, it was not well received. After all, all citizens should stay at home. Willem-Alexander and Máxima took a deep knee and apologized in a TV speech. But many now doubt whether they really meant it. Because a year later, the family celebrated the 18th birthday of Crown Princess Amalia – while parties were forbidden for ordinary people. The popularity of the Oranjes fell to an all-time low. “The Oranjes’ social antenna is not well tuned,” said historian Gerard Aalders.
The Oranjes cannot afford a big party for their 20th wedding anniversary. But the day will certainly not be forgotten – certainly not by Willem-Alexander. Last year, the king got on his knees again before his great love and repeated the marriage proposal after almost 20 years – at least for the Instagram photo – on skates.
Source: Nachrichten
