On the 26th of April 2014, King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands will celebrate their first “Koningsdag” (Kings Day). It is a Dutch National holiday that marks the birthday of the Dutch king, which is actually on the 27th.
On the 30th of April 2013, Máxima Zorreguieta became the first not-Dutch queen of The Netherlands. Máxima was born in Buenos Aires in 1971 as a daughter of Jorge Zorreguieta, a man whose reputation was harmed because he had a political role in the regime of the Argentinian dictator Videla. In 1999 she met Willem Alexander, Prince from Oranje, in Seville during a fair. The prince introduced himself as “Alexander”, so she had no idea who he really was. Two weeks later they decided to meet again in New York where Máxima was working at that time, and that’s where their relationship started.
In 2001 she married the Prince of Orange and they had three children. The oldest child, Catarina-Amalia, is now Princess of Orange because her father (WA) became the King of The Netherlands. She will be the next queen of the country. Amalia has two sisters, Alexia and Ariane.
Máxima became “Her Majesty The Queen of The Netherlands” on April 30, 2013 when her husband became the new King of The Netherlands. His mother, Queen (now Princess again) Beatrix decided to abdicate earlier that year.
Her Majesty is not actually the Queen. She officially is “Queen consort”, which means she is the wife of the reigning king. After Queen Mathilde of Belgium, she is the shortest reigning queen.
