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The World Is About To Fall In Love With The Netherlands' New Queenhttps://www.businessinsider.in/the-world-is-about-to-fall-in-love-with-the-netherlands-new-queen/mxima-can-speak-three-languages-dutch-spanish-and-english-and-has-a-degree-in-economics-she-worked-as-the-vice-president-of-institutional-sales-at-deutsche-bank-in-nyc-before-marrying-the-prince-/slidelist/21143622.cms2021-07-26T12:45:23+05:30

The World Is About To Fall In Love With The Netherlands' New Queen

Jul 26, 2021, 12:45 IST

Máxima can speak three languages — Dutch, Spanish, and English — and has a degree in economics. She worked as the Vice-President of Institutional Sales at Deutsche Bank in NYC before marrying the prince.

She met Prince Willem-Alexander in April of 1999 in Spain during the Sevilla Spring Fair. He introduced himself only as "Alexander," and she didn't know he was a prince until he later told her. She assumed he was joking.

Maxima is not just any commoner. Through her father Jorge Zorreguieta she is a descendant of King Afonso III of Portugal and his son King Denis of Portugal as well as many other noble families.

The couple's marriage plans originally caused controversy in the Netherlands because Máxima's father served in the cabinet of Argentine President Jorge Rafael Videla, who was prosecuted for large-scale human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.

It was said that Máxima's father Zorreguieta knew about the "Dirty War" under Videla's rule where thousands of Argentinians who opposed the government were killed, tortured, or went "missing." (Zorreguieta denied knowledge of the state's terrorism.)

Eventually, the marriage was approved by the Dutch parliament, but Máxima's parents were not invited to the wedding. Princess Máxima and Prince Willem-Alexander were married on February 2, 2002 in Amsterdam's 600-year-old Nieuwe Kerk church.

The couple now have three daughters together, including the nine-year-old heir to the throne Princess Catharina-Amalia.

Máxima is a dual Argentine and Dutch citizen, and focuses on the issue of integration of immigrants into Dutch culture, particularly women in the workforce.

She is also one of the few royals in the world to be an open supporter of gay rights. She even attended a LGBT rights conference on March 5, 2008.

She currently serves as the United Nations Secretary Generals' Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, which focuses on poverty alleviation, food security, and education.

In short, she's awesome.

She's not the only lucky commoner.

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