Willem-Alexander, Crown Prince, and Princess Maxima

▪ 2003

      On Feb. 2, 2002, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Argentine-born Máxima Zorreguieta married in Amsterdam. Their many guests included foreign royals, other friends and family members, and some Dutch political leaders (who had secured official approval for the marriage) but not the bride's father. He did not attend because of concerns in The Netherlands about his association, as a former minister of agriculture, with the Argentine military dictatorship of Jorge Videla. Security in Amsterdam was tight for fear of international terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S. While some acts of peaceful protest occurred in the city, the occasion was a festive one. Thousands of well-wishers celebrated in public, with many displaying items in orange, the royal colour.

      Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht on April 27, 1967, to then Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. First in the line of succession since his mother's accession to the throne on April 30, 1980, he bears the title prince of Orange. The crown prince received most of his education in The Netherlands and in 1985 completed an international baccalaureate at Atlantic College, near Llantwit Major, Wales. After military service in the Royal Dutch Navy, he studied history at the University of Leiden from 1987 to 1993. The crown prince was responsible for performing various official duties; he represented the royal family at national and international events, accompanied the queen on state visits, and had paid working visits to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. He had acquainted himself with various government agencies and nongovernmental organizations as well as addressed international conferences on water management, a particular interest of his. He was also interested in sports. He served on the International Olympic Committee and had run the New York City Marathon and completed the Elfstedentocht (Eleven-Cities Tour) skating marathon. An avid pilot, he had flown as a volunteer for charitable organizations in Africa.

      Máxima was born on May 17, 1971, in Buenos Aires to Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta and María del Carmen Cerruti de Zorreguieta. She earned a degree in economics from the Universidad Católica Argentina in 1995 and later worked for international companies in Buenos Aires, New York City, and Brussels. The announcement of her engagement to the crown prince was made on March 30, 2001. She received Dutch nationality on May 17 of that year, and the Plenary Session of the States-General granted consent for the marriage the following July. Princess Máxima has made mastering Dutch and the history and constitutional law of The Netherlands a high priority. She was to take up a seat in the Council of State and join her husband in performing other official duties.

Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor

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