Queen Maxima regularly attends state banquets and special breakfasts for royal engagements with her husband King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. And while the focus is normally on the stylish couple's chic outfits, we rarely catch a glimpse of what's on the menu.
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So what does the Dutch royal eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Little has been revealed about her go-to foods, apart from the fact she is an impressive baker, so we've pieced together what we know about Queen Maxima's diet.
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What does Queen Maxima eat for breakfast?
Maxima was pictured getting stuck into traditional continental breakfast foods at the King's Games breakfast at De Vijfmaster school in 2017. From glasses of milk, fresh fruit and strawberry jam on brown bread, the mother-of-two appeared to enjoy a very down-to-Earth meal with the children, apart from one very unusual addition - cucumber! However, in many European countries, foods such as cold meats, cheeses, tomatoes and cucumbers are commonly eaten for the first meal of the day.
The royal appeared to enjoy a breakfast of chocolate sprinkles on bread and butter back in 2012
Meanwhile, Maxima suggested she may even treat herself to a decadent meal occasionally, as Venz chocolate sprinkles could be seen near the royal as she spoke to school pupils about the importance of a good daily breakfast in 2012. With butter and bread nearby, it appears as though they were enjoying hagelslag, a traditional breakfast food in the Netherlands.
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What does Queen Maxima eat for lunch?
Lunch tends to be very similar to breakfast, with foods such as bread, crackers and cheese crossing over into both meals.
Maxima isn't afraid to try different cuisines, including a marine vegetable delicacy in the Netherlands
However, it appears as though the Dutch royal family is adventurous when it comes to their food choices, as they are regularly pictured trying different cuisines during royal visits. During a visit to a food market in Italy in 2017, Maxima sampled green olives while her husband tasted fresh mozzarella, and the pair were even pictured snacking on a local marine vegetable delicacy at the central market square of Goes in 2013.
What does Queen Maxima eat for dinner?
While it is unknown whether Maxima dines on hearty meals such as stamppot (smoked sausage with mashed vegetables) and erwtensoep (split pea soup), we do know what desserts she likes to indulge in!
In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II hosted a lavish state banquet for the Dutch royals which included vegetable and meat pies and 280 slices of chocolate orange torte, in honour of the guests. The sweet treats were made up of a chocolate sponge, a chocolate orange mousse filling and a crème au café glazed mandarin.
"It probably takes about four and a half hours to create each torte," royal chef Selwyn Stoby revealed, according to The Express. If that wasn't decadent enough, they also enjoyed an apple and blackberry pudding which featured apple pearl balls, meringue balls, apple stock syrup and white chocolate. Yum!
When she's at home, Maxima also whips up tasty homemade treats, including her favourite Argentinian cookies. For her 49th birthday, the royal released the recipe for the biscuits which are sandwiched together with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut. Speaking of her mother María del Carmen Cerruti Carricart's recipe, she wrote: "I grew up with Alfajores, they are my favourite cookies! I bake them according to my mother's recipe, which I am pleased to share with you. So you can bake them yourself at home!"
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