The Dutch Royal family released 18 glorious photos of Crown Prince Willem–Alexander and his fiancee Maxima Zorreguieta this week, and judging by the young pair’s effervescent smiles, the two are the picture of happiness.
The future king and his fiancée posed for photographer Bart Marjimen at the end of August, first in the awe-inspiring hallways of the Dutch palace and later in the gardens outside the 17th-century estate. Though past official photos of the royal family had been rather stately, these latest offerings depict a fun-loving, modern couple who respect their history but embrace the changing landscape of the monarchy.
Willem-Alexander and his Argentine-born love announced their engagement in late March. And while Queen Beatrix was quick to embrace Maxima – “She has respect for Maxima’s intelligence and elegance,” says royal insider Fred Lammers – some Dutch citizens were troubled by the future queen’s past.
Maxima’s father Jorge Zorreguieta served as Argentina’s Minister of Agriculture under the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, whose regime was marked by the disappearance and killing of 30,000 people. A faction in the Netherlands argued that the wedding would wrongfully associate the questionable military history of her father with the Dutch monarchy. However, Maxima has since become something of a national sensation and a joint session of parliament swiftly approved the union in July.
Willem-Alexander and Maxima first met in 1999 and after a brief courtship she moved overseas, now working as an executive for Deutsche Bank. The 30-year-old beauty picked up Dutch with ease – she demonstrated her linguistic prowess on a recent “getting acquainted” tour of Holland – and the happy couple are set to walk down the aisle in February.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
