Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has been forced to cut short her state visit to China after falling ill with a kidney infection. The royal is travelling home to the Netherlands, where she will be admitted to the Bronovo Hospital in The Hague for further testing and treatment on Tuesday evening.
Máxima had been accompanying her husband King Willem-Alexander on the trip, where she managed to hide any signs of discomfort as they attended a banquet with their hosts, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan on Monday.
Queen Máxima is returning to the Netherlands early after falling ill
However after developing a fever and back pain, the Royal Palace confirmed that Máxima would travel home early. Her husband King Willem-Alexander will continue the state visit, and shared his gratitude for the well-wishes on the official Dutch Royal House Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.
"Many thanks for all the wishes for a speedy recovery. I will pass them on to my wife," he wrote.
King Willem-Alexander will continue the state visit to China alone
Máxima's return to the Netherlands comes after she pulled out of a few engagements on Monday afternoon due to illness. The Dutch Queen was examined by a doctor and diagnosed with pyelitis, an inflammation of the renal pelvis that is fairly common and can be cured without great difficulty.
It had already been decided that the mother-of-three would not accompany her husband to the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi province on Tuesday, where they were due to tour the area and visit an apple farmer.
King Willem-Alexander will continue the state visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou alone. The focus of the visit has been on farming, the agri-food industry, horticulture and landscape development, e-commerce, sport and design.