King Willem-Alexander has said that his wife Queen Máxima is "doing well" after being hospitalised due to a kidney infection. The King was forced to continue their Chinese state visit alone after Máxima returned to the Netherlands early on Tuesday evening.
The mother-of-three has since been admitted to the Bronovo Hospital in The Hague for further testing and treatment after developing a kidney infection, back pain and a fever.
King Willem-Alexander said Queen Maxima is "doing well" in hospital
"'I've seen pictures, I've talked to her," King Willem-Alexander told reporters accompanying his state visit to Shanghai. "She's doing well."
Despite being diagnosed with pyelitis, an inflammation of the renal pelvis, Queen Máxima initially tried to continue with the engagements planned for the couple in China. She managed to hide any signs of discomfort as she joined her husband at a banquet hosted by the Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan on Monday evening.
"I am proud of her, she really tried," the Dutch newspaper Telegraaf reports King Willem-Alexander as saying. "We thought it was the flu. But it turned out to be a kidney infection."
The Queen was forced to cut short her state visit to China
However after her symptoms worsened on Tuesday, the Royal Palace confirmed that Máxima would return home early for further treatment and tests, where she continues to recover in hospital.
King Willem-Alexander explained: "We're waiting for more test results from the hospital. I hope she's back home soon."
The King remained in China until Thursday, where he carried out trips to Shanghai and Hangzhou during a state visit which was largely focused on farming, the agri-food industry, horticulture and landscape development, e-commerce, sport and design. He previously 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," he tweeted. "I will pass them on to my wife."