Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has praised her daughter, Princess Alexia, after the 10-year-old suffered an accident during a family ski vacation to Lech, Austria. During a appearance on local TV show Hart van Nederland the royal said that her middle child is "a fighter" and that she and husband King Willem-Alexander are "very proud" of the little girl.
"She's getting better by the day," said Máxima. "Although she finds the fact that she can't walk without crutches or do physical activities frustrating."
Princess Alexia (left) suffered a fracture on her right thigh Photo: Getty Images
Willem-Alexander added: "She knows that in a couple of weeks she'll be better and that it's just temporary."
During the family holiday, Alexia suffered a nasty fall and fractured her right thigh. A palace spokesperson confirmed that she was immediately rushed to hospital in Innsbruck via helicopter. The operation was a success and carried out without complications.
Máxima said that her ten-year-old daughter is a "fighter" Photo: Getty Images
A few days after the accident, surgeon Michiel van Trommel told local newspaper De Telegraaf that Alexia was focusing on her recovery.
"Fractures in young patients have different characteristics to adults," he said. "Children are still developing. In the worst case, the princess could have damaged her bone which would have had severe effects on her growth, although this only happens in five per cent of cases. It's thought that she won't have any long-term physical damage."
"She's getting better by the day," said the queen Photo: Getty Images
The Dutch royal family usually go on a ski vacation every year, and tend to visit Lech resort.
Last month the family-of-five posed for official portraits on the slopes, and Alexia was pictured sweetly playing in the snow with her sisters Princess Catharina-Amalia, 12, and Princess Ariane, 8.
