Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the funeral of her sister Inés Zorreguieta. The royal was accompanied by her husband King Willem-Alexander and their three children Princesses Amalia, 14, Alexia, 12, and Ariane, 11. The royal family touched down at 5:28am on Friday morning on a scheduled KLM flight. They will attend the funeral on Saturday and fly back to the Netherlands on the same day.
According to Dutch broadcaster NOS, only the closest family members will attend the funeral. It's likely that the funeral will take place at the Remembrance Park in Buenos Aires, where Máxima and Inés' father Jorge Zorreguieta is buried. Jorge died aged 89 last year after a battle with cancer; Máxima, Willem-Alexander and their three daughters flew from the Netherlands to attend the funeral.
Local media have reported the family's arrival in Argentina
Inés, who died of a suspected suicide and was found at her home on Wednesday evening, was Máxima's younger sister and a godmother to Princess Ariane. A palace spokesperson said the queen was "deeply shocked and devastated" to learn of her sister's death. The 47-year-old royal was said to be close to her younger sibling, who was 33. Inés, who had followed in her father's footsteps and worked for the government, reportedly suffered from depression and mental health issues.
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Queen Maxima has sadly lost her sister...
Understandably, Máxima's diary of engagements has been adjusted. The queen was due to attend a musical event, Holland Festival, this week but she will not be making an appearance. She will also not join her husband Willem-Alexander on their tour of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia next week.
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It's been a difficult year for the mother-of-three, who lost her father last summer. Jorge had a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had been battling the disease at the Fundaleu Clinic in Buenos Aires. Máxima had been pictured visiting him various times.