Máxima Zorreguieta: The Argentinean to be Queen

After Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands officially announced the  abdication of the throne to his son Willem, who will be crowned this April 30, the world press has laid eyes on who will be the next queen consort of this nation.

Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti is considered one of the most beloved people of the Dutch royal family after marrying Willem Alexander, eldest son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Life of Máxima:

Queen Beatrix, Máxima and Prince Willem

She was born in Argentina on May 17, 1971. Máxima belongs to a high-class family of Buenos Aires and is the fourth daughter of Jorge Zorreguieta, former minister during the dictatorship of General Jorge Rafael Videla. The princess was educated in her native city and graduated in 1995 in Economics from the Catholic University of Argentina. She completed her studies with a Masters in Boston, USA.

In New York, she worked at HSBC James Capel Inc., where she was Vice President of Institutional Sales for Latin America. Later, she worked on Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. In 1999 she became senior management executive at Deutsche Bank in New York and later moved to Brussels to work in the Representative Office of this bank, where she remained until April 2001.

A Fairy tale romance:

In May 1999, Willem and Máxima met in Seville (Spain) during a party in the Andalusian capital. She introduced herself and Willem could not hide how much he liked the Argentinean lady. Then the Prince asked her to dance, but his lack of rhythm made Máxima turn around and say (in Spanish) to one of her friends: “Es de Madera!”. Immediately, Willem asked her what did she said and she told him the same phrase but in English: “That you are made of wood.” They both laughed and immediately fell in love.

On March 30, 2001, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands confirmed that Máxima and his son are a couple. Two years later, the royal family announced the official engagement. The news caused adverse reactions in some Dutch social sectors because of the political past of Maximas’s father, who used to be Minister in the regime of Jorge Rafael Videla during Argentina’s military dictatorship.

The wedding took place on February 2nd, 2002 at the Cathedral of Amsterdam. Jorge Zorreguieta was banned from going to the wedding of his daughter and finally had to watch it on television in London. Máxima cried during the ceremony when she heard “Adiós Nonino”, his father’s favorite tango that she had chosen to be played that day.

Willem, Máxima and their daughters

Her Family:

On December 7, 2003 Máxima gave birth to her first child, Princess Amalia, who with the abdication of Queen Beatrix became the heiress to the throne, after his father.

Two years later she gave birth to her second daughter, Alexia, and in April 2007, his third daughter, Ariane was born.

A Professional and Philanthropic Queen:

The wife of the future king speaks Spanish, English, Italian and Dutch. The princess is a member of the Council of State since 2004, as Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem.

She is also part of the Orange Foundation, responsible for promoting social welfare in the Netherlands, and is president of the Board of the Prince Claus Chair, for the promotion of development cooperation, among other charges.

With a good attitude, a great personality and awesome spontaneity, Máxima were able to win the heart of the Dutch people from the beginning. This would make her the most popular member of the royal family of the Netherlands and Latin American countries. That’s why, when the Dutch sovereign announced her abdication to the crown, she says both her son and Zorreguieta are “fully prepared for the job.”