When Maxima Zorreguieta married Crown Prince Willem-Alexander four years ago, the only sadness in her heart was bidding farewell to her beloved home country of Argentina. The pretty royal returns to her native land as often as possible, however, and judging by the reception she has received during her latest visit, the South American nation feels just as enthusiastic about her.
The mother-of-two was greeted by crowds of well-wishers waving Dutch flags with her name emblazoned across them when she dropped by the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires. Looking typically stylish in a cream-coloured dress and matching sunhat, the princess, who was accompanied by her husband and mother-in-law Queen Beatrix, was clearly moved by the show of affection.
And her relationship with the Netherlands' future king appears to have provoked a surge in international romances, with the Dutch Ambassador to Argentina reporting more marriages between citizens of the two countries than ever before. "The contacts before this were never so extensive," revealed Robert Jan van Houtum. Explaining that the two countries have "really discovered" each other in recent years, the diplomat said Maxima's union with the crown prince had also helped foster closer political and economic ties.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
