Willem-Alexander and Maxima met in 1999 in the Spanish city of Seville. A few months later they fell in love in New York, where Máxima was living at the time. There she worked for Deutsche Bank, among others. Willem-Alexander regularly traveled back and forth to visit her.
Our King later said in an interview that his mother Beatrix was keen to know what he was doing in The Big Apple. He said: “Her name is Máxima. She is Argentinian and lives in New York and trusts me. Don’t ask any questions now.”
Willem-Alexander visited Maxima mainly during weekends. In New York, they were unrecognizable on the streets and the duo enjoyed it very much. Ice skating at Battery Park was a particular favorite activity. The King later recalled in an interview that if he had been allowed to choose a souvenir, he would have taken with him a piece of the asphalt on which they often skated.
Willem-Alexander and Máxima have managed to keep their relationship out of the limelight for a long time. Until photographer Edwin Smulders captured it in the early 2000s. This also happened in New York. Eventually, Máxima moved to Brussels for love, to be closer to Willem-Alexander. Their engagement was announced in 2001 and they married in 2002.
Videoland series Maxima It tells the love story between Willem-Alexander and our Queen:
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