Queen Máxima is packing her bags again. Following her trip to the United States with her husband, King Willem-Alexander, and their daughter, Princess Ariane, to watch the Dutch National team play in the World Cup, Queen Máxima is heading to the other side of the world: India. It appears that this visit will be different from the ones that populate her royal agenda, with the Queen making the trip as a citizen rather than as a royal.
© ANP via Getty ImagesWhat Will Queen Máxima Do in India?
Queen Máxima will visit India from Tuesday, June 23, through Thursday, June 25, at the invitation of the Indian government. She will be attending in her role as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, where she'll meet with users of financial services, government representatives, development organizations, and businesses to discuss the services and policies that contribute to the financial well-being of India's population.
Her visit is expected to wrap up with a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
© Getty ImagesThanks to various digital programs, India has managed to get 89% of its population a bank account, along with better access to loans, savings products, insurance, and pensions. On this trip, Máxima will focus on the quality of financial services so people can manage their day-to-day income and expenses, build a financial safety net, invest responsibly in a better life, and feel confident about their future.
From Mumbai to New Delhi
Máxima's first stop in India will be Mumbai, where she'll start her trip by visiting a hospital and meeting with a group of nurses who use the digital platform SalarySe, which helps them manage their daily finances, save for their emergency funds, and more.
© PPEAfter that, the Queen will hear from young people about how they use the app Jupiter Money to budget, save, and invest in their future. She'll also meet with a group of women from rural communities to learn about their challenges and goals in order to help them boost their financial situation. At the International Finance Corporation, she'll join a discussion on using AI to offer personalized financial advice based on people's individual circumstances and needs. The day will wrap up with a meeting on preventing digital fraud and protecting consumers.
A Meeting With Business Leaders
On Wednesday, June 24, Queen Máxima will take part in a discussion hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. A separate roundtable, focused specifically on the financial well-being of Indian women, will close out the day with a meeting with Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra.
At the United Nations' local office, Queen Máxima will join a discussion on the safe, responsible, and consent-based sharing of data, so financial service providers can offer products tailored to specific groups. The trip will wrap up with a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get his take on her findings.
© ShutterstockBack in mid-May, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted Prime Minister Modi at Huis ten Bosch Palace. As the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, Máxima has now visited India multiple times, including trips in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Her Experience as an Economist
Queen Máxima graduated with a degree in economics from the Catholic University of Argentina in 1995. As a student, she worked at Mercado Abierto S.A., researching software for financial markets. She pursued this career in the following years, with her working at the sales department at Boston Security S.A. in Buenos Aires between 1992 and 1995. She then moved to New York, where she became vice president of institutional sales for Latin America. She served as vice president in the emerging markets division at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson until July 1999, then continued to develop her career at the Deutsche Bank in New York as vice president of institutional sales until May 2000.
Máxima's engagement to Willem-Alexander, the then heir to the Dutch throne, was announced on March 30, 2001. The couple married on February 2, 2002, marking the end of her involvement in finance and her start as one of the biggest representatives of the Dutch royal family.
© Dutch Press/The Grosby Group
