Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has a new title; this one comes with a uniform. On November 13, the 55-year-old queen was sworn in as a reservist of the Royal Netherlands Army at the Royal Military Academy in Breda, Netherlands, receiving the rank of lieutenant colonel after months of military training. Watching from the audience were the two people who understand the commitment best: her husband, King Willem-Alexander, and their eldest daughter, Princess Amalia.
© ANP/AFP via Getty ImagesMáxima took her oath before Lieutenant General Jan Swillens, commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, alongside 23 other new reserve officers. According to the Dutch Royal House, she wrapped up her training on November 11, just two days before the ceremony, closing a chapter she opened at the start of the year.
A Family Affair in Uniform
The ceremony had extra meaning for the House of Orange-Nassau. Máxima’s path into the military followed closely behind her daughter’s. The heir to the Dutch throne finished her own basic training as a volunteer army reservist in January, just weeks before her mother reported to Breda.
Seeing the king, the queen and the crown princess together at the academy made for a striking image of a royal family now tied to the armed forces across two generations. The three of them were visibly close throughout the ceremony, and protocol made room for a family moment on what was a very personal day for the queen.
© ANP/AFP via Getty ImagesA Break With Tradition
When Máxima enlisted in February, she broke with a Dutch royal custom where queens had no meaningful role in the military. She’s widely described as the first Dutch queen consort to receive formal military training. Timing played a part as well. In the Netherlands, 55 is the age limit for appointment as an army reservist, and the palace said that cutoff factored into her decision.
At the time, the royal family tied her choice to a changing Europe, saying in a statement that she’d decided to sign up because “our safety can no longer be taken for granted.”
Her training began in early February with a mental skills course at the academy, followed by marksmanship, climbing and water drills. At the end of May, after completing the first phase, she received her regulation beret bearing the insignia of the Grand Staff. That moment drew attention well beyond the Netherlands and put Máxima in rare company among Europe’s royal houses.
© ANP/AFP via Getty ImagesA New Role at the King’s Side
With her training complete, Máxima now serves as an active member of the King’s Military Household with the rank of lieutenant colonel. “Like other reservists, she will deploy where needed,” the royal family said when she first enlisted.
It’s an unprecedented step for the Dutch monarchy, and one that strengthens the image of a modern, approachable crown in the eyes of the Dutch public.
© ANP/AFP via Getty Images
