King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Máxima wrapped up their four day working visit to Germany in Schloss Oranienbaum near Dessau in Saxony-Anhalt. Oranienbaum - Orange Tree - has a close connection to the Dutch royal family as it was build in the late seventeenth century by Princess Henriëtte Catharina, daughter of the Dutch Stadholder Frederick Hendrick, and Princess of Anhalt-Dessau. The Dutch King is a 9th generation descendant of Henriëtte.
© RB
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Despite a mild concussion Queen Máxima still took part in Friday's pre-Summer photo op in the back garden of the Dutch royal family's residence Eikenhorst in Wassenaar, near The Hague. Princess Amalia showed up on crutches after she sprained her right ankle the night before.
'Part of growing up' her father King Willem-Alexander said – he was surprised by all the media attention given to her injury. He was glad in his youth the media focussed less on every scratch or cut he and his young brothers got. It was part of life the King quipped.
Máxima said she still suffered from dizziness and 'great headaches' and had to take rest. The King added it was difficult to get his wife to do just that, but promised he would see to it that she did take her rest. The Queen fell – presumably at a party – last week Friday but ignored the signs of a possible concussion and did not see a doctor till five days later.
The photo session was chaotic and got out of hand at times – and had Queen Máxima fear for the central piece of art in the garden, and the flowers in front of the terrace. Security personnel had to contain the photographers and cameramen who were vying for the best position in front of the royal family.
The King and his daughters looked on in bemusement. The scuffling and even swearing made for good entertainment he said afterwards and gave them something interesting to look at. It was worse than in Britain the British photographers remarked; they were already sour because they had missed Prince George's little excursion with his parents that morning.
As by tradition – although skipped in 2013 – the royal couple also took questions from the press, in two separate rounds, for the written media and tv and radio. Questions covered a wide range of issues, and the King and Queen also made a statement about the recent deaths of two Dutch soldiers serving with the United Nations in Mali.
Queen Máxima said all three daughters succeeded in going to the next level at school, and the King added that Princess Amalia will take up Chinese as one of her subjects in the next school year. Her parents had taken her on an introductory vacation to China last year, just ahead of their State Visit to the People's Republic. Chinese had interested the Princess of Orange, and she had now chosen it as an elective subject.
The royal couple did not give any hints about their holiday plans. But the King, who will attend the opening of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro early next month, did not exclude the possibility he would take his daughters to watch some of the sports in Brazil.
© Royalblog, Hans Jacobs
Also watch a short video clip:
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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will arrive Wednesday evening at Paris' Vélizy-Villacoblay airport ahead of their State Visit to France, which kicks off on Thursday with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe. Following the ceremony the Dutch royal couple will be welcomed by French President François Hollande at the Presidential Elysée Palace.
For King Willem-Alexander it is his seventh State Visit since he came to the throne in April 2013. France is the third European country he is visiting after Poland (2014) and Denmark (2015). Later this year the royal couple is expected to visit Australia and possibly New Zealand as well. The Palace has not yet confirmed these visits, but there is large Dutch economic mission heading that way from October 31, and these trade missions often coincide with State Visits.
French President François Hollande paid an official visit to the Netherlands early 2014, thus paving the way for this State Visit - only the fifth in Dutch-French history. Willem-Alexander's mother Queen Beatrix visited France in 1991. The visit is meant to further enhance the relations between both countries.
The royal couple has a full agenda including courtesy calls to the Presidents of the Senate and the National Assembly, and a meeting with Paris' Mayor Anne Hildago. King and Queen will ride an electric bus, meet with French young, watch fashion and see two paintings by Rembrandt at the Louvre museum. France and the Netherlands jointly bought these paintings last year - they will be exhibited alternatively at the Louvre and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. © RB
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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima registered their daughter Princess Alexia under an assumed name in Feldkirch's Landeskrankenhaus to thwart snooping media and others from finding out about her condition and exact whereabouts. Princess Alexia was 'Alexandra Huber' for the four days she resided in the Austrian hospital the local Voralberger Nachrichten reported.
According to Dutch TV-show Shownieuws the Dutch Government Information Service (RVD) would not comment on the article on page 8 of the newspaper which also gave details about the doctors – Michael Vonmetz and Burkhard Simma – who operated on the ten year old Princess and looked after her after her surgery.
Alexia (pictured with green helmet) last week Saturday made an ugly fall while skiing in the nearby ski resort of Lech am Arlberg where the Dutch Royal Family had been vacationing for several days. She was flown by helicopter to the hospital in Feldkirch, accompanied by her mother Queen Máxima and followed in by the King in his car. Princess Alexia was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, and is now working on her revalidation the Court announced earlier this week.
Blauw Bloed, the Dutch TV's weekly royalty programme, said on Saturday the Royal Family were back in Lech this weekend. They were spotted in town by a Dutch journalist.
© RB Hans Jacobs: Sources: VN, EO Blauw Bloed, SBS Shownieuws
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Dutch Princess Alexia, 10, is still in hospital in Austria. She was taken to the Landeskrankenhaus in Feldkirch on Saturday after a fall while skiing in the Funpark in Oberlech on the last day of the family winter holidays. Princess Alexia broke her upper right leg and underwent surgery right away. The surgery went well the Royal House said Saturday.
LATEST: Dutch King: Alexia is doing well, Princess leaves hospital
* Princess Alexia in Lech (green helmet), with views of Feldkirch.
Queen Máxima accompanied her daughter in the helicopter to the hospital, while King Willem-Alexander followed by car. From Lech am Voralberg to Feldkirch is 60 kilometres. Although the Government Information Service (RVD) will not disclose who is staying with Alexia, it is generally assumed Queen Máxima stayed behind to support her. The princess had to start school again Monday, as did her siblings Amalia and Ariane. © RB
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Dutch Princess Alexia, the ten year old second daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, broke her right leg on the last day of the family's skiing holiday in Austria, Saturday. She was taken by helicopter from Lech am Arlberg to a near by hospital, where the young princess succesfully underwent surgery. According to the Dutch Government Information Service Princess Alexia will likely remain in hospital for a couple of days.
The Dutch royals started their annual winter holiday last week and happily posed for pictures on Monday. Austrian observers remarked how well the three Princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariane were skiing, Austrian newspaper Wiener Zeitung wrote Saturday evening in its on line edition. According to Austrian media reports the Princess was injured while visiting the Funpark; Austrian police said no third parties were involved in the incident.
Austrian media immediately linked the accident to the tragedy which befell the Dutch royal family in 2012, when the present King's brother Prince Friso was swept off his skis by an avalanche, and 18 months later eventually succumbed to the injuries he suffered.
Princess Alexia earlier this week in Lech:
© Royalblog
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Princess Beatrix joined in the fun of the photo op, which was dressed up as a family outing on the slopes of Oberlech, just above the village centre. The 50 journalists and photographers who had gathered here were joined by an equal number of Dutch tourists, who claimed their constitutional 'right' to takes selfies with the royals. Or so it seemed to a more neutral onlooker.
The press meeting lasted a good half hour, with the royals posing in changing combinations, and also showing off their skiing skills. King Willem-Alexander directed the proceeddings, and his three daughters Amalia, Alexia and Ariane followed suit. The King, a regular in Lech since 1968, was accompanied by his youngest brother Prince Constantijn and his family.
A videoclip of the meeting can be seen on Royalblog's YouTube channel:
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Queen Máxima wrapped up her 3-day UN visit to Pakistan with a promise. If the ambitious targets for financial inclusion the country has set for itself are met, she will gladly return. The queen confirmed her promise during a press meeting in Islamabad, where the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Mr. Ashraf Mahmood Wahtra confessed to having changed the goal posts at the urging of the queen.
Pakistan set a goal of having 50 percent of the adult population have a bank account by 2020. A tremendous challenge while currently only 11 to 16 percent, depending on the definition, have that access. Mr Wahtra suggested the goal could me met one or two years earlier. 'That would ensure the reurun of the queen. We are looking foward to that', he said in a most charming way. Queen Máxima did not voice any doubts about the goal being reached, but emphasized that Pakistan now has to implement all the plans drawn up for the extension of financial inclusion of its 200 million strong population.
The queen paid a visit to Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain in the morning, and sollicited his support for the far reaching plans. Earlier during her visit she also held talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
As she usually does during her country visits the queen in her role as Special Advocate for financial inclusion explored projects that aim to improve the lives of the poor by utilizing transformative financial tools. Among the programs she visited were the Benazir Income Support Programme, which delivers government support to women through digital accounts, and Easypaisa, a digital, branchless banking service that utilizes banking agents located in shops, where customers can deposit or withdraw cash, and even take out insurance.
Máxima also met with clients at the Kashf Foundation, which offers small loans to women to promote entrepreneurship, provides them with financial training, and inform them about other financial products. © RB Hans Jacobs
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Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will travel to Pakistan next week in her capacity as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). In Pakistan she will promote financial inclusion and support the implementation of the country’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy.
Queen Máxima last month already met briefly with Paklistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Davos, Switzerland, to lay the foundation for the visit. The visit to Pakistan follows earlier and similar work visits to Bangladesh, the Philippines, Myanmar, China, Peru, Colombia, Tanzania and Ethiopia, among others.
The queen's visit will begin in Islamabad on Tuesday, when she will meet with Ashraf Mahmood Wathra, governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and representatives of public and private banks to discuss their role in making financial services available. In the afternoon, Queen Máxima and Dr Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank Group, will attend the Universal Financial Access workshop held by the State Bank.
The World Bank is currently preparing a program to support the implementation of Pakistan’s national strategy over the next five years. Pakistan has a well-organized financial system but the use of formal services is very low, particularly among women, farmers, and small businesses.
During her visit the queen will also meet President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. © RB
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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will bring a State Visit to France on 10 and 11th of March. The visit, at the invitation of President François Hollande, was already announced in June last year but no date had been given. The royal couple will be accompanied by Bert Koenders, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Willem-Alexander in his New Year's speech already looked ahead to the State Visit, his seventh state visit since taking office in 2013. President Hollande in January 2014 came on an official visit to the Netherlands. The last Dutch state visit to France took place 25 years ago. © RB; Photo: © MPE Patrick van Katwijk
THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT IN FRENCH:
A l’invitation du président François Hollande, leurs Majestés le Roi Willem-Alexander et la Reine Máxima des Pays-Bas effectueront une visite d’État en France pour les 10 et 11 mars prochains. Le couple royal sera accompagné d’une importante délégation économique.
Cette visite marquera l’importance des relations historiques qui lient nos deux pays, au moment où les Pays-Bas assurent aussi la Présidence de l’Union Européenne. Le président de la République s’était rendu aux Pays-Bas pour une visite officielle en janvier 2014.
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