The Queen is fine! In fact, she's getting ready for a royal sleepover
Despite rumors suggesting that she is not well and has to cut back on the number of royal engagements that she takes on, the Queen seems to be as active as ever, and in fact, will host the King and Queen of Netherlands for a state visit this October. The state visit only reconfirms that the Netherlands has excellent ties with the United Kingdom and their relationship is based on shared values in the past, present, and future.
The state visit is believed to be taking place on 23 and 24 October this year. The King, Willem Alexander, and Queen, Maxima, will be accompanied on their visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok. The King and Queen will spend the night at Buckingham Palace. The official statement released by The Buckingham Palace announced reads: "Their Majesties, The King and Queen of the Netherlands, have accepted an invitation from The Queen to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from 23rd to 24th October 2018. The King and Queen of the Netherlands will stay at Buckingham Palace."
The state visit was announced on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, the royal couple's visit is marked by the recent death of Queen Maxima's sister Ines Zorreguieta. 33-year-old Ines was tragically found dead in her apartment in Buenos Aires. Her death was ruled as suicide.
According to reports, the 47-year-old Queen was completely devastated by her sister's death. She canceled all of her royal engagements and appearances, until recently. when she first spoke publicly about her family's tragedy post visiting a cancer treatment center. "My dear, gifted little sister Inés was sick, too. She could find no joy, and she could not be cured. Our only comfort is that she has now at last found peace," Queen Maxima said.
Back then, the statement from the Royal House of the Netherlands read: "Following the death of her sister Inés Zorreguieta, Queen Máxima will not be accompanying King Willem-Alexander on the state visits to Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania." During the Baltic tour, King Willem said, "Of course, it’s a shame when your buddy isn’t here, but she has good reason not be here. I am constantly in touch with her and with the children as well, because they were are home alone".
"They have support, of course, but I wanted to be sure that they wouldn’t fall into a black hole after visiting Buenos Aires," he continued. The king also made an emotional tribute to his sister-in-law and shared, "The death has been a big shock to us and has very much taken us in. Inés was unique and deeply dear to us, so the grief is great. "My wife will be there in my mind, and I will join her," he added noting that Maxima would not be joining him on the trip.
"And I would like to say how very grateful we are for the countless letters, messages, and tokens of sympathy that we have received. They have really helped us. I’d also like to say thank you for the respect that everyone has shown my family in this very dark period. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she continued. She went on to add that the family's only consolation came from the fact that Ines had finally managed to find some peace.
Queen Maxima and King Willem Alexnder had met with the Queen at Windsor Castle in the year 2013 just after the King had ascended the throne post his mother, Queen Beatrix's abdication. The King and Queen of Netherlands were also believed to have attended Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding which took place in the year 2011.
Queen Elizabeth had also hosted King Willem's mother Alexander's mother Queen Beatrix and her husband Prince Claus of the Netherlands in the year 1972. In the year 1958, the Queen and Prince Philip went on a state visit to Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and also returned the same hospitality to the royal couple in the year 1972. Eventually, Queen Juliana took to abdicating the throne in favor of her daughter, Beatrix which is a common custom with the Royal family in the Netherlands.
Queen Maxima is the first Latin American to become queen consort in the Netherlands. Queen Maxima met her husband, King Willem Alexander, while at a fair which took place in Seville in the year 1999. While introducing himself to her, he did so as just 'Alexander' in the attempt of hiding his true identity. The couple fell in love and got married in the year 2002.
They also had three daughters together, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, 15, Princess Alexia, 13, and Princess Ariane, 11. Queen Maxima grew up in Argentina with her two brothers, three half-sisters, and Ines who was the youngest sister. When Queen Maxima chose to get married to King Willem, Ines had agreed to be Maxima's bridesmaid despite the fact that neither the bride nor groom's parents attended the wedding for political reasons.