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European RoyalsThe Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander missed his “buddy” during Baltic state visits

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were due to go on a state visit to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania but due to the death of Queen Máxima’s sister Inés, the King went alone.

“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.”

Inés Zorreguieta Cerruti died on 6 June in an apparent suicide after battling depression and an eating disorder. She had been briefly admitted to a psychiatric ward. Queen Máxima is from a large family and has two brothers and also three half-sisters from her father’s first marriage to Marta López Gil.

Inés Zorreguieta Cerruti studied psychology at a university in Argentina and went to work for the United Nations. She worked for them in Panama between 2009 and 2011. She returned to Argentina in 2012 after divorcing her husband, according to the Argentine newspaper La Nacion. Inés was a bridesmaid in her sister’s wedding to the then Prince of Orange, and she was asked to be godmother to the couple’s third child, Princess Ariane.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a statement, “The sudden death of the sister of the Queen comes as a great shock. It is intensely sad and heartbreaking news, that is comprehend for those that are left behind.” He wished the Queen and her family, “all the strength needed to carry this awful loss.”

The King visited the three countries in four days, but the high pace did not seem to bother him. In Latvia, he attended a lecture on logistics. In Estonia, he visited a digital showroom and a seminar on agricultural innovation. In Lithuania, he attended a meeting on power, and he visited Dutch soldiers who are part of a NATO-mission near the eastern border.