Inés Zorreguieta, the younger sister of Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, was buried on Friday evening. The burial took place two days after the sudden death of Inés. Queen Máxima, King Willem-Alexander and their family were present.
The Argentinian media have reported that Inés has been buried at the Parque Memorial in Pilar, a town 50 kilometres from the capital Buenos Aires. The burial took place on Friday afternoon at 3pm local time – just two days after the sudden death of Inés. It is not surprising that the funeral took place so shortly after her death as it is custom in Argentina to bury people soon after their death.
During the funeral, there was a heavy security presence to make sure that the family was able to say their goodbyes quietly. One Argentinian newspaper counted 57 policemen and 17 police cars. Queen Maxima’s and Inés’s father, Jorge Zorreguieta is also buried at the Parque Memorial in Pilar after he died in August of last year.
The Dutch Royal Court announced on Thursday that Queen Máxima, King Willem-Alexander and their three daughters were to fly to Argentina to attend the funeral and support the family. The King and his family arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday morning.
On Thursday it was announced that Inés Zorreguieta, Queen Maxima’s only sister had died after taking her own life. Queen Máxima also has two brothers and three half-sisters from a previous marriage of her father Jorge.
Máxima and Inés are said to have been very close as they often flew back and forth to Argentina or the Netherlands to meet one another. Inés was also the godmother of Queen Maxima’s youngest daughter Princess Ariane Wilhelmina Maxima Inés who was named after her godmother.
King Willem-Alexander is expected to fly back to the Netherlands this weekend as he will embark on his State Visits to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania next week. Queen Máxima will not accompany her husband on these State Visits, the Royal Court has announced. It is likely that The Queen will remain in Argentina with her family for a little while.
