Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has taken everyone by surprise with her latest move and she’s shown a very modern approach to queenship. The Dutch queen shared this week that she has joined the Dutch military.
Earlier this week, the Dutch Royal Family shared images on Instagram of Queen Maxima undergoing training to become a reservist in the Royal Netherlands Army. The photos shared show Her Majesty tackling a number of tasks, including learning to fire a gun, obstacle courses, and water training.
The exercises were intensive – in one, Queen Maxima is seen jumping into water while wearing dark goggles and carrying a backpack before negotiating a number of obstacles in the training pool.
The Royal House of the Netherlands released an official statement further explaining why Queen Maxima is now joining the army at 54, sharing, “Queen Maxima has chosen to enlist now because our safety can no longer be taken for granted, and she, like many others, wants to contribute to that safety.”
With US President Donald Trump’s continual discussion of geopolitical changes in Europe, many countries are quickly changing their approach to national and international safety.
While Queen Maxima was appointed to the rank of Private on 1 February, following the conclusion of her training, she will be made a lieutenant colonel.
Her eldest daughter, the Princess of Orange, also underwent training to become a reservist in the army. Princess Catharina Amalia is currently studying at Defensity College, an institution that combines academic and defence education.
Given that global geopolitics are changing faster than ever, it is possible that we will see more royals taking on training and roles related to defence, creating a modern definition of monarchy.
