‘The visit had an intimate and family atmosphere,’ sources told Hola! of the New Year’s getaway. Not least because the Dutch royals were reuniting with Queen Maxima’s side of the family, with her mother, María del Carmen Cerruti, welcoming them to the house in Patagonia. Maxima, of course, was born in Buenos Aires, before her banking career saw her move to New York City and Brussels. The Queen remains close to her mother, joining her in Seville last year to soak in the sights at the April Fair – no doubt a trip that brought back plenty of memories for Maxima, who met Willem-Alexander at the event in 2000.
Maria Del Carmen Cerruti and Her Majesty Queen Beatrix arrive for the Christening of Princess Catharina Amalia in 2004
Steve Finn/Getty Images
It is unknown whether the extended members of the family joined in on the festivities, but no doubt the Princess of Orange and her sisters were overjoyed to see their grandmother ahead of the New Year. After all, 2026 promises to be a very busy period for the Dutch princesses. Catharina Amalia will be balancing her second degree in Law at the University of Amsterdam with her military training at the Defence College. Her sister, Princess Alexia, will soon be returning to Britain to continue her studies at University College London, and Princess Ariane is busy on her gap year before she decides where, or if, she wants to attend university.
Meanwhile, Queen Maxima will get back to public duties on 14 January, when she is due to attend the inauguration of the 40th edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag, which aims to showcase the work of European musicians across the world. King Willem-Alexander gets to work on 27 January, as she is scheduled to inaugurate the Circte tyre recycling plant.