The upcoming NY400 Week celebrations will be highlighted by a unique six-day visit of the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands to the City of New York. It brings back memories of another Royal Visit, fifty years ago. Her Majesty Queen Beatrix – then Princess- stole the hearts of the New Yorkers in 1959, as she was part of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage. Over 200.000 New Yorkers welcomed the Princess to their city with a classic 'ticker-tape parade'. This Tuesday, the Prince of Orange will also receive a warm welcome by New York City, during the NY400 opening ceremony onboard the USS Intrepid.
Get to know the Dutch Royals through their official biography:
Prince of Orange
Prince Willem-Alexander, as the eldest child of Queen Beatrix, is first in line of succession to the throne. Since his mother’s investiture on 30 April 1980, he has borne the title Prince of Orange, which has been held by the heir to the throne since 1815. The Prince and Princess Máxima have three daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.
The Prince performed his military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy from August 1985 to January 1987. He spent several months training at the Royal Naval Institute in Den Helder, after which he served on board the frigates HMS Tromp and HMS Abraham Crijnssen. After completing his military service, the Prince enrolled as a history student in the Arts Faculty of Leiden University in 1987 and graduated in 1993.
Since 1997, the Prince has been closely involved in the field of water management, in both the Netherlands and elsewhere. As Chair of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation he makes a personal contribution to solving water-related problems all over the world. The Prince believes that solving the problems relating to access to water and sanitation will play a central role in eradicating poverty and bringing about sustainable development.
The Prince has a passion for sport. It is more than a personal interest, as he is involved with sport at a high level, both in the Netherlands and abroad. The Prince has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since February 1998. As member of the IOC, Prince Willem-Alexander attends all Olympic Games. In his leisure time, the Prince frequently attends major fixtures when the Dutch national teams are taking part. In 1992 he ran the New York Marathon.
Princess Máxima
Princess Máxima was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 May 1971 as Máxima Zorreguieta. She is the daughter of Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta and María del Carmen Cerruti de Zorreguieta. Princess Máxima grew up in Buenos Aires. She graduated in economics from the Universidad Católica Argentina in 1995.
From July 1996 to February 1998, Princess Máxima worked for HSBC James Capel Inc. in New York, where she was Vice-President of Latin American Institutional Sales. From then until July 1999 she was Vice-President of the emerging markets division of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in New York, specialising in Equities. She then moved to Deutsche Bank in New York, where she was Vice-President of Institutional Sales. From May 2000 to March 2001, she worked at the EU Representative Office of Deutsche Bank in Brussels.
On 30 March 2001, Máxima Zorreguieta became engaged to the Prince of Orange. She became a Dutch citizen on 17 May 2001. The civil marriage ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, in the Beurs van Berlage on 2 February 2002. The Reverend Carel ter Linden officiated at the church ceremony, which took place in the Nieuwe Kerk. On her marriage, Princess Máxima received the title of Princess of the Netherlands.
At the invitation of the United Nations, Princess Máxima was involved in the Advisors Group to the International Year of Microcredit 2005. Throughout 2005 the Group met on a regular basis to discuss progress towards achieving universal access to financial services. In June 2006 Princess Máxima joined the United Nations Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors. As well as microcredit, which involves making small loans available to the economically active poor, the Advisors Group addresses the issue of wider access to all financial services for small businesses.
Join the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands for the NY400 Week celebrations, from September 8 - 13!
Click here to download the NY400 Week Program Guide.
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