The Netherlands’ Queen Maxima went on a royal tour of South Africa last week with her husband, King Willem-Alexander. The tour went “well” until the last day, which was when the king and queen were loudly protested outside of Slave Lodge, a museum in Cape Town. Suddenly, all of their careful photo-ops fell flat. It turned out, Maxima and W-A had always billed the tour as “educational” rather than providing reparations and/or restorative justice. The king went back to the Netherlands, but Maxima peeled off to visit Kenya, in which I imagine was always part of her schedule.
Maxima just concluded her three-day work trip to Kenya as special advocate for the United Nations Inclusive Finance for Development. She did meetings with Kenya’s Finance Minister and local politicians, and she did several visits to projects on the ground, projects which I assume are getting some UNSGSA funding. She seemed warm and engaged with everyone, and from what I’ve seen (the photos and the coverage of her trip), she was well-received in Kenya and there were no protests. I’m not going to give her a cookie for this, but I would imagine that her advisors probably suggested that she cancel this trip after the protest in South Africa, and it’s good that she refused and went about her business.
Fashion-wise, Maxima wasn’t serving like she was in South Africa, but I do love the billowy, patterned skirt or whatever that is. Also: I genuinely wonder if King Charles’s reception in Kenya next month will be a lot different than this.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a field visit to PharmAccess at the Zamzam Clinic in Nairobi, on day 2 of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima Where: Nairobi, Kenya When: 24 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a field visit to PharmAccess at the Zamzam Clinic in Nairobi, on day 2 of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima Where: Nairobi, Kenya When: 24 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a field visit to PharmAccess at the Zamzam Clinic in Nairobi, on day 2 of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima Where: Nairobi, Kenya When: 24 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a meeting with impact investors in Nairobi, on day 2 of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima Where: Nairobi, Kenya When: 24 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a Round table Open Finance and Financial Health together with the Cabinet Secretary of Treasury at Radisson Blu Arboretum in Nairobi, on the final day of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands Where: Nairobi, Kenya When: 25 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
I think they’re already protesting Charles’ visit, so that should be interesting to see play out.
I wonder if part of the difference is that this trip was for a UN initiative, and not just a European royal touring one of their former colonies. And I don’t think Kenya was ever a Dutch colony, was it? that could also make a difference.
Kenya was a British colony and is part of the Commonwealth.
Queen Letizia owns the same Etro maxi skirt!
Love that Etro skirt and those sandals.
The sandals really make the outfit!
I absolutely ADORE the skirt. It’s so beautiful and floaty and unstructured. It looks super comfy. I love it with the white button down shirt and all the accessories are on point too.
Yep, style-wise, I’m a fan. The sandal skirt button down is a win.
I still think her consistent support and actual work for financial inclusion with the UN is important. It’s not a “fluffy”, easy, consensual topic à la “bla bla children something” which is never going to make waves, and I’m glad she stuck to her schedule to continue the work on that in Kenya.
This is where I am too. Good for Maxima for going to Kenya. I don’t know how things are going to go for Chuck, since he can’t offer valuable expertise in anything but alienating a child.
She wasn’t protested in Kenya because she was there as a representative of the UN not the monarchy. Plus, I don’t think the Dutch has a history of colonialism in Kenya like they do in South Africa.
Kenya has a complicated history with colonialism, which was mostly instigated by the British for the purpose of ivory collection, and coffee plantations. Pillaging from Africa was a proud feature of the British Empire.
say what you will, but this woman can really dress herself. Im continually in awe of her fashion cojones.
After your country participated in looting and raping a country of its goods and left the country in shambles, you come back as a UN representative not to offer reparations but to check on their progress. Make this make sense. You are living off of the generational wealth from these countries and now through the UN you are checking on the progress of some initiatives. Get out of here with this nonsense.
Would love to know where she bought her skirt. I’m not tall like her, so it probably wouldn’t look nice on me, but it is so beautiful. I’m guessing it’s expensive!
Comments above day it’s an Etro. Go online?