Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has joined the nation’s armed forces as a reserve soldier, the Dutch defence forces introduced in an Instagram put up this week.
In a assertion on Wednesday, the 54-year-old queen stated she “has chosen to enlist now as a result of our security can now not be taken as a right, and he or she, like many others, desires to contribute to that security.”
At present, within the Netherlands, it’s doable to be appointed as a reservist within the military till the age of 55.
Queen Máxima at present holds the rank of soldier, however upon finishing her coaching, she can be promoted to lieutenant-colonel. “Like different reservists, she is going to deploy the place wanted,” the assertion continued.
The ministry shared a sequence of pictures and a video from the royal’s coaching camp, together with psychological expertise testing on the Royal Army Academy in Breda, within the south of the nation, firearms coaching, and different workout routines.
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and around the globe, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you once they occur.
Footage exhibits the queen swimming in a pool carrying goggles that obscure her imaginative and prescient, in addition to abseiling down scaffolding and descending a mountaineering wall.
Dutch reservists are lively throughout all branches of the Ministry of Defence, significantly in periods of heightened pressure, her assertion defined.
“Working as a reservist is voluntary, however not with out obligation,” it added, together with necessary actions, akin to participation in workout routines, idea days and the upkeep of fundamental army expertise.
Queen Máxima has begun coaching as a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Military. She is taking the psychological expertise course on the Royal Army Academy, a part of the Normal Army Coaching (AMO) program that every one reservists attend.
Ministry of Defence
The Dutch royal household has historically maintained an in depth bond with the armed forces.
William of Orange was the commander of the military. King Willem-Alexander accomplished his army service within the Royal Netherlands Navy, then served within the Royal Netherlands Military and the Royal Netherlands Air Drive.
The Princess of Orange is now a corporal and is enrolled within the Defence Faculty program.
The completion of the queen’s army coaching comes amid perceived instability amongst European allies as they climate the unpredictability of U.S. President Donald Trump’s management, together with his threats to take over Greenland and the battle in Ukraine.
Trump has urged European nations to considerably enhance their home defence spending and scale back what he sees as an over-reliance on U.S. forces in NATO.
© 2026 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
