Days after playing tourists in the Big Apple, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander returned to The Netherlands for their annual summer photo session on Friday, July 19. The monarchs were joined by their three daughters, Princesses Catharina-Amalia, 15, Ariane, 12, and Alexia, 14, for the photocall, which is one of two yearly photo opps that the royals partake in with the press. It was established in 2005 as part of a media code with the Dutch royal family. The royals pose for photos once in the summer and again at the beginning of their skiing holiday, and in return the media respects their privacy outside of royal engagements.
The Dutch royal family’s new home, Huis ten Bosch Palace, served as the backdrop for the stunning photos. It seems the King, Queen, and Princesses are enjoying their new abode. At last year’s photocall at Villa Eikenhorst, Willem-Alexander admitted, “It is emotional to leave here.” Maxima added, “We leave this house with nostalgia…It means a lot to us.” By the looks of it, the Dutch royal family is already creating special memories at Huis ten Bosch Palace. Maxima and her family were all smiles as they posed on the palace’s grounds. "We were able to make a very real home here," the King told members of the press. "And that's why I say welcome to our home."
Click through to see the best pictures from the photo session…
Princesses Ariane, Catharina-Amalia, and Alexia looked all grown up at the photocall. Ariane and Alexia (wearing Sandro) coordinated in printed frocks, while their big sister donned an embroidered midi dress by Sandro. The sisters all styled their glossy tresses down.
Queen Maxima beamed while sandwiched between her girls. The mom-of-three stunned in a colorful design by Jan Taminiau.
King Willem-Alexander and his wife shared a tender moment.
The royal family moved to the newly renovated Huis ten Bosch Palace on January 13, 2019. Their new home in The Hague is one of three official residences of the Dutch royal family. Princess Beatrix, Willem-Alexander’s mother, previously lived at Huis ten Bosch Palace until 2014. The palace itself is a national monument from the seventeenth century.
Daddy's little girl! Ariane cozied up next to her doting father.
They royals looked like any other royal family. The King and Queen joked around with their daughters.
One photographer reportedly remarked that Amalia might be taller than the King next year, to which Willem-Alexander joked: "I will wear high heels!" The dad-of-three also noted that his heir is “perfect for her next role.”
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