King Willem-Alexander recreates proposal to Queen Maxima in romantic Valentine's Day post© Getty Images

King Willem-Alexander recreates proposal to Queen Maxima in romantic Valentine’s Day post

The royals got engaged in 2001


UPDATED FEBRUARY 15, 2021 11:02 AM EST

 King Willem-Alexander  and  Queen Maxima  of the Netherlands took a skate down memory lane this weekend. On Sunday, the Dutch Royal House shared a photo of the royal couple recreating the King’s proposal to Maxima. “’More than 20 years later, same place. Enjoy on the ice! ’ – WA,” the Valentine’s Day post was captioned.

Willem-Alexander, sporting ice skates, was pictured down on his knee holding Maxima’s hand on an ice pond at Huis ten Bosch Palace. “This is the single most cutest thing ever 🤧😍,” one social media user commented. Another added, “Ahhhh that is very romantic ❤️.”

The Dutch royals got engaged on January 19, 2001 and their engagement was announced on March 30, 2001. Later reflecting on his—real—proposal to Maxima, Willem-Alexander said (via NL Times), “It was a beautiful Friday afternoon and I thought, ‘Maxima will have to learn how to skate, because what is more Dutch than ice skating?’”

© Getty Images

The royals tied the knot in 2002

Maxima added, “I was expecting an offer of a cup of hot chocolate. Because I had heard that is just as much of a Dutch tradition as iceskating is.”

The King and Queen, who are now parents to daughters Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane, went on to tie the knot in Amsterdam on February 2, 2002.