The hysteria of preparations to meet Máxima

For weeks I had to remain silent and bite my lip to avoid saying anything. And I found that quite difficult because of course I wanted to shout from the rooftops that I was going to shake hands with Máxima and hand her the first copy of Project Prep Now I understand that it had to remain a big secret, because otherwise everyone would be waving at the palace doors, so I followed the rules properly. There weren't many rules, mostly self-imposed hysterical rules, because meeting the Queen caused quite a bit of stress.

Because now I can unexpectedly say quite a few embarrassing words now that I'm sitting here in a skirt, I sometimes look quite uncharming – my colleagues have long forgiven me – and walking in heels is not really my strongest trait, because the last time I ended up with a broken little foot. Those weeks of having to keep my mouth shut went by surprisingly quickly because I managed to fill them with metamorphosis things.

So I first watched Princess Diary parts 1 and 2 to bring out the inner princess in myself. Legs shouldn't be crossed, but neatly next to each other. And when you sit, you place your hands on both legs over each other and don't let them dangle by the chair. The question was also what to do with Céline. Look, I don't just put my girlfriend on the floor, but I also can't really put her on the table with the Queen. So she would get a spot behind my back against the chair.

Tea cups, I also practiced a lot with those. If I take small sips, I might make a slurping sound, and I'm not very handy with saucers either. And I always prefer large tea cups instead of those classic cups, so practice was greatly needed. In the end, I managed to hold the handle perfectly, keep my pinky up, and hold the saucer under the cup. No dripping, no stains, and no slurping.

Now I am a well-mannered girl you know, but occasionally I slip out some unexpected language that I didn't think fit very well in royal circles. So for about two weeks, I paid a lot of attention to my words, and some of my girlfriends even noticed that I came across as much more intelligent. A walking encyclopedia. I knew everything and used the most beautiful words.

Last little point. The heels. That was a thing. Of course, I had to meet the Queen in heels. Janneke, the initiator of the project, already had a fresh pair of Pradas in the closet. I didn't dare to wear those. It had to be a familiar pair that I felt comfortable with. Now I occasionally wobble in heels, and the last time I ended up with a broken little foot, so here too, the necessary practice came in handy. In the evenings at home, I took the heels out of the closet and practiced like crazy. To the great annoyance of the downstairs neighbor, of course.

And then came the day I was going to meet Máxima. Stupidly nervous, you understand. In the end, the heels stayed home because I was so afraid of wobbly knees that I really felt a thousand times better in a flat lace-up shoe. And with a nice bit of makeup, I already felt like the princess of the ball. No Queen, no one is prettier than Máxima. All that hysteria was completely for nothing. In the end, we stood with Queen Máxima, didn't drink tea, chatted, and laughed widely, and I didn't need my extensive vocabulary to make an impression. It's true. Máxima is the prettiest, the nicest, and the sweetest, and all that preparation was such a waste of time because I never felt insecure for a moment. Next time at my place?