6 lessons you can learn from Máxima

In the recent popularity polls, Máxima has dropped slightly. Unjustly, this fan believes. Our queen is beautiful and powerful, and especially today, we can learn a lot from her.

1. Be a talking heart, not a talking head
Many people in public positions deliver their rehearsed texts without really connecting with their audience. You should be so comfortable in your own story that you can deviate a bit and still convey your message. The most important thing is to make a connection; only then will the other person hear what you say. Did you know that Máxima usually only wears one glove because she wants to be able to touch someone with her hand?

2. Focus on an important topic
Find what makes you unique and how you can help the world move forward. For Máxima, that is microcredit and especially helping women to get ahead in life. This aligned with her studies and the job she had before she became queen. Of course, she does much more, but this is her domain.

3. Allow yourself to be corrected
This is how Máxima learned Dutch so well. She asked Dutch people to correct her, dared to speak, and watched a lot of TV.

4. Push boundaries in fashion (and sometimes not)
The mailbag dress by Jan Taminiau, the denim jacket, the leather dresses; all bold choices that she pulled off beautifully. But when necessary, she is again classic and true to the dress code. Fashion never gets the better of her. You won't see Máxima quickly with flashy logos and labels. She often wears Natan, Iversen, and Taminiau, and indeed Bottega Veneta and Valentino (wedding dress!), but it is always a prime example of quiet luxury. No logos are involved.

5. Think about what you want to say
In the beginning, Máxima would sometimes let something slip. The famous ‘He was a bit dumb’ phrase and of course her comment about Willem-Alexander being a bit stiff in the hips. Unfortunately, she has somewhat unlearned that. As everyone who gets older knows, you realize the impact your words can have and think beforehand about what and how you are going to say something. I found it beautiful when she told the press how she felt after the death of her sister Inés. While she may have weighed her words beforehand, the emotion is always pure.

6. You can definitely wear something twice
In 2012, for example, Máxima wore 154 outfits at official occasions, of which 54 were new.