Nothing Dutch is foreign to me, so I gladly complain properly. About the weather (sometimes too cold, sometimes too hot - never quite right), about traffic jams and of course also about the NATO summit. Why couldn't I just drive from Haarlem to Zandvoort to let the dogs (I'm currently dog-sitting) run on the beach? What does Zandvoort actually have to do with The Hague? There isn't even a direct connection. And when I dropped off my partner at Schiphol and wanted to drive home via Hoofddorp, every exit was blocked by military vehicles as if it were war.

From frustration to admiration
And where one would actually avoid The Hague, I was led directly onto the highway towards The Hague. I mumbled and grumbled. Why should this hobby project (sorry, but I really had a tough time here) of Mark Rutte take place right here? We were not at all prepared for it! And Huis ter Duin is indeed a nice hotel, but I couldn't really imagine Trump being particularly happy there.

The power of the royal image
But as easily as I complain, I also change my opinion. For when I saw our fantastic queen shine in her lime green jumpsuit yesterday, alongside Princess Amalia, who - as the English so nicely say - is blooming in every way, I felt only one thing: pride.

Máxima's jumpsuit steals the show
And I had to revise my opinion about Mark Rutte. Holding the NATO summit in our small country might have been the most strategic move imaginable. The story of our royal family, the splendor of Huis ten Bosch, the charm of our queen and crown princess, and our king's unpretentious style could be the honey that unites everyone.

Queen Máxima in fashion classic from 2006
As I write this, four newspapers are in front of me, all with large reports about the NATO summit and in three of them, our queen almost jumps out from the cover. It's also fantastic that she wore an outfit she has already used - from 2006. I know this thanks to Josine Droogendijk from Modekoningin Máxima, who keeps track of everything so carefully.

Where can you buy Máxima's jumpsuit?
This outfit is - chief among chiefs - couture and custom-made for our queen. But in the prêt-à-porter collection from Natan, the court supplier to the queen's wardrobe, there is something very similar available for purchase. Stylish, elegant, unique, colorful, not at all standard and glamorous. Just like our queen herself.

Amalia: timeless class in Ralph Lauren
And Amalia? Oh, I think she is absolutely wonderful and charming. She wore a long dress from Ralph Lauren, as classic and timeless as she is.

Nothing Dutch is foreign to me, so I gladly complain properly. About the weather (sometimes too cold, sometimes too hot - never quite right), about traffic jams and of course also about the NATO summit. Why couldn't I just drive from Haarlem to Zandvoort to let the dogs (I'm currently dog-sitting) run on the beach? What does Zandvoort actually have to do with The Hague? There isn't even a direct connection. And when I dropped off my partner at Schiphol and wanted to drive home via Hoofddorp, every exit was blocked by military vehicles as if it were war.

From frustration to admiration
And where one would actually avoid The Hague, I was led directly onto the highway towards The Hague. I mumbled and grumbled. Why should this hobby project (sorry, but I really had a tough time here) of Mark Rutte take place right here? We were not at all prepared for it! And Huis ter Duin is indeed a nice hotel, but I couldn't really imagine Trump being particularly happy there.

The power of the royal image
But as easily as I complain, I also change my opinion. For when I saw our fantastic queen shine in her lime green jumpsuit yesterday, alongside Princess Amalia, who - as the English so nicely say - is blooming in every way, I felt only one thing: pride.

Máxima's jumpsuit steals the show
And I had to revise my opinion about Mark Rutte. Holding the NATO summit in our small country might have been the most strategic move imaginable. The story of our royal family, the splendor of Huis ten Bosch, the charm of our queen and crown princess, and our king's unpretentious style could be the honey that unites everyone.

Queen Máxima in fashion classic from 2006
As I write this, four newspapers are in front of me, all with large reports about the NATO summit and in three of them, our queen almost jumps out from the cover. It's also fantastic that she wore an outfit she has already used - from 2006. I know this thanks to Josine Droogendijk from Modekoningin Máxima, who keeps track of everything so carefully.

Where can you buy Máxima's jumpsuit?
This outfit is - chief among chiefs - couture and custom-made for our queen. But in the prêt-à-porter collection from Natan, the court supplier to the queen's wardrobe, there is something very similar available for purchase. Stylish, elegant, unique, colorful, not at all standard and glamorous. Just like our queen herself.

Amalia: timeless class in Ralph Lauren
And Amalia? Oh, I think she is absolutely wonderful and charming. She wore a long dress from Ralph Lauren, as classic and timeless as she is.