The queen knows better than anyone how difficult it is!
We are very proud that our Queen Máxima has mastered the Dutch language so well. We all know that it is a difficult language to learn. Our expert queen visited the Taal aan Zee Foundation in The Hague, where non-Dutch speaking women, refugees and asylum seekers receive lessons in our language, in honor of the tenth anniversary.
High visitors
The reason for the royal visit is the tenth anniversary of the foundation. An important place for approximately 1,400 students per year, where lessons are provided by approximately 330 volunteers. The queen took a look at the foundation’s various educational activities, such as a language lesson that included reading aloud. There she was asked if she ever reads, to which Máxima admitted that she liked to read in Spanish.
“If it is a Spanish writer, I think it is best to read in Spanish.” But the queen certainly does not limit herself to that, because she prefers to read books in the language of the writer herself. “If it is a Dutch writer, please write in Dutch. So I’m not very good for the translators,” the queen adds jokingly. The queen believes that reading is useful. This way you add more words to your vocabulary, but it still leads to greater word use. Could this have been one of the queen’s tricks to speak Dutch too well?
Máxima said she likes to read books with work-related topics, such as a book about political problems or the history of a country she is visiting, for example. The queen also likes to read books about chemistry, because she is interested in the world of recycling. So serious food for our queen. Except on holiday, then Máx likes to delve into a good fiction book.
Tips for learning Dutch
The queen must have recognized the difficulties of learning the Dutch language better than anyone. That is why she was the right person to give the students tips. The question quickly arose how the queen herself had learned Dutch so well. Máxima’s golden tip? “Hard work,” she said, laughing. “Interacting with Dutch, trying to do everything in Dutch,” she continued in a serious tone.
“You learn from an adult age. So you always have to switch gears again if you have been abroad and you come back. It remains like the last language you learned, so it is more difficult.” Even though it is difficult, the queen emphasized that practicing and daring to talk remains extremely important. For example, she advised asking Dutch speakers for advice when you make a mistake. We can imagine that Máx gratefully took advantage of this opportunity during her introduction to the palace!
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Colorful queen
Of course, we also have to discuss the queen’s outfit in detail. Máxima wore a beautiful green silk dress from her favorite designer Natan, with decorative details on her shoulder. The dress is clearly a favorite of the queen, as she previously wore the showpiece during the christening of the ship Vox Amalia. So she looked radiant again, as we have come to expect from her!
Source: RoyalTV by Rick Evers, Fashion Queen Máxima, Vorsten | Image: NL Image, Instagram @koninklijkhuis
