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Ariane and Princess Catharina-Amalia, and Crown Princess Maxima with Princess Alexia
    HRH WILLEM-ALEXANDER, PRINCE OF ORANGE, AND HRH CROWN PRINCESS MAXIMA OF THE NETHERLANDS
    THE PRINCE: Born April 27,1967, Prince Willem-Alexander is the oldest child of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The tall, blond prince is first in line to inherit the Dutch throne and is a direct descendant of the British King George II.
    Queen Beatrix insisted that her children have a normal upbringing and told others to call her son by his first name rather than his title until he was sixteen. She also made sure that Willem-Alexander was educated in local grammar schools, where he could mix with children from all social backgrounds. As a result, the prince is extremely down-to-earth.
    The prince enjoys running, tennis, skiing, sailing, golf, rock climbing, horseback riding, and diving, but his greatest love is flying. Since gaining his military pilot’s licence, the prince has flown humanitarian relief missions in Kenya and has worked as a pilot for Dutch government officials.
    In 1999, Willem-Alexander met a striking Argentinean blonde named Maxima at party in Seville. He was instantly taken by Maxima’s winning smile and unassuming nature and crossed the Atlantic one month later in order to visit her. They announced their engagement in 2001.
     
    THE PRINCESS: Princess Maxima was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 17, 1971, as Maxima Zorreguieta. She was working for Deutsche Bank in New York City when she started dating Willem-Alexander. The couple married in royal style on February 2, 2002, making Prince Willem-Alexander the first male heir to the Dutch throne to marry in the Netherlands. (Willem I, II, and III married in the native countries of their brides.)
    Maxima now represents the Dutch Royal House at official occasions of all kinds and accompanies the queen on state visits.
     
    THEIR ROYAL OFFSPRING: The proud prince and princess have three beautiful daughters: HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia (born December 7, 2003), HRH Princess Alexia (born June 26, 2005), and HRH Princess Ariane (born April 10, 2007).
     
    USING THEIR TITLES FOR THE GREATER GOOD: The Prince of Orange has a strong passion for ethical water management and believes that solving problems related to water access and sanitation will play a central role in eradicating poverty. The prince is an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century and chair of the Water Advisory Committee in the Netherlands. He also chairs the UN’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, which contributes to solving water-related problems all over the world.
    Prince Willem-Alexander is also a patron of the Global Water Partnership, which supports the sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels. http://www.gwp.org/
    Meanwhile, Princess Maxima feels passionately about the integration of immigrants into Dutch culture and stresses the importance of learning the Dutch language—as she did upon her engagement—in order to fully participate in Dutch society. Her Royal Highness also works as patroness to Scouting Nederland, the Royal Orchestra Foundation, the Royal Tropical Institute, and the Royal Institute for Culture and Language.
    Most recently, the princess has been busy promoting the importance of “inclusive finance” to reduce poverty and due to her expertise in the field, she has been named the UN special advocate for inclusive finance for development.
    Finally, both Princess Maxima and Prince Willem-Alexander are patrons of the Orange Fund, which promotes social welfare and cohesion in the Netherlands. The royal couple regularly visit projects supported by the Orange Fund, and every year, Princess Maxima presents Appeltje van Oranje awards to institutions that set an example in the field of welfare. http://www.oranjefonds.nl/

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    Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife Crown Princess Mathilde with their children