{"id":1072843,"date":"2026-07-06T22:26:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T22:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1072843\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T22:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T22:26:23","slug":"queen-maxima-announces-major-palace-change-as-dutch-royal-family-reveals-next-big-reunion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1072843\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen M\u00e1xima announces major palace change as Dutch royal family reveals next big reunion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"eibeIVfGBF\" data-wc=\"40\"><strong>Queen M\u00e1xima<\/strong> is entering a new chapter at the Dutch royal palace following a significant announcement from the Royal House that will reshape her day-to-day work and set the stage for one of the monarchy&#8217;s biggest family gatherings next year.<\/p>\n<p> You may also likeContinue reading<\/p>\n<p id=\"eeAxkR4dKxO\" data-wc=\"24\">While <strong>King Willem-Alexander<\/strong> and Queen M\u00e1xima continue to enjoy a period of stability and popularity, several important changes are now underway behind the scenes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4bd491c80a0e-dutqmen26061805.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Queen Maxima is known for wearing vibrant colors\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image ho-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/>\u00a9 Dutch Press\/The Grosby GroupQueen M\u00e1xima has worked closely with her private secretary since 2021, but a new appointment will take effect on August 16.<\/p>\n<p id=\"ew6bRdazcdt\" data-wc=\"31\">Beginning on <strong>August 16<\/strong>, the queen will officially start working with a new private secretary, marking a notable shift in the way she carries out both her royal and international responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Queen M\u00e1xima appoints a new private secretary:<\/p>\n<p id=\"eg8PMylAF2S\" data-wc=\"37\">The Royal House of the Netherlands announced that <strong>Thys Hoekman<\/strong> has been appointed as Queen M\u00e1xima&#8217;s new private secretary by Royal Decree. He will succeed <strong>Xiaoling Wu<\/strong>, who has served as the queen&#8217;s trusted aide since 2021.<\/p>\n<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/8e8005ef7e23-3etw8f1.jpg\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Queen M\u00e1xima refreshed a beloved wardrobe favorite with a coordinating scarf draped elegantly over one shoulder.\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image ho-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/>\u00a9 NL BeeldQueen M\u00e1xima is entering a new chapter after the Dutch Royal House announced a major change to her palace team.<\/p>\n<p id=\"en0NAsY9L2ZA\" data-wc=\"25\">The appointment signals the beginning of a new era for the Dutch queen, whose role has expanded well beyond traditional royal engagements in recent years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"eyslxH_2C03q\" data-wc=\"35\">Hoekman brings extensive diplomatic experience to the position. He holds a master&#8217;s degree in Development Studies from the University of Oxford and has built much of his career within the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/d9481dede7cd-858760042.jpg\"   width=\"783\" height=\"1200\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Queen M\u00e1xima surprises in sapphire tiara with 665 diamonds and 33 sapphires as Princess Amalia revives her star tiara\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image ho-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/>\u00a9 PPEQueen M\u00e1xima continues to balance her royal duties with her international work as the United Nations Secretary-General&#8217;s Special Advocate for Financial Health and Financial Inclusion.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e-IoK4mqtYzh\" data-wc=\"29\">His background is expected to support Queen M\u00e1xima&#8217;s work as the <strong>United Nations Secretary-General&#8217;s Special Advocate for Financial Health and Financial Inclusion<\/strong>, one of her most prominent international roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"e9Bn6tF9MT1k\" data-wc=\"22\">The change could also influence the queen&#8217;s future schedule, with more high-profile diplomatic engagements expected as her new team settles into place.<\/p>\n<p>Dutch royal family&#8217;s next major gathering revealed:<\/p>\n<p id=\"eo0CXGIRdkXu\" data-wc=\"32\">Alongside the staffing announcement, the Dutch Royal House also confirmed another highly anticipated piece of news. The location of <strong>King&#8217;s Day 2027<\/strong>, one of the most important events on the royal calendar.<\/p>\n<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c64ec8881759-858760026.jpg\"   width=\"774\" height=\"1200\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Queen M\u00e1xima and King Willem-Alexander welcome Germany\u2019s president at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image ho-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/>\u00a9 PPEPrincess Catharina-Amalia is expected to join her parents during the Dutch royal family&#8217;s next King&#8217;s Day celebrations.<\/p>\n<p id=\"eLrPprgffh3E\" data-wc=\"32\">On <strong>April 27, 2027<\/strong>, King Willem-Alexander, Queen M\u00e1xima, and members of the royal family will travel to <strong>Lelystad<\/strong>, located in the province of Flevoland, for the nationwide celebrations honoring the monarch&#8217;s birthday.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e-35evIdEb5f\" data-wc=\"21\">The city sits approximately 80 miles (129 kilometers) from <strong>Huis ten Bosch Palace<\/strong>, the royal family&#8217;s official residence in The Hague.<\/p>\n<p>A familiar destination for the royal family:<\/p>\n<p id=\"eScXCzTFkadQ\" data-wc=\"11\">Lelystad is far from a new destination for the Dutch royals.<\/p>\n<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ad3d1d40020a-dutch-king-willem-alexander-and-queen-maxima-of-the-netherlands-pose-together-wi.jpg\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"857\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"King Willem-Alexander, Queen M\u00e1xima, Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane are expected to reunite for the 2027 King's Day celebrations in Lelystad.\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image ho-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/>\u00a9 SEM VAN DER WALKing Willem-Alexander, Queen M\u00e1xima, Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane are expected to reunite for the 2027 King&#8217;s Day celebrations in Lelystad.<\/p>\n<p id=\"e7CXRt59DkVF\" data-wc=\"35\">King Willem-Alexander and Queen M\u00e1xima paid an official regional visit to the city in September 2025, and just days ago the queen returned there to inaugurate one of the country&#8217;s largest commercial battery storage facilities.<\/p>\n<p id=\"eojSdmWGaUDu\" data-wc=\"38\">The 2027 King&#8217;s Day celebrations are expected to bring together the entire immediate royal family, including <strong>Princess Catharina-Amalia<\/strong>, who continues her military training, <strong>Princess Alexia<\/strong>, known for her outgoing personality, and <strong>Princess Ariane<\/strong>, who recently began studying engineering.<\/p>\n<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3b2bf21b8b8e-dutch-king-willem-alexander-and-queen-maxima-pose-for-the-summer-photo-session-a.jpg\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Dutch royal family is preparing for another high-profile public appearance during King's Day 2027 in Lelystad\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image ho-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/>\u00a9 REMKO DE WAALThe Dutch royal family is preparing for another high-profile public appearance during King&#8217;s Day 2027 in Lelystad<\/p>\n<p id=\"e3XyabUFmxuV\" data-wc=\"38\">With a new palace team in place and preparations already underway for one of the Netherlands&#8217; biggest royal celebrations, Queen M\u00e1xima appears set to begin an important new phase in both her royal duties and her international work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Queen M\u00e1xima is entering a new chapter at the Dutch royal palace following a significant announcement from the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1072844,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7708],"tags":[84387,69299,5105,7710,519,448],"class_list":["post-1072843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-royals","tag-king-willem-alexander","tag-queen-maxima","tag-royal","tag-royal-families","tag-royal-family","tag-royals"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116875389409802007","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1072843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1072844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1072843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1072843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1072843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}