Dutch Queen Joins Armed Forces in Symbolic Move of Support for Military

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/world/europe/netherlands-queen-maxima-military.html

Dutch Queen Joins Armed Forces in Symbolic Move of Support for Military
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands enlisted as a reservist, the Royal House said, because the country’s security “can no longer be taken for granted.”
By Koba Ryckewaert
Feb. 4, 2026


A photograph released by the Royal House showing Queen Máxima of the Netherlands during military training in Breda on Wednesday. Dutch Ministry of Defense

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has enlisted in the Dutch Army as a reservist, as countries across Europe aim to strengthen their armed forces to reduce the continent’s military dependence on the United States.

Máxima, 54, chose to enlist because “our security can no longer be taken for granted,” the Royal House of the Netherlands said in a news release on Wednesday.

European nations are racing to shore up their defense capabilities. The United States has insisted that Europe shoulder more of the burden of its own defense, and countries have pledged to increase their military spending significantly. Some officials have also begun to suggest that the European Union will need a larger and more unified armed forces.

The Dutch royal family’s effort to emphasize service — and the need for preparedness at a tense geopolitical moment — is not isolated.

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[Laurelin]

1. Princess Amalia is also in training

For the military reserves. She started before her mother.