The first two days of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima’s royal tour of South Africa went well. It was their first official visit, as monarch and consort, to South Africa and their first royal tour of any African country. They met with local and national leaders, they did photocalls and they seemed to be handling everything with the right mix of glamour and simplicity. Then it all fell apart on the third day, when they visited Slave Lodge in Cape Town, and they were greeted by angry protesters as they tried to leave the museum. Suddenly, Maxima and W-A’s tour seemed too simplistic, too lacking in substance. It turns out, their tour was supposed to be “educational” not about actually apologizing and doing right by South Africa.
It would not surprise me at all if the British royals and other European royals watched the Dutch royals’ tour and adjusted their plans accordingly. Perhaps this might even be the last tour of its kind overall, and in the future, all European royals will either avoid Africa altogether, or try to go into African countries with a much smaller footprint and nothing resembling a “tour.” Something to keep your eye on next month, as King Charles and Queen Camilla have plans to visit Kenya.
Meanwhile, it looks like King Willem-Alexander returned to The Netherlands after South Africa but Maxima flew solo to Kenya. She’s the United Nations “Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development,” and she’s spending three days in the country to highlight the work of the UNSGSA. I would assume that means a tidy schedule of checking in on development projects. These photos are of Maxima’s arrival in Kisumu. Bright yellow, big earrings and flats. The crossbody purse surprises me, but she’s trying to look modern, I guess.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrives at Kisumu International Airport and is welcomed by Governor of Kisumu County Peter Anyang’Nyong’o, on the first day of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Governor of Kisumu County Peter Anyang’Nyong’o Where: Kisumu, Kenya When: 23 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrives at Kisumu International Airport and is welcomed by Governor of Kisumu County Peter Anyang’Nyong’o, on the first day of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands Where: Kisumu, Kenya When: 23 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrives at Kisumu International Airport and is welcomed by Governor of Kisumu County Peter Anyang’Nyong’o, on the first day of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands Where: Kisumu, Kenya When: 23 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a field visit to Pula in Kisumu, on the first day of a three day visit to Kenya as United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Featuring: Queen Maxima Where: Kisumu, Kenia When: 23 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
I love the crossbody purse. It looks great with the outfit and breaks up the yellow. I prefer a crossbody purse because It frees up my hands and in a weird way I feel like it hides my belly a bit even though it really doesn’t.
All my bags are crossbody, I’ll never give up on use of my hands again.
None of these white European Royals will be able to go to the countries they historically colonized and brutalized and profited from without saying a formal apology ever again. The jig is up. People do not want to see these people prancing around their country in fancy outfits doing photo ops. It’s grotesque. Either put up or shut up. And go home.
All of this.
The Danish in particular need to stay away from the entire continent unless they’re dropping cheques.
Even with an apology, what’s the point? What do these Royals do for anyone? No, thank you. Nobody needs to spend tax payer dollars protecting them and parading them around former colonies for no reason
@Slush – the apology should come with a CHECK. And a return of any jewels stolen.
Kenya is part of the Commonwealth. It’s going to be epic to watch Chuck and Cam squirm out of this one.
They have no excuse, but I know they are going to find one.
I can hear a boozy Cam declaring that Meghan is from Kenya, so they definitely don’t need to go.
Amen.
Either give back the stolen wealth or get egg on your face whenever you step foot on African soil! Wtf
Speaking of eggs… it looks as if maxima already has egg on her face — her earrings look like giant fried eggs!
I’m sorry but that crown like headband and that bright yellow outfit are giving court jester vibes to me. I liked her other outfits ok but this headband/crown thing a big no.
it seems the headband might be a gift? it looks like traditional beadwork. does anyone know?
If a gift why a crown? Thought that the African people were not so fond of royal colonizers?
i don’t know, susan; to me it just looked very obviously a gift. she only wore it in one specific venue, she didn’t wear it in or out or at other places throughout the day. it very much did not seem like a part of her official outfit for the day. it was ill fitting and looked like it had been folded or flat until very recently. if it was part of her outfit of the day, i feel it would have been handled and placed better.
It wasn’t a headband. It was given to her at the event. It’s a traditional headpiece.
Yikes. King Whats His Name went home? The way that man dove in the car before his Maxima was quite something to see.
It does look horrible that he just left and she remained (even if that was the original plan).. I would be very curious to know how it’s being reported on in the Netherlands. I’m liking the daisy earrings at least they made me 😊 smile. For a blonde she looks really good in yellow.
All I can see is fried egg earrings
I don’t love or hate crossbody purses but I despise her brown belt. If she absolutely positively had to wear one, I wish it had matched the yellow of her outfit.
I know Maxima can carry off bright colours, but the yellow here almost hurts the eyes and makes me think of giant canaries. I’m wondering if the “hat” is a gift and the earrings are by a Kenyan designers. Unfortunately, this visit follows the disastrous last day of the South African tour, but in itself, this visit is not a problems if Maxima is there as someone representing a UN program. I assume she was always intended to do this solo as she is the one working with UN on micro-finance. I wonder if the Windsors will make any adjustments. I read that they are going to visit the graves of British soldiers involved in the uprisings. I think that is a terrible idea. Hope it’s not true.
White woman looking at crops in Kenya with her hands on her hips just looks so judgmental, ‘bossy’ (plantation owner vibes) to me. In my mind, this is not a good look; I kind of flinched when I saw that picture, speaking as a white woman.
The brown belt accents the brown/cream coloured bag and shoes is I think what she was thinking, maybe?
Wow her UNSGSA work is very cool.
Around 100 people protested about the terrible Dutch history after they visited a slavery museum, the British history in Africa and many other countries is far worse, their destruction of others was merciless, yet we do not hold them accountable. Queen Maxima is everything that Kate is not, and never will be. A highly educated and very well liked woman who works hard to help others. Queen Maxima has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and also a Master’s degree from the United States, she’s on more boards and committees than you can count – and is also one of the few royals to have openly supported gay rights. She currently serves as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). She went to Kenya through the UN. Have noticed that the BM always tries to find the most unflattering photos of this beautiful and vibrant woman. K demands that the BM targets anyone she sees as her competition. Do nothing K is an embarrassment.
Hopefully this marks the date that the royal parasites can travel to (ex-colonized) countries thinking that they can promote their toxic monarchy and themselves in peace. New generations have more excess to and are better informed about the atrocities these horrable colonizers and their offsprings have committed without any accountability or consequences. The people are awake and aware.