From the fiery Argentinian to the Queen "Máxima" shows the love story of the Dutch royals

Following the success of the series "The Crown", it is now the turn of the Dutch royal couple: the love story of Willem-Alexander and Máxima offers enough material for drama.

Stiff Dutchman meets fiery Argentinian: she laughs at him because he can't dance. He hisses at her because she takes photos. The beginning of a love story - just like in a dime novel.

But it must have been something like that when Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander (57) and Máxima Zorreguieta (53) met in Seville, Spain, in 1999.

The spark was lit. The rest is history. The couple married in 2002 and had three daughters. Willem-Alexander has been king since 2013.

It was only a matter of time before this story was turned into a series. In the Netherlands, "Máxima" was a huge success and broke viewer records. It can be streamed on RTL+ from August 17.

It is one of the most expensive series of the Dutch streaming service Videoland, filmed at original locations in Argentina, Spain, New York and the Netherlands - with a star-studded cast. Argentinian Delfina Chaves (28) plays Máxima, Dutchman Martijn Lakemeier (30) is Willem-Alexander. The crown prince's father, the German Prince Claus (1926-2002), is played by the German actor Sebastian Koch (62, "The Lives of Others").

True events dramatized and rather thickened

"Máxima" tells the story of the young Argentinian until her engagement to Willem-Alexander in 2001. It is based on the bestselling biography by Dutch author Marcia Luyten (53).

Similar to the Netflix hit "The Crown", true events are also dramatized here and thickened up quite a bit. But the true story is violent enough. After all, the lovers had to overcome difficult hurdles.

It's not just the story of the prince and the bourgeois girl. It is also the story of a young woman at the beginning of her career at a bank in New York. She has to give it up in order to be just a wife in an unknown, cool, wet country on the North Sea.

But the biggest obstacle is the bride's father. Jorge Zorreguieta (1928-2017) was Secretary of State during the military dictatorship in Argentina in the 1970s and 80s and thus a henchman of a murderous regime. There was great outrage among citizens and politicians in the Netherlands. Can the future head of state associate himself with such a man?

Royal soap, history lesson and political drama

The series also revolves around the question of fate: throne or love. Máxima's childhood and youth in Argentina are shown in many flashbacks. She was her father's favorite and fully stood by him.

"Máxima" is not just a royal soap, but also a history lesson and political drama - with a good dose of sex thrown in for good measure. However, the scenes in the royal bedroom left many Dutch people gasping for air. As one TV critic said on behalf of many, it's like watching your parents having sex.

The series has already been sold to 25 countries, and no wonder. After all, fashion queen Máxima with her radiant smile is not only popular in the Netherlands. Filming for the second season begins in the fall.

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