As royal families around the world send Christmas greetings to their loved ones, royal watchers are closely watching their Christmas cards and holiday photo shoots, and this year, the Dutch royal family may have had their best photo shoot yet.
Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander have released their festive family portraits for 2023, and even recruited their dog, Mambo, to accompany them.
The adorable white miniature poodle almost appears to smile with his family as they pose for portraits in front of the Christmas tree at the Huis ten Bosch Palace.
In a full family photo, Crown Princess Amalia, 20, the eldest of the couple’s three children, holds Mambo in her arms while sporting a scarlet coat.
Another snapshot showed Queen Máxima fawning over the poodle, while being held by the King who cannot stop smiling.
The Dutch royal family included their dog Mambo in their Christmas photo shoot this year.
The photo shoot appeared to take place on a windy day, with the Dutch queen’s thick blonde locks appearing windswept in some photos.
The family appeared to coordinate their looks by each choosing a winter coat from a complementary color palette: Alexia chose navy blue while Ariane opted for jade green.
Meanwhile, the heir to the throne, Crown Princess Amalia, looked regal dressed in red.
The eldest of the three sisters celebrated her 20th birthday last month and thanked royal fans for their well wishes on Instagram.
Queen Máxima smiled as she held Mambo, as a gust of wind seemed to blow her thick blonde locks away.
Queen Maxima fawned over her dog while being held by King Willem-Alexander
Part of the family! Mambo posed perfectly for a family photo alongside Princess Amalia, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Ariane, and Princess Alexia.
With Mambo snuggled on her chest, Queen Máxima laughed as she was caught by a gust of wind while Ariane and Alexia fixed her hair.
Through the story of the Dutch Palace, the Princess of Orange said: ‘Thank you very much for all the congratulations I received on the occasion of my twentieth birthday.
“All the heartwarming messages made my day even more special.”
It has been a turbulent few years for the heir to the throne, who is currently studying at university but can no longer live in student halls after possible kidnapping plots were discovered.
Speaking during a Dutch royal tour of the Caribbean earlier this year, the Princess of Orange spoke about missing “normal life, the life of a student” following a security threat which meant she had to return home to The Hague just a few weeks. her after enrolling in college.
She said: ‘I’m going to be very honest, I’m still going through a very difficult time.
‘I miss normal life, the life of a student. Walking the streets, being able to go to a store.’
Meanwhile, he said he had enjoyed regaining some freedom during the international tour, saying: “I had a great time.”
In October, Dutch news agency ANP quoted Queen Máxima, 51, during a state visit to Sweden with her husband, King Willem-Alexander, as saying: ‘She can hardly leave the house.
‘The consequences are very hard for her. For her there is no such thing as a student life like others,” she added with an unusual dose of emotional candor.
The princess’s name, along with that of former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, is believed to have emerged in communications between organized crime groups indicating they could be targeted for kidnapping.
“I feel very sorry for her and I’m obviously very concerned about it,” the prime minister said, without revealing details about the threats or security measures.