‘All-terrain monarch’: Queen Máxima drives a tractor and breaks protocol again

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands traded royal protocol for the driver’s seat of a large green tractor during a visit to the Achterhoek region.

The Argentine-born queen visited Gelderland province on Thursday, Sept. 3, to follow the process from harvesting renewable natural materials to their use in bio-based construction. In Henelgo, she learned about hemp harvesting, then climbed into a tractor and drove through the grassland with guidance from a professional at the site. She also got out on her own.

The visit included Dutch Housing and Spatial Planning Minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan and a stop in Doetinchem, where they toured a new housing development built with sustainable, biological materials. Máxima chose comfortable outdoor clothing for a busy day with several stops.

The queen has driven since her youth, but her skills attracted attention because members of European royalty are rarely seen behind the wheel of a tractor. Her public image has also included jumping from a plane, preparing drinks and food, dancing in the street and taking part in a strength game with her husband, King Willem-Alexander.

The week also marked a new stage for Máxima’s youngest daughter, Princess Ariane. After completing secondary school in May 2025 at the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy, the 19-year-old returned home to study aerospace engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.