Queen Máxima surprises everyone by driving a tractor

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands traded her usual formal footwear for brown and black ballerina flats, then climbed into a large green tractor and drove it herself.

The Argentine-born monarch visited Achterhoek in the province of Gelderland on Thursday, September 3, to follow the process from harvesting renewable natural materials to using bio-based materials in construction. The official account of the House of Orange-Nassau said the visit included a stop in Henelgo, where Máxima learned about hemp harvesting.

She did more than observe. With guidance from a local professional, she drove the tractor through the grassland and later climbed down on her own. The visit also included a stop in Doetinchem, where Máxima and Housing and Spatial Planning Minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan visited a new residential development built with sustainable, biological materials.

Máxima has driven since her youth, but the sight of a member of the royal family behind a steering wheel still attracted attention. For the outdoor day, she wore a white-and-yellow Ulla Johnson blouse and matching high-waisted midi skirt, along with a black handbag, gold bracelet, black watch and white flower-shaped earrings.