Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has joined the army as a reserve because ‘security cannot be taken for granted’

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has joined her country’s army as a reserve, citing concerns about national security.

Maxima, 54 years old, “has chosen to register now, because our security can no longer be taken for granted,” she said. statement the royal family of the Netherlands released on Wednesday, “and he, like many others, wants to contribute to that security.”

After training with the Royal Netherlands Army, the Argentine-born Queen of the Netherlands will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and “like other reserves, she will be deployed where needed,” the royal family’s statement said.

Photos released by the family show the Queen taking part in “Mental Skills” training at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy in Breda, in the south of the country, taking part in various exercises. One is seen pointing a gun.

A helpful the video Set to high-energy rock dance music, Maxima is shown smiling in army green fatigues before jumping into a pool, then climbing into a helmet.

Queen Maxima is not the first member of a European royal family to serve in her country’s armed forces. His daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia recently completed her military training and was promoted to the rank of corporal.

Last year, Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexandria completed 15 months of service as a gunner in an engineering battalion. And Princess Leonor of Spain is in the last three years of training for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Many members of the British royal family, both living and dead, have also served in the forces, among others King Charles IIhis son Prince William and his young son prince harrywho served two tours in Afghanistan.

A European army?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the surprise perceived US as a staunch NATO ally have shaken Europe’s sense of security in recent years.

President Trump has encouraged European countries to significantly increase domestic defense spending and reduce their reliance on US forces in NATO. More recently, Greenland tried to break away from Denmark, causing a rift in the alliance and even threatening the allies with tariffs. before going back.

In January, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the EU should reconsider 100,000 combined military forceseparate from NATO.

“We need to start investing our money so that we can fight as Europe, not just as a collection of 27 national ‘bonsai armies’,” he said.

Conscription across Europe

“We refuse to depend on others for our protection,” the Dutch coalition government has just formed he said last weekand he added that young people will have to complete a mandatory survey about the military.

“If this does not give sufficient results”, said the government, “we will consider other steps, such as the re-establishment of compulsory selective attendance”.

Nine European NATO states already have some form of conscription: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.

Croatia plans to reintroduce conscription this year, forcing men aged 19 to 29 to complete two months of basic training, while several other countries – including France and Germany – have recently introduced schemes to encourage young men to serve.