Daily Archives: May 29, 2026

Dutch Royal Family, Royal Family of the Netherlands

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands Receives a Military Beret Following Military Training with the Royal Netherlands Army

  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst

In Den Haag, the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD) has announced that Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands received her military beret on Friday, May 29th, upon completing the first phase of her military training as a reservist with the Koninklijke Landmacht (Royal Netherlands Army).

According to RVD, Her Majesty the Queen is attached as a reservist to the Militair Huis van Zijne Majesteit de Koning (Military Household of His Majesty the King) and is undertaking her training through that appointment. The Queen will not be assigned to a specific regiment, corps, or branch of service, but will instead fulfill a broader general role within the Koninklijke Landmacht.

As part of the appointment, Her Majesty the Queen received a beret bearing a lion insignia on a red background, traditionally associated with the General Staff of the Koninklijke Landmacht. Upon completion of the full training program, it is anticipated that Her Majesty the Queen will hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

RVD noted that reservists play an important role in supporting the regular armed forces and may be called upon for military service when required. Reservists serve across all branches of the Dutch armed forces and participate in mandatory exercises, theoretical instruction, and the maintenance of military training and operational readiness.

The relationship between the Royal Family of the Netherlands and the armed forces dates back centuries. Willem van Oranje served as a military commander during the Dutch Revolt, while successive stadtholders and sovereigns of the House of Oranje-Nassau traditionally maintained close institutional ties with the military.

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander completed his military service with the Koninklijke Marine and subsequently served with both the Koninklijke Landmacht and the Koninklijke Luchtmacht. As Sovereign of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the King also holds a distinct constitutional and military position within the Dutch armed forces.

Danish Royals, Royal Family of Denmark

Queen Margrethe of Denmark Discharged From Rigshospitalet, the Royal Household of Denmark Confirms

Portrait courtesy of Kongehuset

In Copenhagen, the Director of Communications for the Royal Household of Denmark, Ms. Nina Z. Munch-Perrin, has announced that Her Majesty Queen Margrethe of Denmark has been discharged from Rigshospitalet and has returned to Fredensborg Slot.

According to the Royal Household, Queen Margrethe is doing well but must continue to rest following her discharge from the hospital, as was also the case after her previous discharge on May 19th.

The Royal Household further stated that Queen Margrethe’s participation in forthcoming official engagements will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis. At present, no changes have been made to previously announced engagements.

Queen Margrethe was admitted to Rigshospitalet on May 25th, 2026, following the discovery of a larger blood accumulation in the hip region resulting from a fall at Fredensborg Slot on September 18th, 2024.

Earlier in May, on May 14th, 2026, Queen Margrethe was also admitted to Rigshospitalet after suffering a heart attack. The Royal Household confirmed at the time that she had undergone a balloon angioplasty procedure involving one of the coronary arteries of the heart.

Queen Margrethe abdicated the throne on January 14th, 2024, after more than 52 years as Sovereign of the Kingdom of Denmark. Upon her abdication, her eldest son, Frederik, acceded to the throne.

Since her abdication, Queen Margrethe has continued to participate in selected public engagements and cultural patronages, although her public appearances have become increasingly limited in recent years following several health-related absences and medical procedures.

Norwegian Royals, Royal Family of Norway

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway Shortens Japan Visit Due to Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s Deteriorating Health, Palace Confirms

Portrait courtesy of Det Kongelige Hoff

In Oslo, the Royal Household of Norway has announced that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will shorten his forthcoming official visit to Japan due to the health condition of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.

According to the Royal Household, the Crown Prince will maintain his official program in Tokyo from June 1st through June 3rd, while the scheduled visit to the port city of Hachinohe on June 4th has been cancelled.

The Crown Prince had originally been scheduled to undertake an official visit to Japan from June 1st through June 4th.

In October 2018, the Royal Household of Norway announced that Crown Princess Mette-Marit had been diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease characterized by scarring of lung tissue that can gradually impair respiratory function and breathing capacity.

Since November 2025, the number of official engagements carried out by the Crown Princess has been reduced significantly as a consequence of her health condition. 

Crown Princess Mette-Marit made a brief public appearance during Norway’s National Day celebrations on May 17th, 2026, and also attended a reception honoring Norwegian athletes who participated in the Milano Cortina Paralympic Games earlier this year.