- Máxima
- Willem-Alexander
The Bride : Máxima Zorreguieta
Máxima
Zorreguieta was born on May 17th, 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as the
first child of Jorge Horracio
Zorreguieta and María del Carmen Cerruti. She has two brothers and one
sister: Martín (1972), Juan (1982) en Inés (1984). She also has three
half sisters: María (1956), Dolores (1958) and Angeles (1965); daughters
from her fathers first marriage. Máxima was baptized catholic.
Máxima was raised in Buenos Aires where she obtained a bilingual (Spanish/English) baccalaureat from Northlands college in 1988. She started University at the Universidad Cátolica de Argentina where she mastered in economics in 1995.
Máxima started her professional career at Mercado Abierto SA in 1989 where she did research on software for financial markets during her study. From 1995 until 2000 Máxima lived in New York, where she worked for HSBC, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson and Deutsche Bank.
It was in Sevilla where Máxima met Willem-Alexander in April of 1999. In May 2000 Máxima was transfered to Brussels where she started working as Vice President Institutional Sales. She remained there until her engagement on March 30th, 2001.
Máxima is very engaged in sports, like skiing, walking and hockey. She is also said to be very keen on languages. She now speaks at least three languages: English, Spanish and Dutch. The last one being very difficult to learn!
Máxima was granted Dutch citizenship on her 30th birthday, May 17th 2001. She still holds her Argentine citizenship, but without any constitutional rights.