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Willem-Alexander’s parents, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, however, gave their support to the prospective marriage.
Willem-Alexander tried to defend Máxima and her family on television, earning him a rare public rebuke from the country’s prime minister, who “asked him to keep quiet” about the issue.
Public opinion sided with the young couple, and the government ultimately relented – with the caveat that, although she had not done anything wrong herself, Máxima would have to distance herself from her father, who would not be allowed to attend the royal wedding, which took place the following year in February.
The engagement was officially announced in The Hague on March 30, 2001.
The couple appeared in a televised press conference with Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, during which Máxima spoke in Dutch, and the world was given then first glimpse of Máxima’s engagement ring, which features a rare orange diamond.
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