Queen Máxima's Missing Hat at Taal aan Zee Foundation Visit in The Hague

Whether the wearer is royal or not, if the wind hits a hat, it must be. This afternoon Máxima’s hat also went missing.

Queen Máxima visited the Taal aan Zee Foundation in The Hague this afternoon. This foundation offers Dutch lessons to women who speak a foreign language, refugees and asylum seekers. This year Taal aan Zee celebrates its tenth anniversary.

More than 330 volunteers provide educational activities for approximately 1,400 students each year. Taal aan Zee gives lessons in their central location, but also to vulnerable non-native speakers at home or nearby at schools and community centers. In addition, Taal aan Zee has a collaboration with The Hague Library under the ‘Language in the library’ project and language friends travel together. Language lessons strengthen self-confidence and lower the threshold for participation in society.

Queen Máxima attended various educational events at Taal aan Zee, such as a reading lesson and a lesson for visually impaired non-native speakers. She also learned more about the language buddies and got an explanation about the ‘Language in the library’ project. This was followed by discussions with language coaches and (former) Taal aan Zee students about what the language lessons gave them. The visit ended with the signing of a collaboration between Taal aan Zee and Gymnasium Haganum. Gymnasium Haganum organizes activities for students in the context of citizenship and Taal aan Zee is one of the partners. The aim is to give voluntary work to students at an early stage. That is why students from the Haganum also participated in the educational activities during Máxima’s visit.

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When visiting for work, Máxima usually leaves her hat behind. Today she made a different decision. With her Natan silk dress with large shoulder embellishments, the queen wore a cape with a Fabienne Delvigne feel.