Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has enlisted in the Dutch Army as a reservist, as countries across Europe aim to strength their armed forces to reduce the continent’s military dependence on the United States.
Máxima, 54, chose to enlist because “our security can no longer be taken for granted,” the Royal House of the Netherlands said in a news release on Wednesday.
European nations are racing to shore up their defense capabilities. The United States has insisted that Europe shoulder more of the burden of its own defense, and countries have pledged to increase their military spending significantly. Some officials have also begun to suggest that the European Union will need a larger and more unified armed forces.
The Dutch royal family’s effort to emphasize service — and the need for preparedness at a tense geopolitical moment — is not isolated.
Military training is fairly common among European royals, though they often complete it earlier in life. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway recently finished 15 months of military service. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium completed a year in Social and Military Sciences at the Royal Military Academy in Belgium in 2021. And many members of the British royal family have served.
Princess Leonor of Spain enrolled in military training at the General Academy of Air and Space, and last year completed her first solo military flight.
Máxima is not the only Dutch royal to have recently enlisted in the army. Last month, her daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia was promoted to corporal after finishing military training.
The queen was appointed to the rank of soldier and began training on Wednesday. Pictures released by the Royal House showed her practicing shooting a handgun, climbing a rope and marching in formation.
After completing her training, Máxima will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Reservists serve in the armed forces part time, often alongside civilian jobs or studies, and they are deployed when and where they are needed. They are active in all branches of the military.
Like many other European countries, the Netherlands has been working to expand its military in the face of a perceived threat from Russia and the desire to be more self-reliant in defense.
The three political parties poised to lead the country after recent elections agree on that point. “We do not accept that we remain dependent on others for our protection,” they said in the government agreement for their coalition.
The governing deal includes plans to increase military spending to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2035, up from 1.9 percent in 2024. The Netherlands also wants to expand the armed forces to at least 122,000 people, from fewer than 80,000 now.
To drum up interest among Dutch young people in joining the military, the country’s incoming coalition government plans to require all 17-year-olds to complete a survey about working for the army.
“If this does not yield sufficient results, we will consider other measures, such as the reintroduction of selective conscription,” according to the deal.
Jeanna Smialek contributed reporting.
Koba Ryckewaert is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Brussels.
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