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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked animated as she watched her country compete in the mountain bike cross-country finals at the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
In today’s race, the European monarch, 53, and her husband King Willem-Alexander, 57, stood on the sidelines to watch the women’s race – and made no secret of their enthusiasm.
The royal couple were accompanied by their daughters Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, 20, and Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 19.
The Dutch racer, Pieterse Puck came in fourth place with a time of 1:29:25, losing out by just minutes to the USA, Sweden, and France, who took gold with Ferrand Prevot Pauline.
Watching from the sidelines, Maxima donned a stunning floral dress to complement the generously bright and sunny weather.

Queen Maxima (left) of the Netherlands was pictured looking animated and joyful as she watched team Netherlands at day two of the Paris Olympics

The couple looked joyous as they watched. Their native Dutch racer, Pieterse Puck, came in fourth place with a time of 1:29:25
The modest multicoloured floral number helped keep the queen cool in the seasonably warm Paris climate.
She paired the look with a pair of trendy sunglasses, long sunset coloured earrings and a bright orange cap in her native Netherlands team colours. She added a sensible pair of fashionable trainers beneath the hem of her flowing frock.
Also sporting a team Netherlands sunhat was Maxima’s husband, King Willem-Alexander, who also donned a matching T-shirt to show his support for his country.
Their youngest daughter, 17-year-old Princess Ariane, did not appear to have undertaken the engagement.
It comes after King Willem-Alexander was photographed enjoying an animated conversation on Saturday, as the members of the Dutch Royal Family visited the Athletes’ Villages on day one of the Olympic Games.
Also visiting the Athletes’ Village was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof.

The Dutch royals, Queen Maxima (second right), King Willem-Alexander (second left) and their two daughters, Catharina-Amalia (right), Princess of Orange, 20, and Princess Alexia (left) were pictured looking animated and joyful as she stood to watch her country compete in the mountain bike cross-country finals at the Paris Olympics

Queen Maxima (pictured) cheered for the Netherlands at day two of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The royal couple were accompanied by their daughters, with Catharina-Amalia pictured, right, next to her mother
A post shared on Friday on the Royal Family’s Instagram account wished the athletes luck, while sharing some of the family’s plans.
It said: ‘Best of luck to all of the Olympians in TeamNL. Your hard work, dedication, and passion have brought you here. Enjoy [the games] to the fullest and make the Netherlands proud.
‘We’re looking forward to exciting matches and special sporting performances in Paris.’
The upbeat message was signed off by King William-Alexander and Queen Maxima themselves.
A further caption on the post added: ‘The King, Queen Máxima, the Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia and the Prime Minister are in Paris at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
‘The Royal Couple and their two daughters are still at the Olympics until July 30. King Willem Alexander is an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee.’
A second post, shared earlier on Saturday, revealed more about the royal visit to Paris.
It wrote: ‘From July 26 to August 11, more than 10,000 athletes will come to Paris for the largest sporting event in the world: the Olympic Games.

Queen Maxima met with other fans of Team Netherlands during her second day at the Olympic games in Paris

Maxima grinned as she and Willem-Alexander discussed the race alongside their daughter, Princess Alexia

The family posed together for a picture in Paris. Watching from the sidelines, Maxima donned a stunning floral dress to compliment the generously bright sunny weather

Maxima was pictured of day two of the games applying another layer of lipgloss while chatting to her husband. She paired the look with a pair of trendy sunglasses, long sunset coloured earrings and a bright orange cap in her native Netherlands team colours

The family looked animated as they posed for a picture together. It comes after King Willem-Alexander was photographed enjoying an animated conversation on Saturday, as the members of the Dutch Royal Family visited the Athletes’ Villages on day one of the Olympic Games
‘The King, Queen Maxima, the Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia and the Prime Minister [will] visit the Olympic Village where many of the athletes are residing.’
Looking suitably patriotic, Queen Maxima donned an orange frock topped with a blazer.
She wore her blonde locks loose and opted for natural make-up, for a casual but chic look.
King Willem-Alexander wore a sporty number, pairing dark trousers with a tracksuit top.
The zip-up jacket was made from fabric inTeamNL’s national colour – orange – and featured a small badge decorated with the five Olympic rings.
Images of the four royals in the Athletes’ Villages showed them beaming as they met Olympians.
In one photograph, the King was seen enthusiastically chatting with Team NL’s field hockey coach Paul Van Ass.
Another image showed the four royals beaming as they posed with skateboarder Roos Zwetsloot.
Among the other sports personnel who met the royals was Pieter Van Den Hoogenband, Chief de Mission of Team Netherlands, who was photographed alongside the King, with the pair appearing to be deep in conversation.