Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander take niece Countess Luana to the Dutch Grand Prix – while their youngest daughter Princess Ariane begins a new term at school

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander brought the family to cheer on fellow Dutch citizen Max Verstappen at the Grand Prix – but one family member was notably absent. 

As the King, 56, Queen, 52, Princess Amalia, 19 and Princess Alexia, 18, put their arms around each other and beamed, they were joined by Countess Luana.

Meanwhile the King and Queen’s youngest daughter, 16-year-old Princess Ariane, has just begun her studies at United World College Adriatic in Italy.

As Countess Luana joined the group for the day out at the Zandvoort circuit, she beamed alongside her uncle, aunt and cousins.

The Countess is the daughter of Prince Friso of the Netherlands, who tragically died 18 months after an off-piste skiing accident in Austria in 2012, when his daughter Luana was just eight years old. Luana’s mother is Princess Mabel.

A family portrait with a twist: Countess Luana joined King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia at the Zandvoort circuit to attend the Dutch Grand Prix

As she joined her family at the Dutch Grand Prix today, it was clear the Countess took after her relatives in the style stakes, as she looked chic in a white frilled blouse and orange trousers.

Meanwhile, Princess Alexia opted for a deep blue denim jumpsuit which contrasted with her stunning auburn hair, worn in a boundy blow-dry style.

Queen Máxima donned a dark linen jumpsuit with a tan leather jacket and wide-framed sunglasses, while the King was smart in a grey suit and blue shirt.

Princess Alexia took after her stylish mother, as the pair both sported chic playsuits to attend the event

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands beamed at the event as she wore a denim jumpsuit to attend

 The family looked stylish as ever as they attended the event to cheer on Dutch driver Max Verstappen

Princess Amalia looked the imafe of her mother as she donned an all blue outfit with a dusty grey jacket to attend the event

The Dutch royals beamed on their family day out as they arrived at the Zandvoort circuit 

The family day out comes as Princess Ariane, the youngest daughter of Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander, begins studying for the International Baccalaureate at the United World College Adriatic in Italy. 

On Friday, the Dutch Palace shared a photo on social media of the young royal beaming as she began the new term.

The young royal donned a summery pair of white linen trousers with a chic striped tank top.

Ariane accessorised her outfit with a classic pair of silver hoop earrings and an embellished necklace.

Despite sharing the sweet picture, the palace said Ariane’s parents have requested privacy at this time.

The palace’s announcement read: ‘Her Royal Highness Princess Ariane of the Netherlands will continue her secondary education after the summer at the United World College Adriatic in Italy.

‘She will go there for her International Baccalaureate.

‘Princess Ariane is now in the fourth grade at the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague.

‘The period of the princesses’ school time is private. At the express request of the parents, the media is called upon to continue to respect the privacy of their daughters.’

While a number of royals have attended the United World College of the Atlantic based in Wales, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, 16, is studying at the sister school in Italy.

The school has a long list of royal alumni at the colleges, including her father King Willem-Alexander.

Princess Elisabeth, heir to the throne of Belgium, who graduated from UWC Atlantic in 2020, as well as Princesses Leonor and Sofia of Spain.

Much like its 12th century Welsh equivalent, the school in Duino was founded by German educationalist Kurt Hahn in 1926.

School fees for the two-year course cost a whopping £40,000 and include Serbian, World Arts and Cultures and Environmental Systems.

Kurt Hahn, he believed his approach to education, for pupils aged 16-19, could lead to a quicker resolution of international conflict, an ethos that is still carried by the establishment, which aims to ‘promote mutual understanding’.

The United World College Movement includes 18 schools around the world, and takes students from around 150 countries.