Máxima's Protocol and Etiquette Education

[ZaJa]

LOL Everyone eats. Out of all the people I've read about on this forum she's one the most genuine people I've seen. She may not be royal enough for some people but she has a great sense of self, educated, and seems to respect those around her. What more is there?

[ashelen]

that's it is what i am talking about, she come may be from parents with money but not aristocracy, she learn somewhere and with somebody royal etiquette and protocoll, it was not in argentina, defenetly, eventhought argentinean people has more manners that soemtimes in the US, am very surprise somebody took this photos, , when and where this photos were taken???? that's shows you she did not learn manners and etiquette in the deutsche bank as lucien mention before!

[Marengo]

Well, it seems Maxima is seated outside on a terrace, quite a normal place to eat. And note that she is in good company too, I believe King Juan-Carlos and his wife Sofia took Beatrix and Claus out for dinner at a terrca of a restaurant once, the owner didn´t know what hit him

[Winnie]

Maxima, eating?! She'll be breathing next. Disgraceful behaviour.

BeatrixFan -- your above quote is a hoot! I understand your great humor and agree with you! That is why I really enjoy Maxima -- she is a normal loving happy person that just happened to fall in love and marry a prince (much to his luck and pride) and gave birth to adorable loving girls. What a wonderful life for two happy people. We should all be so blessed.

[susan alicia]

yes, what she is doing is licking/sucking her fingers and bringing her mouth to the food in stead of the food to her mouth

Originally Posted by Aquarela

Maxima is a very confident woman and we lile her because she always seem to fight against adversity with a smile in her face.
But about good manners i have my doubts...

pic 1

pic 2

I don't know any very well educated woman in Argentina who eats like this in public.

[fee]

I actually don't understand the whole paloola.
Royal etiquette doesn't strike me as so much different from good manners.
A well brought up person should not have any problems, as we usually don't pick our noses, scratch our scalps or worse our bums, we put a hand in front of a yawn or a sneeze, try not to pass any gas thru any opening and we keep ourselves from spitting on the street.
Seriously, manners are something that have to be learnt from early on, a grown woman of about 30 will not suddenly turn "Eliza Doolittle".
A company like Deutsche Bank, even in leisurely USA will be very keen on manners and a certain etiquette, try rushing thru the door in front of your superior and slam the door into his face to boot and watch what that does to your next resume.
The very distinct royal etiquette like never walk in front of the sovereign, never sit before he/she does, curtsey, who reaches out for a handshake first etc, IMO are easy to learn.

Regarding the american or european ignorance concerning South american countries (or the american failure to put european countries correctly into some order) I feel a bit insulted.
Of course there are people who think Argentina is a third world country with copa cabana and Inkas, and of course there are Americans who don't now dutch from danish, just as there are still people believing in an invasion of Aliens at Roswell in 1954...but on the whole we are not completely stupid or ignorant.
And about the possibility of natural blondes from Argentina, there are natural blondes from every ethnic group of humankind.
However Maxima is very good example of a blonde from Argentina who certainly needs a bottle of l'Oreal every once in a while to achieve her looks.....

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Well, it seems Maxima is seated outside on a terrace, quite a normal place to eat. And note that she is in good company too, I believe King Juan-Carlos and his wife Sofia took Beatrix and Claus out for dinner at a terrca of a restaurant once, the owner didn´t know what hit him

I don't think Aquarela was refering to the place where she was eating but to the way she was eating. Well I find a bit confusing when people (no matter where they are) prefer to use their hands than the knife and fork. About licking/sucking the fingers, well for something they invented the napkins
But I found the pics funny and I don't think there is such a reason to feel shocked. It's funny to see Maxima with such good appetite! That's a symptom of happiness, right?

[carlota]

Originally Posted by Aquarela

But about good manners i have my doubts...

pic 1

pic 2

I don't know any very well educated woman in Argentina who eats like this in public.

trust me: she wouldn't be there if she did that all the time, at a gala dinner or in the presence of dignataries. i guess in the situation it was okay to eat with her hands. she wouldn't be there if her manners weren't those of a princess as such: we saw other princesses eating with their hands as well... are they all then vulgar because they do that? not at all. some situations favour some certain behaviour without it being terrible.

asking for fork, knife, servillete, dishes and the 4 protocolar glasses, when everyone eats with their hands... now, that would have been bad-manered!

[fee]

Originally Posted by carlota

trust me: she wouldn't be there if she did that all the time, at a gala dinner or in the presence of dignataries. i guess in the situation it was okay to eat with her hands. she wouldn't be there if her manners weren't those of a princess as such: we saw other princesses eating with their hands as well... are they all then vulgar because they do that? not at all. some situations favour some certain behaviour without it being terrible.

asking for fork, knife, servillete, dishes and the 4 protocolar glasses, when everyone eats with their hands... now, that would have been bad-manered!

As much as I agree with your last statement, that it would have been quite rude to ask for a table to be set for her when everyone else was picknicing on the lawn, but what do you mean with "she wouldn't be there" were her manners less then princess like?
Would the dutch government demand a separation? The Queen ban her from The Hague?
Sorry but not bl##dy likely...
And there are about a ton of pix of a nose-picking, bum-scratching crown prince of another european country and yet he is still there...

[susan alicia]

a new thread dedicated to them?

Originally Posted by fee

As much as I agree with your last statement, that it would have been quite rude to ask for a table to be set for her when everyone else was picknicing on the lawn, but what do you mean with "she wouldn't be there" were her manners less then princess like?
Would the dutch government demand a separation? The Queen ban her from The Hague?
Sorry but not bl##dy likely...

...

[fee]

Entirely possible
However I stated him only to underline my opinion that there is no such thing as a princess school. It died out with Diana and is now only subject to Hollywood movies like the Princess Diaries, the modern version of "My fair Lady"

[Duchess]

maybe she was eating a sandwich??

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by fee

Entirely possible
However I stated him only to underline my opinion that there is no such thing as a princess school. It died out with Diana and is now only subject to Hollywood movies like the Princess Diaries, the modern version of "My fair Lady"

Well, there is indeed no princess school but I as said, Maxima did receive professors and other people from society to get informed about The Netherlands, culture, religion, language, customs, political institutions etc etc. But no ´princess diary´ school classes where she would learn how to wave i think.

[dazzling]

I dont see where eating with hands mix's with etiquette during a private lunch/snack time or at a non-formal event.

I mean, come on, this was not a formal or public event. Looks like she was eating finger food. also notice the lady next to her using her hands. If Maxima was to eat french fries, do you really expect her to use a fork

Maxima ha done a great job as a princess's, whoever taught her taught her well; being a princess's

[giov]

I think our opinions on Maxima depends on our personal education.
IMO, licking one's fingers is very rude even though you are eating finger foods. In Italy it is considered very rude, even if you do it when you are alone at home.
People who have good manners while eating, they have them all the time, both when they are alone at home and when they are in public.
So, I guess Maxima hasn't very good manners yet.

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by giov

I think our opinions on Maxima depends on our personal education.
IMO, licking one's fingers is very rude even though you are eating finger foods. In Italy it is considered very rude, even if you do it when you are alone at home.
People who have good manners while eating, they have them all the time, both when they are alone at home and when they are in public.
So, I guess Maxima hasn't very good manners yet.

Then I guess it differes from country to country, I mean in the Gulf countries, its very normal to eat with your hands & i wouldnt say Maxima doesnt have very good manners, because till now, she has pulled off being a princess well. Her manners have been displayed well on state visit's & event in the Netherlands.

[Tinika]

I'm sure Maxima is a warm and lovely person, but she is the least 'princess-like' of all the crown princesses, and if I didn't know she was a princess I would never, ever take her for one--just a slightly frumpy upper-class housewife.

[ashelen]

I agree with Marengo, indeed she receive royal education becasue she was a commoner, she had a bunch of private tuttors to teach her manners, ettiquete, langugages, , dutch , hisotry etc....
about the picks inquestion I would like to know where and when they were taken, if this was in the ealrly stage of her life as a princess would be much diferents if this a recent picture

[BurberryBrit]

Originally Posted by Tinika

I'm sure Maxima is a warm and lovely person, but she is the least 'princess-like' of all the crown princesses, and if I didn't know she was a princess I would never, ever take her for one--just a slightly frumpy upper-class housewife.

I have to agree with this. I like Maxima, but there is something about her that is not very refined. But she seems so bright and bubbly that you can't help like her.

[lilytornado]

there must have have been some kind of princess-related education more than just "good manners".
Yes maybe she didn't have "waving-education" , but somebody for example must have told her how to curtsy and when, when meeting foreign kings and queens, etc.