Ruling the table! Dutch Queen Maxima plays dominoes

Ruling the table! Dutch Queen Maxima plays dominoes
Source: Daily Mail Online

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands beamed as she enjoyed a game of dominoes with locals in the Little Havana neighbourhood in Miami, Florida, today.

The Dutch Queen, together with King Willem-Alexander, spent time with the community after an overnight stay at the White House at the request of President Donald Trump.

Maxima, 54, who looked ever the elegant royal in an all-red ensemble, and Willem-Alexander, 58, appeared in high spirits as they chatted away with well-wishers on the second day of their three-day working visit to the States.

'The domino game brings together residents in the Little Havana neighbourhood,' the palace wrote alongside a clip shared to Instagram.
'The King and Queen Maxima play a game and talk to residents about the importance of this place to the neighbourhood, which often comes from the Latino community.'

The royals have maintained a busy schedule since landing in the US, and yesterday, they were greeted by Donald and Melania Trump at the White House.

The Dutch royals had been invited to Washington by the US President, 79, for dinner and an overnight stay as part of their trip to the US, which will also take them Philadelphia.

Maxima wore a long-sleeved orange dress while First Lady Melania, 55, looked similarly glamorous in a white gown with black floral detailing.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared in high spirits as she played dominoes with locals in the Little Havana, Florida, on the second day of her three-day trip to America.

The Trumps were seen waiting on a red carpet before welcoming the Dutch royal couple and Rob Jetten, the prime minister of the Netherlands, ahead of the dinner.

Willem-Alexander and the President shook hands upon arrival as their wives smiled next to them. The men both wore navy suits with a tie.

The Dutch royals' visit to the US comes after King Charles and Queen Camilla revealed similar plans to visit the White House at the end of the month.

The decision has proved controversial but Sir Keir Starmer rejected a demand to cancel the trip due to concerns over Trump's behaviour.

The Prime Minister said that the royal trip to Washington would celebrate the two nations' shared history, despite the President being labelled a 'dangerous and corrupt gangster'.

They will visit the US at the end of April to mark 250 years since it won independence, with engagements including a State Banquet at the White House thrown by Trump.

However, questions have been raised about whether they should be visiting at a time when the President's frequent criticism of the UK has left the 'special relationship' in tatters and wider Transatlantic relations at a low not seen in decades.

The Dutch royals' visit comes after Queen Maxima set the record straight on what she really said after she appeared to 'mock' Trump on television last year.

King Willem-Alexander also joined in on the fun while chatting to local residents about the importance of community.

In July, she stood next to the President as they posed for pictures after he arrived in the Netherlands for the NATO summit.

While making small talk, Maxima appeared to 'mock' the way Trump's mouth moved and pulled a face before turning towards the cameras.

The split-second reaction was spotted by eagle-eyed social media users, who wrote: 'You have to watch how Queen Maxima of the Netherlands mocks Trump's speaking right in front of him.'

CNN journalist Vani Mehrotra observed on X: 'Did she really do that? Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is believed to be mocking Donald Trump.'

But during the Dutch royals' annual summer photo session later that month, Maxima clarified what happened.

Maxima, speaking to Dutch outlet AD, explained that she had 'said "thank you" to someone who had helped' and that meeting the President had been a 'pleasant experience'.

Meanwhile, her eldest daughter and heir to the throne, 22-year-old Princess Catharina-Amalia, said it was 'really cool' she had the opportunity to meet 'the president of America'.