Long day, Maxima? Dutch queen ditches her heels for flats after a whirlwind tour of her country's Zeeland province (including an impromptu cookery class)

  • Maxima, 45, was invited to learn about the region's aquaculture industry
  • The mother-of-three soaked up the sun in a pink sleeveless dress
  • She ditched her pink heels for a pair of flats after an action-packed day 
  • The queen attended a cookery class where she learned to open an oyster

Dressed in head-to-toe pink, Queen Maxima was her elegant best on Friday as she embarked on an action-packed visit to the west coast of the Netherlands.

The Dutch royal, 45, looked chic and summery in the sleeveless tweed number as temperatures reached a balmy 26 degrees in the Zeeland province.

Maxima, who is married to husband King Willem-Alexander, showed off her slender frame and toned arms, adding a pink chain bag and heels - before later changing into a pair of flats for comfort.

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Long day? Maxima eventually ditched her towering her heels
She changes into into a more comfortable pair of flats

Long day? Maxima ditches her heels (left) to change into a comfortable pair of flats (right)

Is this how you do it? Students school Maxima on the correct way to open an oyster at Pontes Pieter Zeeman college in Zierikzeeø

Is this how you do it? Students school Maxima on the correct way to open an oyster at Pontes Pieter Zeeman college in Zierikzeeø

The mother-of-three was in the province for an official engagement where she visited Delta Farms in Colijnsplaat, before taking a mussel cutter boat to Pontes Pieter Zeeman college in Zierikzeeø. 

The whistle-stop tour had a strong focus on learning about innovations in the aquaculture industry in the region - including the cultivation of salty vegetables like samphire and sea lavender. 

The mother-of-three was in the province for an official engagement where she visited Delta Farms in Colijnsplaat, before taking a mussel cutter boat to Pontes Pieter Zeeman college

The mother-of-three was in the province for an official engagement where she visited Delta Farms in Colijnsplaat, before taking a mussel cutter boat to Pontes Pieter Zeeman college

The Argentina-born queen looked to be in a jovial mood as she beamed and waved to locals

The Argentina-born queen looked to be in a jovial mood as she beamed and waved to locals

According to NL Times, Maxima, who was invited on the trip by the king's commissioner Han Polman, spoke to representatives of Zeeland's mussel and oyster industry during the boat journey. 

The Argentina-born queen looked to be in a jovial mood as she beamed and waved to onlookers.

She listened to a lecture on seafood and even tried her hand at cooking at the college, where she was taught the correct way to open an oyster. 

Maxima, who was invited on the trip by the king's commissioner Han Polman, spoke to representatives of Zeeland's mussel and oyster industry during the boat journey

Maxima, who was invited on the trip by the king's commissioner Han Polman, spoke to representatives of Zeeland's mussel and oyster industry during the boat journey

Maxima tries her hand at opening an oyster during the second half of her action-packed day
The royal was there to learn about the aquaculture industry

Maxima tries her hand at opening an oyster during the second half of her action-packed day

She was spotted alongside Willem-Alexander at the Men's 100m medley relay final in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. 

The couple are parents to Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, 12, Princess Alexia, 11, and Princess Ariane, nine.

They famously met at the Seville Spring Fair in Spain in 1999, with Maxima claiming she had no idea of her blue-blooded suitor's identity. 

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