**Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has made LGBTQIA+ and royal history by officially opening WorldPride Amsterdam 2026.**

The Dutch queen consort launched the international Pride festival at Amsterdam’s Vondelpark on Saturday, 25 July. She is believed to be the first woman holding the title of Queen ever to officially open a Pride festival anywhere in the world.

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_Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, during Pride Day in Amsterdam RAMON VAN FLYMEN / reuters_

Addressing the crowd at the Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre, Queen Máxima asked: “Being who you are, loving who you want—isn’t that normal?” She concluded her opening message by encouraging people to hold on to and support one another.

Before the official WorldPride opening ceremony, Queen Máxima visited Sport Pride and Youth Pride. She met members of the LGBTQIA+ community, spoke with representatives from participating organisations and visited information stands throughout Pride Park.

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_Queen Maxima opens WorldPride 2026_

Although other European royals have previously supported Pride events, the closest precedents involved women who were crown princesses at the time. Crown Princess Victoria opened Stockholm Pride’s digital parade in 2020, while Crown Princess Mary of Denmark served as royal patron of WorldPride Copenhagen 2021.

Queen Máxima is a queen consort rather than the reigning Dutch monarch. Her husband, King Willem-Alexander, is the Netherlands’ head of state. Her appearance nevertheless represents an unprecedented show of royal support for an official Pride festival opening.

# WorldPride Amsterdam celebrates equality and LGBTQIA+ rights

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_Queen Maxima opens WorldPride 2026_

WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 runs from 25 July until 8 August under the theme “Unity”. The two-week programme includes Pride marches, the famous Amsterdam Canal Parade, concerts, cultural events and an international human rights conference.

This year’s WorldPride also marks 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country to legalise marriage between two people of the same sex. The world’s first fully legal same-sex marriages took place at Amsterdam City Hall on 1 April 2001.

By opening WorldPride Amsterdam 2026, Queen Máxima has created a landmark moment for both the LGBTQIA+ community and modern European royalty—placing Pride, visibility and equal rights firmly on the international stage.

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Queen Máxima opens WorldPride Amsterdam 2026

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