Máxima’s spiky new friends! Queen of the Netherlands rescues three hedgehogs and releases them in the grounds of a Dutch palace

Queen Máxima has rescued three hedgehogs who now roam freely in the gardens of Huis ten Bosch Palace.

The mother-of-three, 52, looked absolutely delighted as she posed with one of her spiky new friends in an Instagram post on the Royal Family Instagram account.

She grinned as she cradled the adorable creature, dressed in a chic beige trench coat and dainty hoop earrings.

The royal’s elegant ensemble — completed with sleek blonde locks and glamorous makeup — contrasted with her industrial neon orange gloves, which protected her hands from the animal’s spines.

A second photo also showed an adorable close-up of the forest animal.

A caption explained that ‘hedgehogs have a harder time in the Netherlands’.

“Due to the warm summer months, the worms are deeper in the ground and there are fewer crawling insects,” it says.

‘In recent years, more and more sick, weakened or injured hedgehogs have been coming to hedgehog shelters.

‘The habitat of the hedgehog has also become smaller due to buildings and increasing traffic.’

It was further said that Maxima had adopted three hedgehogs before releasing them into the palace gardens.

“The garden and the forest area offer sufficient food and space for the hedgehogs due to the many different plants and shrubs,” the message said.

It’s no surprise that the Queen loves animals; the family loves their white cross, Mambo, which stole the show in their annual family portrait earlier this summer.

It’s been a busy week for the Dutch royal family, who showed off their winter chic fashion yesterday at a meeting on financial health and education.

A second photo in the post also showed an adorable close-up of the forest animal in the queen’s hands

It’s no surprise that the Queen loves animals; the family loves their white cross, Mambo, which stole the show in their annual family portrait earlier this summer

Máxima stunned when she stepped out in a beautiful beige wool coat with a belt, complete with a pair of dark brown boots and a flashy clutch.

The purpose of the outing was a meeting of the Constituency Program of the Ministry of Finance in the Johan de Witt House in The Hague. The program is designed to ensure that official bodies maintain a standard of financial transparency.

Máxima was seen giving a speech at the meeting and took center stage as attendees gathered for a group photo outside the venue.

For the meeting, the mother-of-three kept her makeup subtle with a hint of pink lipstick and mascara, and wore her blonde locks in an updo, exposed gold fish-shaped earrings.

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands perfected the art of winter chic when she attended a meeting on financial health and education on Thursday

The busy royal has had no shortage of appearances in recent weeks and was only seen beaming on Tuesday when she attended the 2023 Cultural Fund Prize at Theater Zuidplein in Rotterdam.

Máxima stunned in a Claes Iversen dress from her collection, paired with red suede pumps and a matching clutch.

The vibrant, knee-length sheath dress featured contrasting lace appliqués and all-over embellishments – created in shades of mulberry and red.

The wife of King Willem-Alexander completed her look with understated diamond earrings, while leaving her blonde locks loose.

And last week, Máxima turned heads in a fiery red dress when she attended an event celebrating the five-year anniversary of a non-profit organization committed to a ‘debt-free country’.