Nine years after his meeting with King Willem-Alexander, Italian Mario Robustelli comes face to face with His Majesty again this year.
Nine years ago, Mario shook hands with the king when Willem-Alexander opened the United World College in Maastricht in 2013. He is one of the students of the United World College who will meet Willem-Alexander and Máxima in April at the Graanmarkt in Maastricht.
Will the king still recognize him? “I don’t think so,” smiles 15-year-old Mario.
Princess Alexia
Willem-Alexander himself studied from 1983 to 1985 at the United World College, on the campus in Wales. There Princess Alexia is also studying at the moment† “At United World College, we also try to put the lessons from our classes into practice right away,” Alicia van Mahajan explains the appeal of the concept.
14-year-old Alicia represents the international orientation of the students at United World College. She has a German, American and Indian background. “But we don’t have a king in any of those countries,” Alicia says. “Here I especially remember the tompouce on King’s Day, delicious.”
Princess Alexia is leaving for the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales. For the next two years she will be pursuing her International Baccalaureate. Princess Alexia completed the fourth year of the Sorghvliet Christian Gymnasium last school year. https://t.co/ltFScVdO3z pic.twitter.com/qn09IFjRo7
— Royal House (@Royal House) August 30, 2021
International Maastricht
The United World College, together with Maastricht University, represents international students in the provincial capital. Due to the growth of educational institutions, Maastricht as a city has undergone a metamorphosis, both in terms of renovation and new construction and in terms of inhabitants.
More than 21,000 students study at Maastricht University, 55 percent of whom come from abroad. In 2020, the student population consisted of 123 nationalities. The university has more than 4,000 employees, 45 percent of which comes from abroad.