Suzanne Innes-Stubb and Queen Máxima meet in the Netherlands

On 11–12 December, a meeting took place in Amsterdam between the First Lady of Finland, Suzanne Innes-Stubb, and Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.

The meeting was held as part of the state visit of the President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and his wife to the Netherlands — a country with which Finland cooperates within the European Union, the United Nations and NATO, as well as in the areas of energy security and defence resilience.

The first day of the visit focused on innovation, security and economic cooperation.

The royal and presidential couples visited the Amsterdam Drone Lab, located on the grounds of the historic naval dockyard Marine Etablissement. During the visit, they learned about the civilian applications of unmanned technologies, particularly in the energy and defence sectors, and observed a demonstration of how drones are used to inspect railway infrastructure and port facilities.

Special attention was also given to the education and training programmes of the Dutch Ministry of Defence. The King, Queen and Mrs Innes-Stubb met with students and instructors from Defensity College, participants of the voluntary Service Year programme and the National Resilience Training programme, and were introduced to the practical skills young people acquire through these initiatives.

On the second day of the visit, a separate programme was arranged for Queen Máxima and the First Lady of Finland.

Her Majesty and Mrs Innes-Stubb visited the Huis van de Stad community centre in the city of Rijswijk. The central focus of the meeting was domestic violence and femicide — an issue that remains highly relevant for many countries worldwide.

During the visit, the Femicide Monitor research project was presented. The project collects data on all cases of murder and manslaughter of women in the Netherlands between 2014 and 2024, providing an analytical basis for the development of effective public policy. In addition, a lawyer and a public prosecutor shared professional perspectives on mechanisms to combat domestic violence, while the mayor outlined inter-institutional cooperation within the city’s taskforce.

An important part of the programme was the meeting between Queen Máxima and the First Lady of Finland with family members of a victim of domestic violence, as well as with a woman who survived such abuse.

Gender-based violence remains a global challenge that requires continuous exchange of experience and coordinated action.

Joint initiatives and the public engagement of first ladies and members of royal families in events such as the meeting in Rijswijk demonstrate states’ commitment to consistently addressing violence, strengthening inter-institutional cooperation, and supporting survivors — at both national and international levels.

The First Lady of Finland is an active participant of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform. Mrs Suzanne Innes-Stubb participates in summits and other events organised by the SFLG GP. Read about her on the First Ladies and Gentlemen page.