Dutch royal couple bought holiday land in Mozambique and Argentina
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima invested in a Machangulo peninsula holiday-village development in Mozambique from 2007, and bought lakeside land in Argentina in 2009. The sources reviewed report missing water and toilets at five local schools and a local police chief's arrest over the death of a protester.
- Foundation run by a friend of the prince — received the prince's share of the Machangulo development, according to the sources reviewed
- Pupils at five schools on the Machangulo peninsula — had no clean water or toilets in August 2009, per DutchNews DutchNews
- A local resident who protested the development — was killed; a local police chief was arrested for the killing, according to Wikipedia
What happened
Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima invested in a land development on the Machangulo peninsula in Mozambique in the second half of 2007, marketed as an ecologically responsible holiday village (Wikipedia).
The plan included 120 homes, 60 luxury villas, a hotel and an airstrip, and an August 2009 DutchNews report found five schools with no clean water or toilets and no electricity connection.
DutchNews reported in February 2009, citing Telegraaf, that the couple had invested about 1 million euros in a Patagonian farm to be run as a hotel; the Royal Information Service said it was not a second holiday home.
DutchNews reported in November 2009, citing Elsevier, that the couple had bought a 2-hectare lakeside plot at Villa La Angostura, near a 1,500-hectare farm, at a price local press put at 2.5 million euros.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: the couple announced on 20 November 2009 that they would sell their Machangulo villa, and the villa was resold for a symbolic price to Machangulo SA in January 2012, estimated at about 2 million euros (Dutch government letter).
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: Argentine press places a farm 60 to 75 km from Bariloche, on the Pichi Leufú river, of 1,500 to 3,000 hectares, with ownership shared with Máxima's siblings and aunt (MDZ; Canal 26).
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: in 2012 the couple bought a villa complex with a private harbour and beach at Kranidi, Greece, for 4.5 million euros; Greek press in 2014 raised a claim of unauthorised construction (DutchNews, April 2012).
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: rumours that 20 km of coastline was closed to private use and that local fishers lost fishing grounds.
- None on record What the sources do not say: the current ownership and exact size of the Patagonian land.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Royal couple invests in Patagonian farm (citing Telegraaf)DutchNews · 2009-02-12
- Royal couple buys lakeside plot in Argentina (citing Elsevier)DutchNews · 2009-11-25
- Dutch royals buy Greek holiday villa (DutchNews report)DutchNews · 2012-04
Connected cases
- Dutch royal couple's Machangulo holiday-village investment, Mozambique Mozambique · 2007
- Willem-Alexander and Máxima (Dutch royal couple) (Royal household) — here: investor in the Machangulo development and in Argentine land; there: heir couple that invested in the Machangulo development