We are starting a series about our favorite royal events, and we detail why they are our favorites and important to us. If you know me and have followed my social media and work with Royal Central, you’ll know I’m an ALS (MND if you are in the UK) advocate after losing my mother to teh disease in 2016. Naturally, my favorite royal event relates exactly to that.

Back when she was still Princess Maxima, the current Queen of the Netherlands swam in the murky Amsterdam canals (which have not officially been designated as safe to swim in) in the Amsterdam City Swim in benefit of ALS on September 9, 2012. She would finish the course in under an hour.

I actually wrote about this event in a Flashback Friday piece for Royal Central, which you can read here.

During her swim, she had a cheering section consisting of then Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and their three daughters: Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.

Although Maxima participated years before my mother was diagnosed and passed away from ALS, it meant so much to find out about this event in late 2016. ALS is a disease that does not get enough attention in regard to awareness and funding for research. So to see someone like Maxima, who has such a powerful influence across the globe, participate meant the world to me - and I’m sure to so many other people related to ALS (whether that be having the disease, being a caretaker of someone with the disease, or just a friend/family member of someone with ALS).

There are several royals who are taking part in the fight against ALS in various ways. But Maxima’s participation in the Amsterdam City Swim was one of action, and I can’t tell you how much I respect her for that.