In an address to an energy seminar in Mexico City on Thursday Prince Willem-Alexander unwittingly made a gaffe, using a Spanish expression which is seldom used by royal heads in public.

Urging his listeners to act against global warming, the Dutch Crown prince used a Spanish expression in his English text, camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva al corriente meaning "a sleeping shrimp will be washed away by the tide". Instead of al corriente, the Dutch Crown Prince used a la chingada. In most of Latin America this is a harmless synonym, but in Mexican Spanish, it means "getting screwed up". The audience burst out laughing after the prince's words.

Argentinian connection
The speech had been prepared by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, which has since apologised to the prince for putting the wrong words into his mouth. Willem-Alexander's Argentinian wife, Princess Máxima, was not involved in writing the speech, the government information service said.

Drought
On their state visit to Mexico Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Princess Máxima visited an arid region west of Mexico City. The Dutch royals spoke to trainees at a college for agricultural technology and water management who are preparing for jobs in their own country, rather than emigrating to find work. Drought is thought to be a major cause of Mexican emigration to the neighbouring US.

The royal party will spend the fourth and final day of their visit at the spectacular pyramids of Teotihuacan.

Queen Beatrix and Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen visiting a training centre in Mexico (ANP Photo)