Dutch queen Máxima has a new role at the United Nations, 15 years after she was appointed the secretary-general’s special advocate for inclusive finance for development.

On Wednesday, Máxima was given the new role of special advocate for #FinancialHealth and “will work to ensure households everywhere have the right financial tools to manage their day-to-day expenses, invest in the future and be protected against financial shocks”.

Watch a UN television item about Maxima’s work so far.

Some 80% of the population now have access to financial services and this is a solid foundation, the queen said at her appointment. “We now want to ensure that people can use financial products and services that help them get a grip on their day-to-day income and expenses,” she said.

In addition, people should be able to “invest or save for long-term goals, protect themselves from financial setbacks such as job loss or the effects of climate change, and that they have confidence in their financial future,” she said. “These four elements together make up financial health.”

Máxima’s work for the UN has come under scrutiny in the Netherlands and she was criticised for comments made about the advantages and disadvantages of the digital euro at a European Central Bank meeting.

“It is high time we ensure that members of the royal house no longer do things besides their actual, ceremonial work,” NSC founder Pieter Omtzigt said earlier this year. “For queen Máxima, this is even more sensitive than for princess Laurentien, who is somewhat further from the throne.”