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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Archives for April 2017

Jewels in Motion: Queen Maxima’s Inauguration Jewels

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CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images
Four years ago today, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands became the nation’s king when his mother, Princess Beatrix, abdicated in his favor. At his inauguration ceremony, the new Queen Maxima was a magpie’s dream in diamonds and sapphires. You can read all about the history of her jewels in our previous post, but today, I think it’s time to enjoy them glittering in motion!

Arriving in the family’s magnificent diamond and sapphire tiara

Processional at the Nieuwe Kerk

Processional at the Nieuwe Kerk

Singing the Dutch national anthem

Applauding King Willem-Alexander’s remarks

An emotional moment during the inauguration ceremony

Three cheers for the new king!

Maxima Sparkles for Willem-Alexander’s 50th Birthday

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REMKO DE WAAL/AFP/Getty Images

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday evening with a special birthday party in Amsterdam. One hundred fifty Dutch citizens who are also 50 years old were invited to a dinner at the Royal Palace.

REMKO DE WAAL/AFP/Getty Images

Maxima wore glittering diamonds for the occasion, including a pair of dramatic earrings and both of the East Indies bracelets.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Here’s a better look at the earrings, which are fringed in a sort of checkerboard pattern.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

This close-up shows the curve at the top of the earrings, as well as the movement of the individual fringes.

REMKO DE WAAL/AFP/Getty Images

She also wore two of the family’s diamond ears of wheat ornaments as slides in her hair.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Here’s a better look at the ears of wheat.

REMKO DE WAAL/AFP/Getty Images

The always-exuberant Max was unfortunately caught mid-expression here (sorry, Your Maj!), but this photo is one of the best views I have to share of her unusual dress.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

The gown was made by Jan Taminiau, who has made numerous dresses for Maxima, including her stunning royal blue inauguration gown from 2013. The heavy embroidery here was inspired by wallpaper that hangs in the Palace of Huis ten Bosch.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Maxima wore the dress with a vivid violet-colored wrap, which you can see in the photo above; I really like the color contrast of the shades of purple.

Princess Anne’s Festoon Tiara

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Princess Anne’s Festoon Tiara (SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)

The British royal family has an incredible wide array of jewels. Beyond the pieces owned and worn by the reigning queen, many of the other Windsor women have impressive jewelry collections of their own. Today’s tiara is one of several owned by the Princess Royal: her diamond festoon tiara.

Anne wears the tiara for the French state banquet at Windsor Castle, March 2008 (PHILIPPE WOJAZER/AFP/Getty Images)

As the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Anne is a hardworking and significant member of the royal family. And, as such, she needs quite a few tiaras in her arsenal for the state events she attends. While Anne’s other major tiaras — including the diamond meander tiara of Alice of Battenberg and the aquamarine pineflower tiara that belonged to the Queen Mum — were legacies from her grandmothers, the diamond festoon arrived in Anne’s jewelry box in another way entirely.

Anne wears the tiara for the Turkish state banquet at Buckingham Palace, November 2011 (Dominic Lipinski/AFP/Getty Images)

The tiara was given to Anne in 1973, the same year that she married her first husband, Mark Phillips. But it wasn’t a wedding present; it was given to the princess by the World-Wide Shipping Group, a Hong Kong firm, after she christened one of their ships.

Anne wears the tiara for the Indonesian state banquet at Buckingham Palace, October 2012 (Steve Parsons/AFP/Getty Images)

Anne has worn the tiara on a regular basis since she received it, usually at events like state banquets. She often pairs the tiara with her diamond festoon necklace (which you can read more about here) and other jewels, including a large diamond bow brooch.

Autumn Phillips wears the tiara on her wedding day in 2008 (SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)

In 2008, the tiara was worn for the first time in public by another woman: Anne’s daughter-in-law, Autumn Kelly, who borrowed it for her wedding tiara. Autumn anchored her veil with the diamond festoon for her wedding to Peter Phillips in Windsor that May. Delicate, with just enough height and enough fullness to be visually pleasing, I think this one was an excellent choice for a bride marrying the grandson of a monarch.

Note: This is an updated and expanded version of an earlier post, with new text and images.