A Quartet of Royal State Visit Tiaras in Oslo

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima have traveled to Norway numerous times over the past two decades. (We did a roundup of the tiaras and jewels she’s worn in Norway earlier this week!) But this was the first formal state visit of their reign. On Tuesday, they arrived at the Royal Palace in Oslo for the official welcome ceremony that kicked off the visit.

King Harald V of Norway greeted his Dutch counterpart, King Willem-Alexander, outside the palace. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway was scheduled to join them for this state visit, but he’s at home with a cold. (The palace noted that he has tested negative for COVID-19.)

The royal ladies—Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Queen Sonja of Norway, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway—gathered on a red-carpeted platform as the monarchs took part in a military review.

Inside the Royal Palace, Princess Märtha Louise was also there to join in the welcome. The royals posed for official photographs and took part in the traditional exchange of gifts.

Here’s a view of the kings and queens posing for an official picture.

The first day’s schedule also included a visit to the national monument at Akershus Fortress for a wreath-laying ceremony.

The Dutch royals also stopped by the Eidsvoll Gallery at Storting (Norway’s Parliament) to sign the official guest book.

For the welcome ceremony and early events, Queen Maxima wore a bright green dress from her collection, paired with taupe accessories. The small pin on her gown is the ribbon of the Order of St. Olav.

She added pieces of diamond and emerald jewelry to complete the look, including her own diamond and emerald earrings, Queen Emma’s Emerald Butterfly Brooch, and the bracelet from the Dutch Emerald Parure.

With her brown and blue ensemble, Queen Sonja wore a pair of modern, silver-toned earrings.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit was lovely in neutrals, accessorized by classic diamond and pearl drop earrings.

And Princess Martha Louise also wore pearl earrings, plus a small but intricate brooch that looked to be set with diamonds.

In the afternoon, the two royal couples traveled to the Fram Museum in Oslo. The innovative museum tells the story of Norwegian polar exploration, and it features the Gjøa, the first ship to travel through the Northwest Passage in 1906. Part of the royal visit took place “on board” the ship, which is inside the museum.

Queen Maxima wore the same outfit for this part of the day’s engagements, but Queen Sonja made a quick change before heading to the museum.

She added a necklace of smooth, polished beads in brown tones to her ensemble.

The museum visit also gave us another great view of Maxima’s diamond and emerald earrings, which can be worn in various configurations.

In the evening, the Dutch royal couple was celebrated at a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Oslo, attended by King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Martha Louise.

Both King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima wore the red sash of Norway’s Order of St. Olav, while all of the Norwegian royals wore Dutch orders. King Harald and Queen Sonja both wore the blue and gold sash of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, while the princesses wore the Order of Orange-Nassau.

There were jewels galore at this visit, paired with evening gowns that we’ve seen on previous occasions. (Recycling clothing is very “in” with the royals, especially these days!) Queen Sonja wore the Norwegian Emeralds with a lime green gown she previously wore during her 80th birthday celebrations in 2017.

Queen Maxima wore sapphires from the family collection, including Queen Emma’s Sapphire Tiara and Sapphire Bracelets, with the dramatic gown she wore in 2018 during the British state visit. She also wore the family’s Sapphire Figure-Eight Earrings on this occasion, as well as one of the family’s diamond ribbon brooches. The ornament suspended from that brooch looks very much like part of Maxima’s own collection of vibrant blue (possibly tanzanite) jewels.

Here’s another look at Maxima’s jewels from the banquet. You get a great view here of the earrings, which were made using elements from Queen Wilhelmina’s Sapphire Tiara. You’ll also catch a glimpse of part of the brooch as well. I’m not sure how I feel about the positioning of her cape on this occasion; she wore the neckline of the cape closed for the previous appearance in London.

Both Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Martha Louise glittered in family jewels and recycled gowns as well. Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore her wedding tiara with a floral gown that she previously wore during the royal birthday celebrations in 2017. She also wore her diamond daisy earrings, adding pearl drops for the occasion.

Princess Martha Louise wore the Norwegian Amethyst Tiara with a suite of amethyst and aquamarine jewels that we’ve previously seen on Queen Sonja. The set includes earrings (which alternate the stones in quite a playful way), plus a necklace of amethyst beads with an aquamarine heart pendant. We previously saw Martha Louise wear this lilac-colored gown at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden back in June 2013.