Just hours after returning from the UK, where they attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands were back to work—and they had a new face with them this year for Prinsjesdag!
On Tuesday, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima headed to The Hague for this year’s Prinsjesdag (or Budget Day) ceremonies. The event is normally held at the Binnenhof complex, but as that is currently closed for renovations, the main event this year was held in the Koninklijke Schouwburg (Royal Theater).
King Willem-Alexander delivered his speech from the throne with Queen Máxima sitting by his side.
The King and Queen are normally accompanied only by his brother and sister-in-law, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien, on Prinsjesdag, but this year a third member of the family made her first appearance at the event. The Princess of Orange, Willem-Alexander and Máxima’s eldest daughter, was present for Prinsjesdag for the first time, watching her father carry out a royal duty that will some day fall to her.
All five of the royals made a traditional balcony appearance, waving to the crowd from the Noordeinde Palace.
Prinsjesdag has an unusual dress code: daytime formal, which means morning suits for the men and evening gowns and hats (not tiaras) for the women. All three of the royal ladies wore long dresses with jewels and decorations. Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia wore the insignia of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, while Princess Laurentien wore the sash and star of the Order of the House of Orange.
Queen Máxima looked cozy in head-to-toe gray on Tuesday, even wearing a matching beret-style hat.
She accessorized with diamonds: a diamond rivière necklace, diamond stud earrings, and the family’s nineteenth-century diamond star bracelet, made by Mellerio and given to Queen Emma by King Willem III.
Princess Amalia wore a gown in a deep shade of teal green with neutral accessories.
With the gown, Amalia wore the necklace from the family’s grand emerald parure, a set given to Queen Wilhelmina by Queen Emma at the turn of the twentieth century. She paired the necklace with the pear-shaped cluster studs from her mother’s stunning emerald earrings.
She also wore a diamond, emerald, and gold bangle bracelet on her right wrist and a diamond and emerald ring on her right hand.
She also added even more sparkle to her look by pinning several of the family’s diamond star brooches to her headpiece.
Princess Laurentien is always inventive with her gala looks, and this time was no exception. With her pink gown, she wore a major modern statement necklace that appears to be made of rose quartz.
She also wore coordinating earrings, and she secured her order sash with the family’s round diamond star brooch. The jewel, also made by Mellerio and purchased by King Willem III for Queen Emma, was acquired at the same time as the bracelet worn on Tuesday by Máxima.
Princess Beatrix has not attended Prinsjesdag in a formal capacity since her abdication, but she can often be seen watching the procession from the window of a nearby building. On Tuesday, she wore pieces from her collection of modern mixed-metal jewels to view the event.
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