Queen Sirikit of Thailand marks her 91st birthday today. We’re celebrating with a look at one of her most sparkling royal tiara appearances, at a gala in the Netherlands six decades ago.
As part of a whirlwind world tour that took them to 15 countries over the course of six months, the King and Queen of Thailand made stops at several European courts in 1960. After visiting the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Sweden, Italy, the Vatican, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit arrived in the Netherlands for a state visit with Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard.
On October 25, 1960, the second day of the visit, Juliana and Bernhard escorted their foreign guests at a gala concert held in The Hague.
Both royal ladies were dressed in their finest for the concert. Queen Juliana wore pieces from the Dutch Emerald Parure for the concert. She experimented a little with the placement of the jewels, wearing the tiara upside down.
Queen Sirikit wore an elaborate gown from her tour wardrobe, which was custom made for her by the famed French fashion designer Pierre Balmain.
The sleeveless dress that she wore for the gala concert featured a v-neck, a train, and elaborate embroidery. She also wore the bright blue and orange sash and star of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
She reached for several pieces of significant jewelry for the concert as well, including a floral bandeau set with diamonds and rubies, which she had worn frequently throughout the world tour.
She also added girandole-style earrings, plus her large diamond fringe necklace, worn with an additional diamond rivière.
She finished off the look with a diamond feather brooch, pinned to her order sash, and traditional Thai-style diamond bracelets.
Here’s one more view of the incredible, glittering look. Sirikit was considered one of the most elegant royal women of her era, and it’s easy to see why!
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