Today in the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix—the former monarch and mother of the present King—celebrates her birthday. In her honor, I’ve got a bejeweled flashback to one of the most glittering moments of her early reign: a stunning diamond and sapphire appearance at the Guildhall during her 1982 state visit to Britain.
In November 1982, two years after her accession, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands traveled with her husband, Prince Claus, to London for a state visit with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. On the second day of the visit, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus were guests of the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Anthony Jolliffe, and the Corporation of London at the Guildhall.
The visit to the Guildhall included a traditional banquet, but before the dinner, Beatrix was present for a Court of Common Council, during which she and Claus received an official welcome address. Also present for both parts of the visit were Princess Alexandra and her husband, the Hon. Angus Ogilvy.
Queen Beatrix, who delivered remarks in support of Britain’s place in the European family during the banquet, sparkled in a royal blue and gold evening gown. The dress featured a sequin-covered bodice with a floral pattern and a taffeta skirt.
The colors of the gown coordinated beautifully with Beatrix’s decorations for the evening: the sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order (which she received in 1958 when Elizabeth II visited the Netherlands) and the ribbon, badge, and chain of the Royal Victorian Chain (which she received during the 1982 visit). Beatrix is now also a lady of the Order of the Garter, but she did not receive that honor until June 1989.
The jewels that Beatrix paired with her ensemble for the Guildhall banquet were nothing short of spectacular. All of the pieces she wore that evening come from the Dutch royal vaults. The star of the show was Queen Emma’s Sapphire Tiara, which was made in the 1880s.
The antique diamond and sapphire pendant which Beatrix pinned to her order sash also belonged to Queen Emma. It was an engagement present from her husband, King Willem III of the Netherlands, in 1879. Willem and Emma are Beatrix’s great-grandparents.
The distinctive sapphire and diamond earrings that Beatrix wore for the banquet have their roots in the jewelry collection of Willem and Emma’s daughter, Queen Wilhelmina. She received a diamond and sapphire parure, including an enormous tiara, as a national gift when she married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1901. Eventually, the unwieldy tiara was dismantled, and its gemstones were used to make several new pieces of jewelry. The Sapphire Figure-Eight Earrings were among those new creations.
Beatrix finished off her gala look for the Guildhall visit with a pair of spectacular diamond and sapphire bracelets. These were also part of the national wedding gift to Queen Wilhelmina in 1901. They’ve been altered slightly over the last century, but they’re the only part of the parure still being worn today.
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