This royal round up features Queen Maxima, Queen Mathilde, and a tiara.
Willem-Alexander and Maxima attended a State Dinner at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on May 27. Maxima wore a pink, one-shoulder fringe dress paired with some beautiful ruby jewelry: the Ruby “Peacock” Tiara, brooch, earrings, bracelet, and ring. I’m not usually a fan of fringe, but I think Maxima looks really pretty here. I love her in bright pink and rubies.
With the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II this year, the liberation of the Netherlands by Canada was the topic of Willem-Alexander’s speech at the State Dinner. Willem-Alexander said in part (full speech here):
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“Just as distant as the Netherlands must have been to the young men of the First Canadian Army 70 years ago. In 1944 and 45 they succeeded, together with our other allies, in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation. One muddy metre at a time. With stubborn resolve they fought their way through ditches, barricades and intense enemy fire. Canada paid a high price for our liberation. Some seven thousand six hundred Canadian soldiers died fighting for our freedom.”
I actually didn’t know Canada liberated the Netherlands (WWII was not my area of study). Paying attention to royals is educational!
Earlier in the day on May 27, W-A and Maxima landed in Canada and took part in a Welcoming Ceremony with Military Honors at Rideau Hall – where they also planted a tree. They journeyed to the National War Memorial where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They also met with war veterans at the National Arts Centre. Maxima wore a navy lace dress and coat, navy heels, hat, and gloves, and carried a burgundy animal skin clutch. I like the pop of pink on the dress, but I don’t understand the lace coat at all. There is no functionality there at all, and IMO is not pretty enough to work as “just for show”.
Here’s a link with info on the visit and a video of the wreath-laying.
Last Friday, May 22, Maxima opened the new Koninklijke Kentalis diagnostic care education center for people with a hearing and vision disabilities. She looked really nice in her suit, and I don’t even mind her hat – it kind of works.
On May 20, Queen Maxima was joined by Queen Mathilde at the Hague to open the sculpture exhibition “Vormidable”. They color-coordinated their Natan outfits: Maxima in an orange-y coral coat with blue feathers on her hat, and Mathilde in a blue and orange dress with blue turban hat, clutch, and shoes, and orange gloves. They look adorable together.
Some older Maxima outfits:
Maxima wore head to toe yellow on April 30 when she and W-A attended Dia di Rincon in Bonaire… I LOVE THIS! Don’t call it a banana!
Maxima wore head to toe pink for King’s Day on April 27. I like this a lot. Not as much as the yellow outfit, but quite a bit.
Queen Mathilde, along with her husband King Philippe, received UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and his wife on May 27.
Mathilde attended the semi-finals of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition 2015 on May 16 wearing green lace. She looks nice.
On May 6, Philippe, Mathilde, and their daughter Princess Elisabeth inaugurated the Pollux Patrol Boat. Mathilde looked great in light blue Dior.
Queen Maxima is my favorite royal, hands down. She’s very intelligent, works hard and doesn’t just show up to fluff appearances, clearly is very much in love with her husband and daughters, and, well, she just has that je ne sais quoi. She’s stunning and sparkles and I would love to sit down for a beer with her and Camilla (my fantasy girls night out). Frankly, I love her fashion sense. Even the outfits that shouldn’t work (and some are a bit eye brow raising). Her personality is so big that when she nails it, she really nails it. And when they fail, well, she tried.
She and the King are in West Michigan on Tuesday and I was able to get a ticket! Still not sure if I can get out of work to go, as it’s two hours away, but I will dutifully report back on the day!
Totally agree with everything Maggie. I wish I could go with you!!
Maggie, you are so lucky! Maxima is going to be ten minutes from my house, and I AM OUT OF TOWN! Of all the unfortunate timing. I am looking forward to your report!
I think Max and Cam would probably be the two funnest royals to chat to. You just know Cam has got the stories, and Max seems like such a lively personality.
I have to give it to Max, she goes all out with her fashion. Go big or go home type of thing. Even the bad outfits, she’s still wearing the clothes, they clothes never wear her. For some other royals, the clothes just wear them and I can’t forgive the bad outfits. But on Max, even the bad outfits I can kind of gloss over.
Oh I hope you can go see them! That would be so cool!
Not even that but a princess was born in Canada during WWII. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Margriet_of_the_Netherlands
I’ve always liked the history between the Netherlands and Canada. I always grew up hearing about the tulips in Ottawa that the Netherlands send every year as continued thanks.
I believe that when the Dutch royals were living in Canada, they lived at Rideau Hall. I hope that their visit was pleasant!
I didn’t realize until your post, KMR, that they were in Ottawa. Very interesting!
Here’s some more info about the Tulip Festival which has its roots (haha) from the first gift given to the Canadians from the Dutch government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Tulip_Festival
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1379441348475
Yes, W-A talked about her in his speech. I didn’t excerpt that part.
Sometimes I wonder if the royals have each other on speed dial. The Scandinavian families especially. They seem very close not to mention they are all 4th cousins twice removed or something of each other.
I love Maxima and Mathilde’s outfits. They might have their misses sometimes but they are never boring unlike another royal that we know of. When they get it right they get it absolutely right – case in point Maxima’s inauguration gown.
Another thing I love about these Queens is that they work. They take time out get to know their people, the current issues, the background of the charity or the event they are attending and they can manage both their families and their work. They don’t have to take time off to ‘focus on their families’. They also carry themselves with grace and charm like a Queen should while also looking approachable.
Love your posts about the other royal families.
Max and Mathilde definitely color-coordinated. That was not an accident. I think it’s fun that they took the time to color-coordinate their outfits. The other royal families definitely seem much closer with each other than the British are with anyone, including themselves. The British are so closed off from the rest of the European royals. But the Brits are also very closed off from themselves. I can’t imagine any of the British royal ladies color-coordinating their outfits for a joint engagement (except for that one time the Queen, Camilla, and Kate all wore a shade of blue to to go Fortnum and Masons).
All I can say is “Wow!” Maxima continues to inspire everyone with her incredible abilities. She does understand current affairs and works so hard. She does not just make appearances. As Anon said, she knows the charities and represents their concerns so well.
She’s a fashion icon, too. Some of her outfits are a tad much, but she never hesitates to make a statement and can carry her statements off brilliantly. I love her in bright colors. The pink one shoulder gown with the rubies was gorgeous.
Sorry, the yellow color did not impress me, although I liked the dress. To me, it looked a tad more chartreuse and that is my least favorite color. On the other hand, the pink and orange numbers were amazing.
Mathilde is also quite stylish. Loved the soft blue ensemble. Very soothing and classic.
As for the Canadians liberating the Netherlands in WWII, I believe it was the Allied Forces — meaning, if I am not mistaken, the U.S. and Britain, too. If I am wrong, forgive me.
At any rate, any nation who fought to help any other country during that War is to be commended.
The Canadians were mainly responsible for the liberation of Holland from the Nazis. There is a very close bond between the two countries because of that reason, which I suppose the rest of the world may not realize. Easily googled, though, for clarification.
And Maxima is my girl! Loved all the outfits, but the pink boatneck with the raspberry leather gloves was my absolute favorite!
Maggie, can I join you and the ladies for that beer?!
I stand corrected. I based my previous comment on what one of my childhood babysitters used to say. Her family came from The Netherlands to the U,.S and as a kid, I recall her always praising the American military for aiding her country during WWII. I see from reports I have now read that the Allied forces worked on this, but the Canadians were most responsible. Thanks, Ray.
Not just liberated, but the Dutch royals lived in Ottawa during the war. The young princesses went to preschool in Canada and Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa. The hospital was declared not part of Canada that day, so that Margriet would be born a Dutch citizen.
Max and Mathilde look like a Pantone color swatch exploded on them. And I love it! They are coordinating and I find that to be so wonderful. If you notice, all of the queens are women who were successful in their own right. Max, Rainia, Leti, Mathilde. They are what an aspirtional princess or queen should look like. They were whole before and their marriages were icing on the cake.
I love Max so much. She is effervescent. Her fashions rarely eclipse her. I don’t care for the lace overcoat, but hey, she takes risks. She seems like she’s in on the joke and will push the envelope a little further. She is one of the few women who wear gloves very well. Sometimes it can come off as pretentious. But she nails it. I loved the yellow and pink outfits.
Mathilde needs, IMHO, a softer look. She is in her early 40s and looks much older. Ditch the backcomb and get a bob.
Wait till you see her outfit today, in Toronto. She’s a vision in cream and a ginormous hat! The only royals I’ve seen who can really pull off the massive statement hats are Max and Camilla. Maybe you need a matching personality to make them work for you 🙂
I love how they pull off the big hats! Can you imagine the closet space they need to store all those hats?!
The thing about Max, compared to say Charlene, is that even when Max wears something I don’t like, she still looks like she owns what she’s wearing; like she’s having fun with it. As you said, “in on the joke”. She doesn’t care if we don’t like it, she’s going to wear it anyway because she’s having fun. But Charlene always seems so sad (even though she’s been much happier since having her babies) that when she wears something I don’t like she just seems to not own the outfit but rather be sheepishly going “yeah, I know”. That is of course just my perception, but to me it seems like Max has more fun with her fashion so her bad outfits don’t seem so bad.
I agree about Mathilde’s backcomb.
Great point about Charlene. She has an awesome figure and can pull anything off. I am not sure if she has an arrangement like Caroline had with Lagerfeld in the 80’s. I hope that she gets her confidence. I’ve heard people mention how she cried at her wedding. Was it a stray tear or full out weeping?
I think that Max’s fashion is amazing. She always surprises me and I’ll always forgive her. I saw some pics of her and Willem on twitter yesterday. I love how demonstrative they are. You can tell that they still have a great affection and Willem looks so smitten with her.
Rhiannon, if you don’t already write for a fashion publication, you should! Loved your comments.
The Pantone color swatch exploding on the two ladies. Max not letting fashions “eclipse her.”
Great comments.
I’ll second that. Rhiannon always has a great turn of phrase and is eloquent and well informed.
You are both too kind! I love fashion and the entire history of it.
I’ve been a royal watcher since 1981as a young girl. I used to save money to buy Tim Graham’s books of Princess Diana and subscribed to Majesty magazine. I used to pore over them and took a huge liking to Princess Caroline of Monaco. There is such a rich history and find it a bit insulting that William thumbs his nose at his destiny.
You truly have a way with words, Rhiannon.
May I share with you my own fascination with Princess Diana?
Sadly, this was toward the end of her life — I used to cut every photo of her out of the magazines and newspapers that my parents subscribed to and paste them in a “Diana Scrapbook.” Then, I would write my own little articles about her and read them to my poor mother as she prepared the family’s evening meals. What I could not write yet, I would dictate to my grandmother and she’d write for me. I fancied myself to be a Diana biographer.
She was the real deal, was she not? ‘
She truly was. I watched the wedding as a young girl in 1981 and was mesmerized. I remember being a senior in high school watching the Panorama interview. I was so upset because it was not a fairytale. I just graduated from college and was at a nightclub when they announced her death. I cried my eyes out in the bathroom.
I’ve always stood alone in my love of Diana and all things royal. My family never understood it and I remember hiding my books like contraband in college. I went to women’s college and would often get “schooled” for liking a patriarchal, antiquated history.
That’s why I love this blog. Everyone has the same love and I learn new things each blog post. I tried Tumblr, but that’s a rough crowd over there. If you dare to criticize, the sugars will go for your head. There is one that I follow, heavyarethecrowns, who posts great stuff, but will also criticize and educate if need be. KMR is awesome because we are all respectful and love all of the royal families.
Our experiences are similar, Rhiannon, we must be close in age. Though, I had my fraternal grandmother who is a huge royal watcher; she was born the same day as Queen Elizabeth.
I remember when Diana died, I was holding my tiny baby daughter, watching the breaking news. Just in shock, tears pouring down my face. It was such an awful, avoidable loss.
Did anyone else have the little purple Ladybird ( I think) book on their wedding? I should dig mine out. It’s in absolute tatters and bound by elastics, but it’s one of my most precious childhood treasures.
@Ray – I still have mine! I also had my Ladies Diana paper dolls. It’s amazing how she touctoutouched all of our lives.
What is the little purple book about the wedding of Charles and Diana? And, oh, Diana paper dolls! How wonderful.
She truly was the People’s Princess! So warm, so approachable and so beautiful! I remember sitting with my mom crying as we watched her funeral on television. It was a senseless loss!
She was so young, just beginning to find her own happiness. And, I don’t mean with Dodi. It seemed as if she was getting stronger and becoming more and more of her own woman. She died so young.
She was my inspiration for learning more about the Royal Family, too Kate, I’m afraid does not do it for me!
I am confused, does Will & Max have any children?
Willem-Alexander and Maxima have three daughters.
The A Team!
Hi everyone!
Halia, YES! They do. They’ve got three daughters. Princesses Alexia, Amalia and Ariane.
I just want to say that I love this blog, and that I’m reading it from Argentina!
Hi Mel!!
Hey Mel, we looooove your homegrown queen! She is an inspiration and a great example of a modern royal. Always with a genuine warm smile on her face, and showing an intelligent interest in any engagement she undertakes.
Thanks KMR & Mel! Halia.
I just adore the Maxima’s Kings Day ‘top to toe pink’ – it is just wonderful!!! all of it! she looks so lovely…
Yes three girls. The eldest Amalia is Princess of Orange now I think. Is that the same connection as William of Orange who ruled jointly with Mary 1?
I like the outfit Queen Maxima wore at the Hague Opening and even the yellow dress with the earrings and hat makes it look good. I am not keen on the lace ensemble dress.
It is good seeing Queen Mathilde and King Phillipe take their daughter to the ceremony. I suppose they like the swedes are getting a lot of on the spot training for their daughter to get her used to the press and the press used to her.
Yes, Amalia is Princess of Orange.
Yes, William III of England was Prince of Orange.
No, not Mary I (the daughter of Henry VIII). William was married to Mary II (his co-monarch and daughter of James II).
I, too, like that Mathilde and Philippe took their daughter to an engagement. I have not seen her at an engagement before so it was nice to see her out and about.
Thank you KMR.
Hi there! This is a bit off topic. Has anyone seen Rachel Johnson’s article.in the Daily Mail? She goes in on William about how he referred to Kate as the “missus”. She took him to take about him having it both ways (normal versus royalty). It’s under the Right Minds section.
I did. I looked the word up in the dictionary. It sounds like William is what the word ‘whipped’.