Royal Outfit of the Day: September 16

I feel like closing out the week with some simple perfection.

Queen Máxima attended the presentation of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge this week.

Ahhhh. Give me a sleek white dress (this one's Gucci, but take your pick) any day. So very refreshing, no?

👒❤#QueenMaxima of The #Netherlands attends the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge #International #competition for starting sustainable entrepreneurs in #Amsterdam. © Robin Utrecht /ABACAPRESS.COM #abacapress #abacaroyalty #royal #royalty #style #stylish #fashion #love #beauty #beautiful #instagood #instafashion #pretty #girl #heels #dress #women #dress #glam #capeline #smile #look #instalike #instadaily #instagood

A photo posted by @abaca_royalty on Sep 15, 2016 at 3:02am PDT

Máxima has her working visits and her visits where the full queen press is required, and you can tell the difference by the size of the hat. This is max Queen Máx, but the understated neutral accessories are letting that divine white dress take charge. Just as it should be. A+.

 Click here for a gallery from this event.

Royal National Day of the Week: July 22

How many synonyms are there for "classic"? I might need them all.

The Belgian royal family celebrated National Day yesterday, attending a Te Deum and a parade. King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and their four children (Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eléonore) were in attendance.

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This whole picture could serve as the definition of the word, as a matter of fact. Paste it right there in the dictionary. This is one nice, elegantly dressed family all around - a model of royal special event dressing, basically.

Royal Palace

Mathilde, of course, was dressed by Natan in a new pale pink dress of organza and lace, topped by a matching hat from Fabienne Delvigne. And matching accessories all the way down, because Mathilde. Princess Elisabeth was looking a little chic too, in a dress from Brussels-born Diane von Furstenberg (per ModeKoninginMathilde) and her updo. Introducing them to #TeamUpdo early and often is a parenting decision I can get behind.

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Happy Friday to all you members of #TeamGloves. She has one glove removed for shaking hands, in case you're wondering.

Later, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visited the festivities in the park.

Royal Palace

This is a lovely summer dress - and such a great spot for a colorful belt - just to cap the day's successes.

On the other hand, here's Prince Laurent, the King's brother and resident family black sheep, chatting on his phone during the parade. For the second year in a row.

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And sitting all by himself on his section of the dais, because his wife, Princess Claire, and his sister and brother-in-law, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, didn't attend. Astrid's absence in particular is very unusual. Speculating on the status of an alleged rift in the Belgian royal family has been a popular gossip sport for years, and...well...this year's National Day didn't do anything to help. (To be fair, Astrid and Lorenz did go to a Te Deum in a separate town earlier, and Astrid had another engagement in the evening. They also went to a pre-National Day concert with Mathilde and Philippe.) I'm not among those royal watchers that enjoy picking apart who misses each event and why/why not, but - if this is actually much ado about nothing - I am surprised to see a rumor mill so willingly fueled.

Programming Note: Starting next week, we'll move to our usual summer posting schedule while most of the royals are hidden away on holidays. That means Tidbits moves to Mondays, and we continue with posts on Monday through Friday, with one post instead of two on Thursdays. See you Monday!

Royal Outfits of the Day: July 13

Okay, let's see what goodies we've got in the recent Mathilde pile...

Queen Mathilde's been on a working visit to the United Nations in New York, speaking on sustainable development and on children in armed conflict.

Royal Palace

Big stuff here, important stuff. Obviously crucial to note, then, that I think she might be doing something different with her hair. And that I like her in yellow. (She wore this dress last year, for one of her best 2015 appearances.)

The King and Queen of the Belgians received the Duke and Duchess of Wellington at the Castle of Laeken.

Royal Palace

 I don't know what brought the Duke and Duchess to Belgium, but you shouldn't need a reason to gather your smartest navy and white ensembles together. Full marks to both ladies. (Who left King Philippe out of the blue memo, eh?)

The King and Queen received the President and First Lady of Argentina.

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An elegant neckline is making this otherwise typical Mathilde ensemble worthy of note. The color combo, though...pass.

King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and Princess Elisabeth attended a religious procession.

Royal Palace

But Mathilde's never going to pass on any color combo with orange. Even if the absence of a favorite partner in orange crime means drafting one's daughter in to play the role of the Seussical twin.

Royal Outfit of the Day: July 6

Hello again, hi there, ALOHA!

On Monday, the King and Queen of the Netherlands welcomed the President and First Lady of Greece at the start of their official visit to the Netherlands.

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This dress surely makes a statement, and that statement is: WHEN DOES MY SUMMER HOLIDAY START? Listen, W-A, when she starts fashioning the beach towels into dresses, it's probably time to get the lady to a beach already.

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Really, I'm not opposed to a mural print on a dress. (You remember the Van Gogh dress, don't you?) And I'm not necessarily opposed to some palm trees during an official visit, either. It's just that this dress both needs that belt, being that it is the tricky combo of straight + below the knee, and actively rejects that belt at the same time. It's a dilemma.

Dress by Valentino, crepe de chine with dégradé Hawaiian Sunset print

(Should I also mention that this Valentino Hawaii collection includes a belt with a Plexiglas and Swarovski pineapple buckle? Or a pineapple clutch? Perhaps there actually is restraint to be praised in Máxima's look, is what I'm saying.)

Royal Outfits of the Day: May 23

Queen Máxima christened a ship last week, and you know what that means: time to break out the hats.

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(Okay, not that she needs a ship christening to break out a hat, but she's certainly not going to pass up the opportunity.) This navy outfit falls into the simple + lovely category - one of my faves - and it's the perfect canvas for some mega jewelry. Big sapphires would have been just the ticket, but she opted for some pearl earrings and a combo of long necklaces, which was effective anyway.

Mega jewelry was also the theme of the evening when the royal family held their annual dinner with the Diplomatic Corps last week.

A photo posted by @abaca_royalty on May 20, 2016 at 3:35am PDT

She unearthed an old red Natan outfit and headlined the outfit with the Mellerio Ruby Tiara, which seems to be one of her favorites. Seems she's been doing some digging around in the jewel vault (surprise, surprise), because she took a piece of the Mellerio parure's devant de corsage (a large brooch or stomacher) and used it as a pendant for another brooch.

Queen Juliana wearing the devant de corsage, and Máxima wearing this dress several years ago

Hey, if anyone out there is going to bring back the stomacher, it'll be Máx. Let's get to work on that.

For a video from the evening, click here. Queen Beatrix wore Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara, and Princess Margriet wore the Pearl Button Tiara.

Tiara Thursday (with Bonus State Visit): Queen Rania’s Boucheron Bracelet Tiara

Jordan’s King Abdullah and Queen Rania are in Belgium for a state visit this week. A state banquet with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde offers the rare (these days) chance to see Queen Rania in a tiara, which is exciting…even if her particular tiara choice is not so exciting.

Belgian Monarchy

Squint real hard and you’ll see that Rania has selected her Boucheron Bracelet Tiara for the occasion. It’s her most frequently worn tiara over the past few years, but we haven’t covered it here – until now.

Queen Rania's Boucheron Bracelet Tiara

Boucheron made this tiara for Queen Rania, and she debuted it in 2008. It’s a modern design with two simple rows of diamond on either side of the head meeting in the middle with a swirl. Three drop diamonds dangle from the ends of the rows in the center. As the name suggests, it can be used as a tiara or as a bracelet.

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The tiara made high profile appearances marking the tenth anniversary of King Abdullah’s reign in 2009 and at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010. Tiara events for Rania are rare at best these days. My tiara loving heart wishes she’d go all out when she does get a chance to sport one (we’ve covered two she’s worn – the Boucheron Emerald Ivy Tiara and Queen Alia’s Cartier Tiara, neither of which she owns personally – and there are at least two more), but I am not surprised that she opts for the sleeker, smaller model more often than not. It suits her and it suits the modern style with which she goes about her queenly business.

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She opted for the Boucheron Bracelet Tiara again at last night’s Belgian state banquet, worn with a stunning pair of diamond earrings. Queen Mathilde wore the bandeau portion of the Nine Provinces Tiara. I thought a visit from another monarchy might have brought out the full version of the tiara (with its upper arches and large diamond collets), but she correctly interpreted what her guest would bring.

Sash swaps were in full swing: Jordan’s Supreme Order of the Renaissance for Queen Mathilde, the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali for King Philippe, and Belgium’s Order of Leopold for both King Abdullah and Queen Rania.

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Mathilde picked up on the red stripe in her Jordanian sash in stellar style in this red gown, with some tiers at the bottom and sequin fun at the top. A little bit of sparkle, a little bit of movement, and a great shape for her.

Queen Rania’s Balmain skirt was made entirely of sparkle and movement, basically.

On the Balmain runway
Vogue

This reminds me of the black skirt Queen Máxima wore in Denmark last year. Much like Máxima, Rania made the simplest possible tiara choice – in this case, the Boucheron Bracelet Tiara was the right pick.

We’ll end with the beginning, the official welcome yesterday. King Abdullah and Queen Rania arrived late Tuesday, with official day 1 stuff happening on Wednesday.

Queen Rania Instagram

I'm giving everything I've got to Mathilde here: LOVE. What a perfect spring state visit welcoming outfit. She was on point yesterday.

Royal Celebration of the Day: April 28

Birthday month, Part 87: King Willem-Alexander celebrated his birthday yesterday at Koningsdag, or King's Day, with all kinds of celebrations and markets across the Netherlands and all kinds of shenanigans. The royal family joined the festivities in Zwolle for the day.

The King and Queen with (left to right) Princesses Ariane, Alexia, and Amalia
Photo: RVD

Queen Máxima went playful and a little bit retro in a midi skirt with some swing in a vibrant floral print by Natan, topped by a pink twinset and a wide brim pale pink hat. Paint this in white or gray and I'd swear she stole it from Lady Sarah Chatto's closet - and that's not a comparison I ever thought I'd make.

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But this is Máxima, and so the theme is hot pink instead, and all the better for it. Apparently it was rather cold out there, which is a shame, because the black wrap tossed on top kind of ruined the whole proportion thing she had going on. A queen's gotta do what a queen's gotta do, I guess.

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They were joined by Willem-Alexander's cousins, the four sons of Princess Margriet with their respective wives. That's Princess Annette over there in the pretty floral coat, with Prince Bernhard, Prince Pieter-Christiaan, and fellow cardigan-lover Princess Anita to the right.

And wait, what's this?

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Prince Constantijn, the King's brother, and wife Princess Laurentien

My favorite Missoni coat has found another royal model in Princess Laurentien, following in Crown Princess Mary's footsteps. It looks every bit as excellent here as it did there, just as I suspected it would look excellent on anyone. Let's make this the Sisterhood of the Traveling Coat, see who else we can get to wear it. I volunteer to go next.

See here for a whole Koningsdag gallery, including more family members.

Royal Color Scheme of the Day: April 25

You remember our Seussical twins from last year, don't you? They're at it again. Well, sort of at it again.

Queen Máxima repeated her bright coral orange coat dress, this time pairing it with tan accessories.

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King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and Princess Beatrix attended the presentation of the Four Freedoms Awards

I...think I miss the Seuss-ian plumes of blue?! This coat dress is practically neon, it can't be tamed by sedately colored accessories. I give the bright color award here to Princess Beatrix. (That is a diamond dragonfly brooch at Máxima's waist, I should add. I'm all for having some fun with brooch positions, but this seems a particularly swattable pose.)

Queen Mathilde held up her end of the bargain by continuing their original orange and blue color scheme.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde opened the Ghent Flower Show
Royal Palace

And she followed through on the accessory flair for both of them (yes, that is one of their favorite head bandage hats, and there are orange gloves and an orange purse involved). I do prefer this balance of orange, says one who doesn't care for much orange to start with.

While we're on the Mathilde subject...

Queen Mathilde attended a concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Scala & Kolacny Brothers choir
Royal Palace

Oh yeah, this is a jumpsuit. I'd say I'm surprised to see this particular royal jumping on the jumpsuit train, but I should have seen it coming. Just when you think Mathilde's the predictable one...

Diane von Furstenberg jumpsuit, per ModeKoninginMathilde
Lyst

Royal Visit of the Day: April 18

While we were looking the other way, Queen Máxima got herself into a spot of trouble.

She and King Willem-Alexander headed out to Bavaria last week - the Dutch royal couple make an annual working trip to Germany - and on day two, she repeated a coat first worn during the Dutch state visit to Denmark last year.

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I wasn't a huge fan of this coat when we first saw it, but it was a clever bit of diplomatic dressing; the designer, Claes Iversen, is based in the Netherlands and is originally from Denmark. On this German outing, however, that diplomatic dressing turned disastrous when some interpreted designs on the coat as swastikas. (Yikes.)

Zoomin.tv screencap, see video here

Obviously, this was unintentional on the part of both Queen Máxima and of the designer, who used bits of plexiglass and hardware among other ornaments on the coat, making art out of everyday items (which isn't for everyone, but then art never is). (And it probably bears noting that - even though its resemblance wasn't intended - the swastika itself has a longer history as a positive symbol than a negative one.)

The controversy has been blown out of proportion, but it also would have been terribly easy to avoid. Considering we just spent a week discussing the intent behind a tour wardrobe, this is a prime example of why so much thought goes into such things.

nordbayern.de and Bayerischer Rundfunk screencaps, see here and here for video

At least coats come off, and this one quickly did. Throughout the visit, the couple sported pins from the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. On her other shoulder, Máxima wore a fascinating piece from the Dutch collection, a sapphire brooch with a pair of diamond wings below it. (She wore the same brooch with another larger sapphire suspended below for the state banquet in Denmark.)

Coat controversy aside, the rest of the visit had everything you expect from your standard Máxima tour checklist. Big hat: check. Sparkle: check.

München screencap, see video here and here

I almost thought the evening dress (right, above) had a built-in sparkly collar until I came to my senses and realized that there was a diamond rivière there, because of course. This dress is different from the one she wore for the state visit to France this year, yet it is almost exactly the same. Sparkleblergh must have really been speaking to her this season.

For more: See here for a gallery from Day 1, or here for Day 2.

Royal Flashback of the Day: April 8

It's time to return to Sweden for part two of our look at the celebrations for King Carl Gustaf's 60th birthday in 2006. Previously in our time travel machine, we checked out the private party that kicked things off for some of the international guests attending the birthday festivities. We rejoin the fun the next day, where a lunch was held at Stockholm's City Hall. Once again, this is only a small selection of the guests and their hatted finery.

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The Swedish royal family: Princess Madeleine, Prince Carl Philip, Crown Princess Victoria, Queen Silvia, King Carl Gustaf

The Birthday King! He wore a suit. Big brims all around for the ladies and Queen Silvia is very tangerine but also perfectly on point. (Apparently this was a big year for shoes with ankle straps, which I seem to have blocked from my memory - perhaps willfully, as they are so often an unflattering choice.)

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The princesses were 123.6% improved without their bulky coats. I love this jacket on Victoria, but I think Madeleine learned some hard lessons in static cling here.

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The Belgian contingent: Princess Mathilde, Prince Philippe, Queen Paola, King Albert

That might be an actual model of the galaxy on Mathilde's head, but never has a science fair project looked lovelier. Queen Paola's periwinkle gets a purple pass from me.

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit

I really don't know what inspired Mette-Marit to throw a dash of ketchup and mustard on her plain black outfit, but it did need the extra interest. I wonder if she knocked into any door frames along the way.

And finally, representing the outfits that could have used a little less interest...

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The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima

Look at Willem-Alexander, always the smitten kitten. Doesn't even seem to realize his wife is being attacked by a swarm of knots and bows from her neck to her toes. Bless.

Photos: via Getty Images

Royal Flashback of the Day: March 30

When I dished out a healthy serving of praise to Queen Máxima earlier this month for elevating a simple gray pillbox hat with a trio of diamond pins, I knew it wasn't the first time she'd tried that trick. Another instance of this sneaky sparkle strategy brings us to one of my all-time favorite Máxima outfits, so, yay:

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The (then-) Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima attended the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29, 2011.

A lot of guests brought their sartorial A-game to William and Kate's wedding. Máxima is known for doing just that at all big occasions, as luck would have it, and she was at her best in this lovely lace Valentino top and skirt in a soft beige pink shade. She accessorized this outfit with a whole lot of diamonds.

That whole lot included a simple diamond rivière necklace, big diamond earrings, and five - FIVE - diamond star brooches riding along on the side of her Fabienne Delvigne hat. Those lucky Dutch royals have more than one set of diamond star brooches in their family collection; these are from the set that adorned the tiara Máxima wore on her own wedding day.

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I'm not going to argue with more diamonds at any time of the day, obviously, but am I wrong that it doesn't seem overpowering here? The clothes are subtle enough to give the diamonds some space, and the diamonds add interest without taking over like some of her fashion jewelry might. It's a perfect outfit marriage.

Is this my All-Time Favorite Máxima Outfit: Non-Tiara Division? It's one of them, at least.

Photos: via Getty Images

Royal Style Triplets of the Day: March 29

You remember this hat from earlier this month, right?

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Certainly you do, because the Duchess of Cambridge turning up at this year's Commonwealth service in a gray John Boyd hat with an upturned and angled slice style brim was something different. 

The hat quickly drew several comparisons to other royal hats, and of course it did, because while it was different for Kate, it wasn't necessarily unique. It's a classic style in a useful neutral color that has been interpreted many times by many different milliners on many different royal women.

Two of our regular leading ladies were most frequently cited in said comparisons, so let's see how two different styles of this classic have been handled in other situations.

First we have Crown Princess Mary and her more angular version.

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One of the things I love about Mary's style is the way she finds new color combinations for her accessories. She wore this hat with a black coat before pepping things up for the Luxembourg royal wedding in 2012 with a wine colored suit, driving the color combination home in beautiful fashion with the ruby and diamond stud earrings with gray pearl drops from her Ruby Parure. This is how you give a neutral accessory a new life.

If you want to talk about getting full value out of a hat style, then you need to talk about the second royal that came up when discussing Kate's hat: Queen Máxima.

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This version is similar in shape and darker in color, but fear not, she has lighter colors and other variations, no problem. The Royal Hats Blog catalogs no fewer than fifteen slice hats in Máxima's wardrobe, and no less than seven different looks for this dark gray hat. Nobody owns this brim style quite like Máxima does, and there's no better example of how to have as much fun as possible with a classic shape...even if it is just another gray hat.

Photos: via Getty Images

Royal Hats of the Day: March 18

Queen Máxima has been a busy bee since returning home from her French state visit. A busy behatted bee, specifically. Autocorrect just tried to change specifically to spectacularly on me there, but that's your call to make:

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Wednesday: Queen Máxima visited the Outsider Art Museum.

I'm so used to seeing her in hats with big brims or no brims, a short brim like this is destined to feel stumpy. You don't have to sell me on the animal print accessories, though; I'm all in.

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Monday: Her Majesty presented the Geuzen Medal.

This is not so much a hat as it is a linen bagel. You can browse this gallery for proof or just take my word for it, I don't know how your Friday is going. (By the way, several readers have written to say that these repeated gold fan earrings are from JAR, exclusive jeweler and favorite of Princess Marie-Chantal. That's an interesting development for Máx and her statement jewelry love affair.)

Tuesday: King Willem-Alexander presented the Military Order of William to the Commando Corps with Queen Máxima in attendance. 
Photo: Defensie

I saved the best for last. She loves her a gray hat, and this one had something special: three diamond ears of wheat brooches from the family collection attached to the side of her gray pillbox hat. This is the second time Máxima has used these brooches (the first as a hair ornament during the couple's 2015 state visit to Canada), though she has yet to use them in their most familiar format, the Dutch Ears of Wheat Tiara.

NOS / L1 screencaps

I love this. I mean, of course I love this, but for more reasons than my standard love of unexpected jewel deployments. The Military Order of William (Militaire Willems-Orde, also Military William Order) is the oldest and highest Dutch honor, presented for bravery; this is an important event, and I love that she's brought out some old and important brooches for the occasion. Paired with a simple gray coat with gray lace underneath, it's an incredibly elegant look. (For more: Video here, second video here, gallery here.)

Royal State Visit Leftovers of the Day: March 14

Let's pick up where we left off with the Dutch state visit to France. This was day two, and it was groovy.

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Your standard retro-ish Natan ensemble kicked things off for Queen Máxima, with a voluminous coat - one of those where it's a constant roll of the dice whether it will appear that the extra volume belongs to the coat or to you - and an expression that tells me she's already anticipating any Rodent Hat jokes I might make. Standard, all of it.

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Standard in the day leaves you room for...uh, non-standard at night, I guess, when the couple hosted a return concert. Excuse me while I add another number to my MAX ONLY file.

I admire the determination to force at least one gown into this visit. Really, this Tom Ford dress (with its black velvet top, oh-so-groovy pink satin squiggles, and fringe bottom) manages to bridge the gap between the Dutch black tie and the less formal attire of some of their guests in a playful way, and that deserves some applause.

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My only problem here is that I think a less traditional jewelry choice might have been more the ticket, and this is a problem because questioning ruby and diamond earrings and diamond rivière necklaces is causing me physical pain. I need to lie down.

Photos: via Getty Images, Lyst, MyTheresa

Royal State Visit of the Day: March 11

Just as Mette-Marit pops up to remind us of her evening take on a geometrically divided dress, Máxima turns up to show us how it's done daytime style.

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima started a state visit to France yesterday. Máx always cranks her volume up to eleven on state visits, and she didn't disappoint this time around. Claes Iversen created her peachy/salmony/beigey dress and Fabienne Delvigne added a new matching hat in Máxima's signature big brim style. She threw in her big pink earrings and the small blue pin of the French National Order of Merit, which she received when President Hollande visited the Netherlands.

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This is quite a masterful dress design, if you ask me. Those sleek lines could end up in a very Star Trek sort of place, but Iversen avoids the sci-fi by using them to frame lace panels. Likewise, big front pocket panels are so often an unfortunate decision, but the contours created by the design keep it well away from anything potentially bulk-adding. She looks good.

Video: Day events. Don't miss the back of the dress...

With a state visit comes a state banquet, but as it was for the recent Spanish and Swedish state visits, President Hollande's dinner was not a tiara affair. (Ah, well, not everybody has QEII Privilege.)

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I knew Queen Máxima would manage to sneak in some sort of hair ornament anyway. She opted for the Borneo jewels, a gold and diamond set given given to Queen Wilhelmina for her investiture, wearing the earrings and bracelet and sticking the brooch in her hair.

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The jewels were the perfect complement for her gold sequined dress (once again giving us as much sparkle as she can within the circumstances, bless her). I'm divided on the transparent detail at the bottom of the skirt, which I find equal parts interest-generating and shower curtain comparison-making. I'll call it a win overall. Et toi?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Royal Queens of the Day: February 17

Two of our queens were out and about yesterday. Let's check in:

The King and Queen of the Netherlands visited West Brabant.

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Have I said something was Peak Máx yet? (Yes. Entirely too often.) Well, ignore all those other times. This is Peak Máx, I mean it this time. Big hat, cape-y coat-y thing, big printed dress, you know the drill. And - you know the drill here too - big facial expressions. No one else has quite this much fun while on the royal rounds, and this is the true hallmark of a Peak Queen Máxima appearance. (Here's a gallery.)

The King and Queen of Spain visited the Prado Museum.

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Queen Letizia has worn this suit before, usually with something showing underneath (like this, or this), but I love this cleaner look. That flowery, twisty thing on her lapel is subtle, but it benefits from a little room to breathe. Plus, her choice of a swinging red coat when outdoors gave a little life to her accessory choices, and you know I approve of that. (Here's a gallery.)

Photos: via Getty Images

Royal Hat of the Day: January 7

We momentarily interrupt Court Dress Week to bring you this important bulletin: Máx is back!

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Queen Máxima attended an award ceremony yesterday

And who better to kick off the Year in Hats in such a glamorously enormous fashion? I appreciate that she brought the chapeau drama right off the bat. Now, can we make big hats a 2016 trend?! (Not likely.) Maybe! (But no.)

Previous appearance of the hat: Remembrance Sunday 2015 in London

Photos: via Getty Images and BBC screencap

Tiara Watch of the Day: October 14

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde headed out for a state visit to Poland yesterday. I wasn't sure if we'd see any tiaras, but Mathilde proved she was prepared to BRING IT while visiting her mother's home country.

First things first, though: arrival time.

View image | gettyimages.com

With Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda

I see where they were trying to go here - volume at the back and a cinched waist at the front, a silhouette she's experimented with in the past - but going there with this heavy of a print accidentally spreads that volume all over the place. (View it from multiple angles in this gallery, plus more looks at the evening event.) Also, these topless hats drive me nuts.

I'm ready and willing to forget all that, because then it was time for TIARAS! And yes, that is tiaras plural, despite the fact that Queen Mathilde was the only one tiara'd up. She wore two tiaras, one of which was new to her. Attagirl!

View image | gettyimages.com

Wearing her pink Armani dress from Crown Princess Victoria's 2010 wedding, Mathilde donned her Laurel Wreath Tiara as a necklace and added the Wolfers Necklace Tiara on top as a tiara. This is the first time we've seen her in the diamond Wolfers piece. (We've covered these in depth in the past, so click their names for more.) The tiara belonged to Queen Fabiola, who received it as a wedding gift from Belgian industry, and I can't help but smile when I see the volume of Mathilde's hair magically increase to accommodate a piece once perched on Fabiola's famous bouffant.

View image | gettyimages.com

Fabiola left her estate to charity when she passed away last year, but Mathilde has been slowly reintroducing jewels that belonged to the late queen, including the pearl and diamond earrings she wore at this banquet. Apparently advance gifts or some other planning must have occurred with at least part of Fabiola's jewel collection, which is lovely to see since Mathilde and Fabiola were close. The wait continues to see if other pieces, such as the Spanish Wedding Gift Tiara, are also in Mathilde's possession.

TTMM the King & the Queen honour the signatories of the 14 ac.&ec. agreements with their presence. #BELstatevisitPOL pic.twitter.com/ttrfyX0pXz

— Belgium MFA (@BelgiumMFA) October 13, 2015

It's also exciting to see Mathilde wear another tiara, period. She's never had much of a selection at her disposal, and she's been sticking with the Nine Provinces Tiara since Philippe took the throne. And seeing her inner magpie come out to play? Priceless. Keep it up, Your Maj.

Photos: via Getty Images, Twitter

Royal Hats of the Day: September 24

No Tiara Thursday today! Alas! But let's look at some other sorts of queenly head decoration, shall we?

Princess Beatrix and Queen Sonja jointly opened the Munch : Van Gogh exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam yesterday.

View image | gettyimages.com

I'm all for exhibits that bring royals together on the regular (you may remember, these two teamed up to open the show in Norway earlier this year). I'm also all for the wee bows on Queen Princess Beatrix's shoes and and color coordination, intentional or not. I'm pretty much all for everything here...though I am a little concerned that a footstool in the palace back in Oslo is feeling naked without its upholstered top.

Video: Princess Anita and Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau were also present for the opening

Queen Máxima opened the new visitor center of the Netherlands Bank on Tuesday.

View image | gettyimages.com

I often find that Máx's daytime accessories are a little overdone, but here's a case when I think she got it just right - the long necklace adds some interest without taking over her repeated blue dress. Of course, she then added a purse with an enormous horse tail tassel on it, but I'm quitting while I'm ahead and calling this some A+ queening.

Photos: via Getty Images