Breaking Jewel News: Máxima Wears the Full Stuart Tiara, Kate in a New Loan and an Order, and More British/Dutch State Banquet Surprises

Máxima makes breaking news with the same tiara twice in one year and THAT’S NOT EVEN ALL. What an event. (As ever, click the individual jewel names for more info!)

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima started their state visit to the United Kingdom today; you can find the day events covered in full at the Vault. Part of the Dutch couple’s day agenda included a stop at Westminster Abbey, where they paid their respects at the graves of King William III and Queen Mary II. William and Mary were owners of the Stuart Diamond, the magnificent 40-carat pear-shaped rose-cut diamond that features in the center of the Stuart Tiara.

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So what else was Queen Máxima going to wear for the evening’s state banquet?! Of course she had to debut that big blue-gray stone. The complete Stuart Tiara hasn’t been worn since the reign of Queen Juliana. Máxima debuted a smaller setting of the tiara, without the showpiece Stuart stone, earlier this year in Luxembourg. She also wore the large “House Diamond” stomacher/brooch and the diamond earrings that belong with the set of jewels Juliana regularly wore with the Stuart. Her dress is Jan Taminiau. This might be the first time I'm saying this, but: I want her to lose the cape.

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Other surprises abounded! For Queen Elizabeth II, a favorite set of jewels – the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara with the George VI Festoon Necklace – was joined by a rarer pick: the Cullinan III and IV Brooch. The Cullinan Diamond was cut by Asscher in Amsterdam, so that’s no random choice. (You can find a deeper dive on the Queen's jewels at the Vault, here.) The Duchess of Cornwall was in her usual Greville Tiara, though she did pep up her entirely white ensemble with the Pink Topaz Choker.

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(Order check: King Willem-Alexander wore the Order of the Garter, given to him today by QEII. QEII wore the Order of the Netherlands Lion. The Prince of Wales wore the Dutch Order of the Crown. Orders weren't exchanged for Máxima or Camilla, so they wore their usuals: Netherlands Lion and the Royal Victorian Order.)

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The Duchess of Cambridge loaded up on the surprises. With the Lover’s Knot Tiara and Diana’s Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings, she wore a new necklace loan from the Queen: Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace. It was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and hasn’t been seen since the Queen inherited it. Makes a gorgeous assembled parure all together, no?

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Kate also wore something many of you have been seeking for years: the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II. We only know when this order has been awarded after we see it in use, as we are seeing here on her blue Alexander McQueen gown. Apparently, it is in fact the second time she’s wearing it, after debuting it at December’s Diplomatic Reception. Whereas other examples of this brooch include ivory, the Duchess of Cambridge’s uses glass. (William is against ivory.)

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Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, sister-in-law of King Willem-Alexander, was invited to the banquet; she is London-based. She is wearing the Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara, which is a first for her.

Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Michael Michael of Kent amongst the Royal Guests arriving for tonights State Banquet. pic.twitter.com/UryIp5TL8J

— Mark Stewart (@RegalEyes) October 23, 2018

Captured on their way to the banquet, it's the Cartier Indian Tiara for the Duchess of Gloucester and the Kent Festoon Tiara for Princess Michael of Kent, who was also wearing quite a collection of aquamarines:

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The Countess of Wessex was in aquamarines as well, with an Emilia Wickstead dress and the Five Aquamarine Tiara. The Princess Royal attended in a light blue dress.

Royal Fashion Awards: Crown Prince Frederik’s Birthday Banquet

The Danish royal family doesn’t usually mess around when they label something a “gala” dinner, and they did not disappoint for Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday banquet at Christiansborg Palace: tiaras all around! Plus, plenty of foreign royal guests to up the tiara count. A gift of sparkle for us all.

Award time:

Finest in Fringe

Princess Benedikte

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This event could go down as one of my all-time favorites just based on the number of fringe tiaras alone. Even a fringe from Liechtenstein – not a country we usually see represented at big Danish gatherings – showed up: the Habsburg Fringe Tiara on Hereditary Princess Sophie. Countess Sussie of Rosenborg (not pictured) added a Danish fringe to the pile with Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara.

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Crown Princess Victoria threw in the Baden Fringe Tiara, a nice contrast to her floral Camilla Thulin ballgown. The dress has been changed since we saw it at the King’s Dinner for Nobel laureates in December; it has sleeves now and I like them.

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Much as I love a floral ballgown, my fringe queen of the evening has to be Princess Benedikte. The Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara is large and in charge and the dress seals the deal. She’s regal in her sleep, I’m pretty sure, so add in the built-in cape at the back of this and she soars off the charts.

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Probably the most notable fringe appearance of the night comes from Princess Maria-Olympia, in her very first tiara appearance. She’s wearing the fringe we usually see on her mother, Princess Marie-Chantal, but the story is that it was destined for Olympia all along. She had the biggest tiara of her grouping, followed there by Princess Theodora in the Antique Corsage Tiara.

Highest Achievement in Headbands

Princess Marie-Chantal

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What’s a mom to do when her daughter claims her tiara back? And when it’s not really a big gun occasion, leaving Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara off the table? While I don’t normally approve of teensy headbands at big tiara occasions, it would be Princess Marie-Chantal that would make it work. This piece pairs really well with the delicate necklace and the hair works around it to make it more than a headband.

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Unlike this one, which is Crown Princess Mette-Marit just totally giving in to her tendency to use the Diamond Daisy Tiara in the same way she'd use a plastic headband. Girl, I guess. (This dress is a repeat from King Harald and Queen Sonja’s birthday celebrations.)

Most Radiant in Red

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

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Queen Silvia added some red to her repeated magenta gown by wearing the Edward VII Ruby Tiara. Queen Mathilde’s red gown was accompanied by her Laurel Wreath Tiara and Queen Fabiola’s fringe brooch. The one shoulder on her dress was positioned so that it holds her sash, which is great except…

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...all the interest was happening on her sleeve and we don’t really get to see it on the parade into the banquet because she’s arm in arm with King Philippe. According to ModeKoningin Mathilde, the dress is by Esmeralda Ammoun and that sleeve detail is art by Belgian artist Paula Raiglot. Let’s see it again another time.

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All of that leaves me to crown Grand Duchess Maria Teresa the ruler of the reds. Playing catch up to Queen Máxima’s red caftan from earlier in the week suits her well. And she finally gave us a different tiara – but only because this one was already out of the vault from the state banquet, let’s not get too crazy. She’s wearing the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara with the pearls back on top.

Most Satisfying Tiara Sightings

Countess Alexandra and the Duchess of Castro

We don’t get to see these two tiaras that often, three cheers for any appearance at all: the Alexandrine Drop Tiara on the Countess of Frederiksborg and the Ancona Tiara on the Duchess of Castro.

Most Intriguing Designer Introduction

Princess Marie

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Princess Marie’s sporty n' sparkly blue dress is from Elie Saab (per Laura). Elie Saab! Not a designer we see on Marie or really in the Danish royal house. So…more, please? From the department of no surprises at all, on the other hand, Marie wore her Diamond Floral Tiara. (Also: Prince Nikolai joined Princess Maria-Olympia and Prince Constantine-Alexios in making their gala debuts.)

Most Complicated Accessorizing

Queen Máxima

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Several of you have noted that Queen Máxima’s purple dress from King Willem-Alexander’s 50th birthday celebrations had been borrowed back from the ongoing Jan Taminiau exhibition, and were anxiously awaiting its appearance. Did she pick the right event for it, though? The dress has so much going on that I actually hate to see the sash over top of any of it. The Dutch Diamond Bandeau was probably her safest tiara choice.

Most Dubious Tiara Pairing

Queen Margrethe

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Queen Margrethe had to plan ahead for the Naasut Tiara; it, along with Princess Benedikte’s Floral Tiara worn by Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and the Khedive of Egypt Tiara worn by Queen Anne-Marie (neither pictured here) were on display in Koldinghus. And I can’t help but wonder…why? Looks-wise, I mean. That yellow gold doesn’t look its best with the settings on these diamonds. Oh well. It worked out alright with her new pink party dress. She still can’t resist a big sleeve, can she? Bless.

Prettiest in Pink, and Best of the Evening

Crown Princess Mary

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 This dress. Crown Princess Mary's dress. Oh my. This is a piece of art by Lasse Spangenberg. Mary paired it perfectly with her Diamond, Ruby, and Spinel Necklace Tiara, the matching earrings, and even a brooch at the back of her hair. That brooch was a gift to her from the late Prince Henrik.

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Time to get out those future Best of 2018 lists and ink some things in, methinks.

Do you spy any Best of 2018 prospects here? 

Who takes home your best dressed awards for the night?

Breaking Tiara News: Queen Máxima Wears the Stuart Tiara

It's the moment many have been waiting for since King Willem-Alexander took the throne: Queen Máxima wore the Stuart Tiara for the state banquet in Luxembourg tonight!

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It's a smaller version of that elusive Dutch big gun, to be clear; the setting has been lowered, the namesake pear-shaped Stuart Diamond has been removed from the top center with a smaller substitute in its place and other large diamonds from the top have been removed. Which was predictable, really; it is a massive tiara that comes with smaller settings, so easing into it is logical. Queen Máxima is wearing two of the removed large diamonds as earrings.  Read the tiara's full story here.

The Stuart Tiara in its full setting, as worn by Queen Juliana

There's the full version, as worn by Queen Juliana. The tiara was created for Queen Wilhelmina in 1897 and was regularly worn by Juliana, her daughter. Once Juliana's daughter, Beatrix, took over the throne, the tiara went unworn. Unworn for more than 40 years. Until now!

Royal reporter Rick Evers shared a fantastic video of the occasion, with some drool-worthy close ups and oh so much sparkle:

There is also a set of mega diamond jewels, the Stuart or House Diamond jewels, that Juliana wore with the Stuart Tiara. Máxima debuted the necklace from that set last year. Here, she wears the large bow brooch from the set, which she's used before. Her dress is a Jan Taminiau repeat.

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Also, other people were there! Let's do a quick sash check (left to right): Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume in the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Netherlands, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, King Willem-Alexander in Luxembourg's Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, Queen Máxima in the same, Grand Duke Henri in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Blauw Bloed screencap. Click here for more sparkly video.

The Luxembourg ladies doubled up on their Elie Saab, Maria Teresa in a repeat and Stéphanie borrowing another dress from her mother-in-law's closet. The Hereditary Grand Duchess is giving us a double tiara appearance, technically, and a debut; she's wearing the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara for the first time (without the pearls), and her sapphire and diamond necklace can also be used as a tiara.

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I must say, I'm a little disappointed in Maria Teresa when it comes to the tiara department. If there was ever a time for the Luxembourg Empire Tiara, right? Instead, the Grand Duchess stuck to her current favorite, the Belgian Scroll Tiara. Good thing her dress is divine, easily my favorite of the evening.

The Dutch arrived for their state visit to Luxembourg earlier today. The visit continues through Friday.

Royal Event of the Day: Koningsdag 2018, and New Portraits

King Willem-Alexander celebrated his 51st birthday on Friday, heading to Groningen with the extended family for the annual Koningsdag (King's Day) festivities.

The King and Queen with daughters Amalia, Ariane, and Alexia
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Queen Máxima decided to throw things back to 2004, when they visited the same town for Queen's Day (as it was at the time), by repeating her red beret and pairing it with a new Natan outfit.

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Her jean jacket from Groningen in 2004 also made a return this year, worn by Princess Alexia. The red beret doesn't seem nearly as kicky without it, I must say.

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I'm not really sold on the hat-to-outfit pairing this year, I suppose. I liked it better without the coat, but then the dress revealed made me wish there was more of a pattern to it. I might be giving this year a meh.

Lucky us, we've got some new portraits to pep things up! A whole bunch of new official photos were released to celebrate Willem-Alexander's 5th anniversary on the throne. The formal shots feature Queen Máxima in her repeated Jan Taminiau gown and the Dutch Sapphire Tiara. [Portraits: RVD - Erwin Olaf]

They're straight from the credits of Law & Order: Amsterdam. I'd watch.

Tiara Watch of the Day: The Belgian State Visit to Canada

This Thursday brings us a tiara in the wild! Oh, it's been too long. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are in Canada for a state visit, bringing along one tiara and one pair of...Ugg boots?

Official welcome with the Governor General
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Carmen Sandiego up here arrived in a tidy pair of pumps, then when the fun moved outside, she swapped them for something more comfy: formal state visit Uggs. So that is a thing that happened.

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Underneath her cape, Queen Mathilde revealed a golden maple leaf brooch. Combined with the red color, this is a level of "O Canada" dressing that I'm not accustomed to seeing outside of, well, the actual Queen of Canada and her family.

State dinner time!

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Worn this time with the Laurel Wreath Tiara and earrings from Queen Fabiola, the original appearance of Mathilde's Jan Taminiau gown was my choice for her best appearance of 2016. Here's what it looked like back then...

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Worn in 2016, during the Dutch state visit

So I'm pretty sure that the addition of an intense faux-necklace on illusion mesh ensures that it shall not repeat in 2018. Still very pleasingly sparkly, though.

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And most of the rest, so far! Some high water funny business at a sugar shack, more maple leaf loving in the hat on her orange number, more repeated sparkle for the return concert, and some elegant blue as the trip moved on to Toronto. This is a lengthy state visit; it goes until the weekend, so who knows what sartorial adventures await...

Readers' Favorite Outfits of 2017, Evening Division: The Results, Part 2!

Here we are: The End. It's time for your final five favorite outfits of 2017, the very best that royal evening wear had to offer us:

#5. Princess Sofia at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Ida Lanto

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A supremely princess-y turn for Sofia on one of Sweden's biggest nights gave her a tidy showing on both your day and evening favorite lists for the year.

#4. Princess Tatiana in Australia in Celia Kritharioti

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Princess Tatiana doesn't appear here very often, but when she does, her continued partnership with this Greek designer wins her consistent praise. Also, CAPE!

#3. Queen Máxima at the Argentina State Banquet in Jan Taminiau

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Can't beat a great necklace or a great repeated dress, from the Dutch designer that's landed Máxima her greatest praise - and her second spot on your evening top 10.

#2. Queen Letizia at King Willem-Alexander's Birthday in Stella McCartney

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And finally, the two themes that ran through this year in review ring true once more: it was the year of Letizia, and...

#1. Queen Letizia at the Spanish/British State Banquet in Felipe Varela

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...it was the year of the red dress. I can't think of another year when one person could have taken the top two spots, and I can't think of another year in which it would have been so well-deserved.  La Reina, folks.

So, tell me: How'd your picks make out? Are you in agreement with the group vote?

Readers' Favorite Outfits of 2017, Evening Division: The Results, Part 1!

There were some surprises in the results from your day division 2017 vote, both in which outfits made your top 10 and perhaps more so in which outfits (and royals) didn't make the cut. Will the evening division be any more predictable? The first half of your top 10, coming right up...

#10. Queen Máxima at the Italian State Banquet in Jan Taminiau

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The winner of your day division poll also had several contenders for the evening division (so many that not all of them got to be included in the vote, because I wanted the options to include more than, like, four royals). This red gown was worn twice in 2017, and while it didn't really resonate with me, it slides onto your list at #10.

#9. Crown Princess Mary at the New Year's Reception in Lasse Spangenberg

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It's not easily classifiable between day and evening, this one, but it's great enough in either category to nab this spot on your list.

#8. Crown Princess Mary at the Norway Birthday Dinner in Erdem

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Two spots in a row! After her conspicuous absence from your day division favorites, Mary's not wasting any time making her mark in the evening division. (I'm actually really liking the bow at the waist in the stock photo, now that I'm looking at it again. Game for a repeat, hmm?)

#7. The Duchess of Cambridge at the Spanish/British State Banquet in Marchesa

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Huge enthusiasm for this state banquet appearance, despite not really seeing a proper picture from the front (just glimpses in motion and while at dinner). That launches Kate to her first spot on your evening favorites...

#6. The Duchess of Cambridge in Paris in Jenny Packham

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...and the first of her two 2017 blue Jenny Packhams grabs her a quick second spot. I preferred the second one; it seemed like more of you preferred this first one. Either way, mission accomplished.

Have your picks made the list yet? Stay tuned for the final five...

Year in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Máxima's Bests of 2017

I'm picking my best 2017 outfits from our most frequently featured royal ladies in a series of posts this week and next. I'll also have a post of favorites from other royal women. Make sure you hop down to the comments as we go along to share your own personal favorites - I'm paying attention, and maybe we'll do a thing...

These two ladies have two bests with one thing in common: NECKLACES, baby. The bigger the diamonds, the better.

The Duchess of Cambridge at the Diplomatic Reception

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I wouldn't normally consider something like this for my yearly best list. We can't even see the dress properly! (Though the lovely Heaven did receive confirmation that, as many suspected, it was a bespoke Jenny Packham gown.) But here's the thing: the best bit about Kate's sartorial output in 2017 was, for me, the new things she got to borrow from the Queen's jewel vault. And none gave me the jumpy claps more than her use of a basic diamond collet necklace - the height of opulence, while not overwhelming the design of any outfit. So I'll just stick my blue ribbon right on that car window and that'll be that.

Runners up:

• An Armani Collezioni suit made for one of her sleekest and most professional appearances of the year.
• Another blue sparkly Jenny Packham at the Royal Variety Performance was my favorite of her evening dresses this year - of those we could legit see, that is.

Queen Máxima at the State Banquet for the President and First Lady of Argentina

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Now this dress, on the other hand, is likely to make my best list every single time it appears. And Máxima topping her repeated Jan Taminiau princess dress with the ULTIMATE necklace from the family collection vaults it right into the top spot. Wearing the Stuart or House Diamond Necklace feels like one step towards a possible reappearance of that Stuart Tiara, though it's staggering all on its own. (Her jewel digging also unearthed the necklace of the Ruby Peacock Parure this year, for bonus points.)

Runners up:

• Her bold Taminiau caped dress on the second night of the state visit to Portugal actually beats out her tiara appearance on the first night for me, in hindsight.
• Wouldn't be a Máxima list without some serious sleeve-age, right? So obviously her turn at that popular Roksanda Ilincic dress nabs another spot.
• And...a jumpsuit?! Can it be? Honestly, black and white from Roland Mouret might have been her sleekest appearance of the year.

What were your favorite Catherine and Máxima outfits in 2017?

Royal Dress of the Day: Máxima Brings the Drama (Again) in Portugal

Hit the rewind button, we gotta wrap up King W-A and Queen Máx's Portuguese adventures. One of their remaining adventures, at least. Because while there were some outfits that were just...*stares directly at camera* *shrugs*...her evening follow up to the state banquet's emerald festival was filled with even more drama.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a concert on the second day of their state visit to Portugal last week.

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Half cape, half caftan, all drama! This Jan Taminiau gown comes with an all-you-can-handle serving of rubies and diamonds, and its own creatively placed censor bar, free with purchase. Husbands that understand the art of escorting a dramatic gown are sold separately.

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About those jewels, though, seriously. Many people would have seen the bold, clean lines of the dress and gone for a minimalist, modern jewel approach. Many people are not our Máxima. She's experimenting again, using a piece of the stomacher from the Mellerio Ruby set as a pendant on her diamond rivière. She previously used it as a brooch pendant; this is even better. What combo will she dream up next??

Tiara Watch of the Day: Queen Máxima in Portugal

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima began their state visit to Portugal yesterday, including a state banquet in the evening.

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Straight off of her latest production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, it's Máxima in all out MAX mode! This is some dress, huh? If anyone ever invites her to an enchanted woodland state banquet, she's all set. The gown is Jan Taminiau (of course) and while she has worn it for a previous private event, this is its big public debut. Balancing out that egg-sized gemstone around her neck, she chose the Dutch Emerald Parure Tiara, a relatively small diadem from the Dutch collection.

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I love this ensemble more than I thought it was possible to love a shiny jade thing, but I will say this: that delicate top is not at all up to the task of managing the weight of the large golden collar and sash. She's falling down on one side.

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Speaking of sashes and collars (pause for a brief Sash Nerd moment), both Wax and Máx received the Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator. The President received the Order of the Netherlands Lion. Most of the orders in regular use don't have you wear the collar AND the sash at the same time, but they all have their own rules. It's just a lot of stuff, both worn at once.

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Prior to the state banquet, they held the official welcome ceremony. This is a new Natan dress for Máxima, but you could've fooled me. All these blush/beige outfits with the big hats are starting to blend together, in spite of my usual affection for a soft pink.

And prior to the prior to, the couple arrived the evening before in Lisbon. Máxima was wearing some kind of giant bug thing, which frankly feels like a personal insult. If you require a visual for this world of NOPE, you can click here. I'll remain here, choosing to think about absolutely anything else instead.

UPDATE: A bonus tiara! As often happens when royals come to visit, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza were invited to the banquet. (The Duke is the head of the House of Braganza and claimant to the Portuguese throne.) The Duchess really went for it, wearing Queen Amélie's Diamond Tiara, also known as the Dom Luís Diadem. That's her big gun, very rarely used. Her diamond choker, another Braganza heirloom, can also be worn as a tiara.

The Duchess of Braganza at the state banquet.
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Tiara Watch of the Day: The Dutch State Visit to Italy

In this busy royal week, we're swapping Tiara Thursday for a double dose of tiaras in action.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are currently on a state visit to Italy and Vatican City, and the only surprising thing here is how long it took Máx to wear some Valentino.

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Here's the arrival outfit. Perfectly lovely! It is from Natan, and the way that you know that is because it looks suspiciously familiar.

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Yup, Queen Mathilde got there first with her own customized version. Perfectly lovely, I say again. But if we were going to go with a blush pink floral, then I'm going to pout that Máxima didn't repeat her perfect Valentino outfit from William and Kate's wedding.

Valentino was not her choice for the state banquet either, even though the designer himself - the master behind Máxima's wedding gown - was present for the event. She fulfilled another one of our requests instead.

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We wanted a better look at the Jan Taminiau gown she wore to Willem-Alexander's 50th birthday party, and the Queen replied with a hearty "I'm right on top of that, Rose!" It's every bit as satisfyingly dramatic as I'd hoped.

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Is it safe to call the Mellerio Ruby Tiara Queen Máxima's new favorite diadem, would you say? I'm saying yes. Feels like she's been gravitating toward it for events when she doesn't wear one of the bigger tiaras. The trellis necklace with its interchangeable clasp definitely is a current fave and who among us can blame her for that?

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Bonus tiara! Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma, King Willem-Alexander's cousin, is the current Dutch ambassador to the Holy See, so he attended the state banquet with his wife, Princess Viktória. She borrowed a tiara from the Dutch vaults: the diamond base of the Antique Pearl Tiara, without any pearls. Máxima wore it this way when she attended Haakon and Mette-Marit's wedding while she was still a royal fiancée, and it was a great option for this black tie event. Viktória's diamond crescent brooch is also from the Dutch vaults.

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This is day 2 of the trip, and everything but the hat is a page ripped straight out of Queen Letizia's book (seriously). Beating the heat in the sleekest possible way? Yes please.

A post shared by Blauw Bloed (@blauwbloedtv) on Jun 21, 2017 at 12:28pm PDT

There's the Valentino! It only took until a concert on day 2 for it to appear. This pink Valentino gown dates back to Frederik and Mary's wedding in 2004, and it got a makeover three years ago when she added some lace to the layers. But you can color me shocked that this wasn't an excuse for some new Valentino.

The trip continues at the Vatican today.

Royal Birthday of the Weekend: Willem-Alexander and Máxima at his 50th Birthday Dinner

On Friday evening, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima continued his 50th birthday celebrations with a special dinner at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The couple dined with 150 people that shared the King's birthday and were celebrating a "jubilee" year themselves (every five years: 40, 45, etc.). Cute idea, right? People certainly agreed; around 11,500 signed up for the lottery to get an invite, when national statistics showed only around 8,000 were actually eligible.

For the hottest ticket in town, one needs a major outfit. Never fear, Máx is here:

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Queen Máxima donned another Jan Taminiau couture masterpiece for the dinner, this one in my very favorite color. So, you know... {INSERT JUMPY CLAPS HERE}

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For Prinsjesdag in 2015, the Queen wore a Taminiau dress inspired by the Japanese room at Huis ten Bosch Palace. That same setting apparently inspired this dress design as well (see here on Twitter, from ModeKoninginMaxima). It's a work of art, and I can only repeat what I said back then: having a dress made in the theme of a room from one of your many residences should really be the dictionary definition of couture.

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You know we wouldn't (and she wouldn't) forget the jewels. Big earrings and a pair of bracelets were a must, and while it may not have been a tiara occasion, Máxima still blinged it up by adding a pair of diamond wheat ears to her hair. Jumpy claps on jumpy claps!

Royal Event of the Day: Koningsdag 2017

The celebrations for King Willem-Alexander's 50th birthday kicked into high gear yesterday (on his actual birthday) with the annual Koningsdag (King's Day) celebrations, held this year in Tilburg.

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima with their daughters, (L to R) the Princess of Orange (Catharina-Amalia), Princess Ariane, and Princess Alexia.

Queen Máxima ordered up an extra special outfit for this extra special birthday occasion, obviously. Jan Taminiau created a striped dress in dark blue and ochre with a cape to keep her cozy on a chilly April day. The shirred ribbon stripes on the dress feature metallic embellishment and crystals; the cape transitions from a matte chenille top to a smooth sateen bottom, the colors blending in an ombré style. Máxima accessorized with a hat echoing the textures of the design and a camel bag, shoes, and gloves to match. She also wore diamond earrings that she has used with multiple pendant options, sapphires this time.

Photos: REINIER RVDA via TextielMuseum

This new ensemble comes with a special treat: it will be immediately shown at the Textile Museum in Tilburg alongside the Queen's magnificent blue caped inaugural gown from the same designer. The design, a regular outfit from afar and a textile experiment come to life up close, is a perfect match for the museum.

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Basically, Jan Taminiau + Cape = LOOOOVE in my book of sartorial math. It's as simple as that. I do wish the matching hat didn't look so instantly brain-like, but if you told me Máx's brain included some sparkly metallic embellishment, I'd buy it. So it all fits in the end.

A post shared by Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) on Apr 27, 2017 at 5:04am PDT

As usual, multiple family members were on hand to keep the party going: Willem-Alexander's brother and sister-in-law, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien, plus the four sons of Princess Margriet and their wives. (Top pic above: Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène with Constantijn and Laurentien. Bottom pics above: Prince Floris and Princess Aimeé, Princess Annette and Prince Bernhard, Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Princess Anita.) It all sort of pales in comparison to Laurentien's loud stripes and leather jacket, doesn't it? She's the only one that could pull that off, that's for sure.