Dutch State Visit to Britain

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands are on a two-day State Visit to the United Kingdom, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, to celebrate and build diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties on October 23rd and 24th. This is the first Dutch State Visit to Britain since 1982.

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Before the start of the State Visit, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima met prominent Dutch residents in the United Kingdom at a Reception at the Dutch Embassy in London. Later, the King and Queen met the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador, before they made their way to Horse Guards Parade for the Official Welcome by Queen Elizabeth II.

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Afterwards, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima traveled in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace with the Queen, where they attended a luncheon with members of the Royal Family, and then viewed a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery, consisting of items from the Royal Collection that are related to the Netherlands.

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In the afternoon, the Dutch King and Queen visited Westminster Abbey, where they put a wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier and saw the tombs of the Dutch King-stadholder William III and Queen Mary II. Following, they made their way to Palace of Westminster, where King Willem-Alexander addressed both Houses of Parliament before having Tea with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House and meeting the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

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In the evening, the Queen hosted a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in honour of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Both the Queen and King gave speeches. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Mabel of Orange Nassau, Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Michael of Kent were also in attendance.

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The Queen wore a white gown with her Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara, Diamond Cluster Earrings, King George VI Festoon Necklace, and the rare Cullinan III & IV Brooch with the Sash and Star of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. King Willem-Alexander wore White Tie with the Sash and Star of the Order of the Garter (awarded to him that morning) and the Star of the Military William Order. Queen Máxima wore a teal and black Jan Taminiau gown with a sheer cape, the Stuart Tiara (with the Stuart Diamond for the first time since 1972), Diamond Earrings, and the Stuart Parure Stomacher, with the Sash and Star of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. The Prince of Wales wore White Tie with the Sash and Star of the Order of the Crown. The Duchess of Cornwall wore a white Bruce Oldfield gown with the Greville Tiara, her Pearl and Topaz Choker, the Royal Victorian Order and the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duke of Cambridge wore White Tie with the Sash and Star of Order of the Garter and the Star of the Order of the Thistle. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a blue Alexander McQueen gown with Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot TiaraPrincess Diana’s Collingwood Pearl Earrings, Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace, the Queen’s Wedding Gift Bracelet, and the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II (made of glass rather than ivory). Princess Mabel wore a Ronald Van Der Kemp gown with the Dutch Sapphire Necklace TiaraSapphire Earrings, Brooch and Bracelet.

The Princess Royal wore Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara with the Sash and Star of Order of the Garter. The Countess of Wessex wore a blue Emilia Wickstead Gown with her Five Aquamarine Tiara, the Royal Victorian Order and the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II. The Duchess of Gloucester wore the Cartier Indian Tiara with the Royal Victorian Order and the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Michael of Kent wore the Kent Festoon Tiara and her aquamarine and pearl suite. Lady Elizabeth Anson wore Princess Viggo’s Diamond Scroll Tiara.

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One thought on “Dutch State Visit to Britain

  1. Oh, what fun! The Stuart tiara with the Stuart diamond!!!! And the ginormous stomacher too!!! Not to mention that the Duchess of Gloucester also brought our her big gun, the Cartier Indian tiara!!! There was so much glitter it must have been wonderful to see in person. I wished they would film these events and then publish the video so we can enjoy it too. The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing one of the prettiest necklaces in the British royal collection, Queen Alexandra’s wedding pearl and diamond necklace. I love it that she’s sort of making a parure with the Cambridge lover’s knot tiara and the Collingwood pearl earrings. I’m happy to see Princess Mabel out and about. This is the first place where I can see a nice picture of her. I really like the way you identify everyone’s jewels and orders. Pity that there are no pictures of the Princess Royal in the Meander tiara. She hasn’t worn that one in a while. Thank you for your post!

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