The Dutch Diamond Stars

~ Saad719

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is celebrating her 50th Birthday tomorrow, so in our typical fashion, we have been featuring her Top 5 Jewels in the days leading up to her Birthday! While our focus has been on Queen Máxima’s splendid modern jewels, today were are featuring one of the more historic pieces from the massive jewellery collection of the House of Orange, ending our series with the Dutch Diamond Stars!

The Dutch Royal Tiaras |  Dutch Royal Jewels | Queen Máxima’s Tutti Frutti Necklace | Queen Máxima’s Garnet Tassel Earrings | Queen Máxima’s Diamond Swirl Brooches | Queen Máxima’s Tanzanite Suite

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The Dutch Royal Collection contains two sets of at least ten diamond stars, one with ten points (that are graduated in size), and the other with twelve points, which were given as Wedding Gifts to Queen Emma when she married King Willem III in 1879. Queen Emma usually attached the ten pointed stars on top of her Diamond Tiara, which she wore at the Wedding of her daughter, Queen Wilhelmina, and Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1901. Queen Wilhelmina also wore Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara with the stars up to the late 1930s, following which they seem to have been removed.

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Queen Juliana often wore Queen Emma’s Diamond Stars in a variety of creative ways, starting by putting them on her Juliet Cap for her Inauguration in 1948 and also wearing them in her hair for a variety of Gala Dinner, notably on visits to France and to the United States. One of the most notable appearences was in 1958, when Queen Juliana wore ten of the Diamond Stars on her Sash of the Order of the Garter for a Banquet and Ball at the Ridderzaal in The Hague, during the British State Visit.

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Queen Beatrix often mixed up the two sets of diamond stars, wearing the smaller brooches of the ten-pointed stars with the larger ones of the 12-pointed stars, and often attaching them of her sash or wearing multiple stars on both or either side of her bodice.

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In 2002, Queen Beatrix had the Dutch Court Jeweller attach five of the ten-pointed stars to the base of the Pearl Button Tiara, to be worn by Máxima Zorreguieta as she married the then Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.

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While she wore many other pieces from the massive Dutch Royal Collection, the Star Tiara continued to be a favourite of Crown Princess Máxima in the early years of ehr marriage, worn for the Wedding of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway in 2002 and the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. She also wore the Diamond Stars at the Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010, and attached them on her hat for the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, a suitably romantic gesture echoing her own wedding day. In 2012, both Queen Beatrix and Princess Máxima wore the Diamond Stars on their sashes at Prinsjesdag, which was the last of Queen Beatrix’s Reign, and was one of many examples when the two coordinated their outfits through the Diamond Stars.

Princess Beatrix has continued to wear the Diamond Stars since her abdication, not just on her clothes but also the Star Tiara, for a Diplomatic Reception in 2015. The Star Tiara has also been worn by Princess Margriet.

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Echoing Queen Juliana at her Inauguration, Queen Máxima wore the Diamond Stars in her Hair for a River Pagent and Gala Dinner following the Inauguration of King Willem-Alexander, while Princess Beatrix wore a few more Diamond Stars on her lapel, again showing family unity and coordination. In recent years, Queen Máxima has worn the Star Tiara only once, when she also wore three additional diamond stars at her waist, but the stars are most often seen on Princess Beatrix. There is no doubt we will continue to see these versatile and historic heirlooms worn for years to come!

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UPDATE: The Princess of Orange wore the Dutch Diamond Star Tiara and a Diamond Star on her Order of the Netherlands Lion for Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 2022.

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One thought on “The Dutch Diamond Stars”

  1. I just love how all the Dutch Royal ladies play around with these beautiful stars, using them in so many different ways. I especially liked the way Queen Juliana wore them for the State Visit from Queen Elizabeth. And I am definitely sure we will get to see more of these, which is great!

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