King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will be hosted by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium on their State Visit to Belgium next week, which will be the latest in the close relationship between the Dutch and Belgian Royal Families over decades!
In 1939, King Leopold III hosted Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on a State Visit to Belgium, which came a year after he had been made the godfather of the future Queen Beatrix, reflecting the close relationship between the two Royal Families, that continued when Queen Elisabeth attended Queen Juliana’s Inauguration in 1948.
Two decades later, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard hosted King Baudouin of Belgium on his State Visit to The Netherlands in 1959, which included a Gala Performance attended by King Baudouin and Queen Juliana (wearing the Dutch Diamond Bandeau) as well as Crown Princess Beatrix (in the Aquamarine Tiara) and Princess Irene (wearing the Ruby Peacock Tiara) at the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam.
The following year, Queen Juliana and Crown Princess Beatrix paid a Return State Visit to Belgium in 1960, which included a State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Brussels hosted by the King and the Prince and Princess de Liège in honour of Queen Juliana (in the Stuart Tiara), and the Crown Princess (wearing Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara).
Queen Juliana (wearing the Mellerio Ruby Tiara) and Crown Princess Beatrix (in the Antique Pearl Tiara) were also hosted by the Belgian Royal Family at the Chateau de Laeken, while Dowager Queen Elizabeth joined another Banquet with Queen Juliana (wearing the Dutch Diamond Bandeau and Queen Wilhelmina’s Diamond Trellis Necklace) and Princess Beatrix (in the Aquamarine Tiara).
In 1981, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus were hosted by the Belgian Royal Family on their State Visit to Belgium, which included a State Banquet hosted by King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola (wearing the Wolfers Necklace Tiara) for the Queen (wearing Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara) and Prince Claus at the Royal Palace of Brussels, which was also attended by the Prince and Princess de Liège (in Queen Elisabeth’s Diamond Bandeau).
In 1993, the Dutch Royal Family hosted King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium on their State Visit to The Netherlands, which was the last State Visit of King Baudouin’s Reign just a few months before his death, and included Queen Beatrix (wearing Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara and the Dutch Diamond Stars) and Prince Claus hosting a State Banquet in honour of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola (in the Wolfers Necklace Tiara) at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.
The last Dutch State Visit to Belgium was in 2006, when the then Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima (wearing the Dutch Diamond Bandeau) joined Queen Beatrix (in the Dutch Sapphire Tiara) for the State Banquet hosted by King Albert and Queen Paola (wearing the Nine Provinces Tiara) at the Royal Castle of Laeken, which was also attended by Queen Fabiola, Crown Prince Philippe and Crown Princess Mathilde (in the Laurel Wreath Tiara), Prince Laurent and Princess Claire (wearing her Wedding Tiara), Princess Astrid (in the Savoy-Aosta Tiara) and Archduke Lorenz.
During the Belgian State Visit to the Netherlands in 2016, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima (wearing the Mellerio Ruby Tiara) hosted a State Banquet in honour of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde (in the Nine Provinces Tiara) at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, which was also attended by Princess Beatrix (wearing the Dutch Diamond Bandeau), Prince Constanjin and Princess Laurentian (in Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara), Princess Margriet (wearing the Pearl Button Tiara) and Pieter van Vollenhoven.
