King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands continued their visit to Poland today with attendance at a Polish-Dutch forum on innovation. Queen Máxima attempted to convey the spirit of this event with her choice of headpiece, an avant garde pair of black wrapped feather spines. I’m afraid this bit of innovation was not successful – it looked, quite simply, like she had sprouted a pair of antennae.
Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: This is a new headpiece
While headpiece reminds me of the one Beatrice Borromeo wore last fall to the Luxembourg royal wedding, it is a disaster in comparison. My words feel unkind and harsh but I truly cannot find a redeeming feature about this piece. Is there anything you like about it?
Photos from Patrick van Katwijk, Patrick van Katwijk, Patrick van Katwijk, and Patrick van Katwij via Corbis
Royal Hats 
Not a fan of this hat and dress together, but don’t object if they were both worn separately. Also, HM would look better if her hair had been in an undo. That said, with her smile, I’m sure her attitude is what the general crowd notices.
*updo
The thing on her head is absolutely hideous, like some sort of antennae sprouting from Queen Max’s head. You could use that thing as a weapon. The peep-toe shoes are horrid. The dress is awful, as although I do like the fabric and print, I hate its twee bow at the waist and its over-the-top frilly sleeves. The hair is a mess. The earrings and bracelets are fabulous, and if only they could speak, they would announce their shame at being seen out with the rest of this outfit.
This headpiece is ultra chique, but who made it? It is not on the Fabienne Delvigne website, has HM changed her loyalties
It was made by Fabienne Delvigne. Her bespoke pieces (as most of Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde’s are) are not pictured on the milliner’s website.
I have always loved this Valentino dress. I don’t understand the headpiece.
i love the headpiece, although it’s not at it’s best on maxima or at least with that hairdo. with the hair down it looks slightly odd. plus, it’s the kind of dress i imagine with a more modern dress, in a block colour, rather than with a valentino dress, which i love regardless.
Love the dress. Hair up might have been better, but the darn thing looks like it’s slipped (which is the designer’s fault not Maxima’s). It might be better if the upswing started at the base of the headpiece not two-thirds of the way up but it’s still going to look like something that’s escaped from an ikebana arrangement. Max’s bubbly personality lets her get away with a great deal so I’m sure she carried this off too, although in one photo I’m projecting an “OMG what was I thinking?” look on to her face.
Such a pretty dress but that hat does not suit it at all.
The more I see of the ensemble, the more I like the headpiece. It’s daring, but that’s what we expect from Maxima. In all honesty, I’m more bothered (which isn’t much) by the girly bow on the belt and the sleeves on the dress. Small nit-picks, though: Max gets kudos for making us look — and look again.
Wow some strong words for the head thingy. I agree it does not work but in the scheme of things it is insignificant. Her dress is lovely and her general appearance is totally fine, plus she looks very engaged with everything around her.
I love Queen Maxima. I admire her spunk and daring. That’s all I’ve got to say.
Her headpiece is interesting but not in a good way.
I love LOVE her dress!!! Wouldn’t even pay attention to her hat.
Nope, nope, nopitty nope
send for Dr Who she has an alien coming out of her head….
Oh goodness, the styling! I like all the components separately, but together they do not work for me. However, I have to hand it to Queen Max for trying it!
I love, love the dress, I think Maxima posed in it for official photos for her 40th birthday.
Having said that, the styling is terrible. Horrible shoes, some weird opened peep-toes and the headpiece, sorry, is almost comical.
Actually I rather like the headpiece itself, but it looks completely disastrous in this context. It needs very clean lines in both hair style and dress to come into its own, and neither are present here. I applaud Maxima for willingness to experiment, but this isn’t doing justice to the hat or to her.
I completely agree! The headpiece is very interesting and would have looked perfect with a simple one-color dress, but I do (too) applaud Maxima for her gutsy experimentation.
Well I can see what she was thinking. On it’s own the headpiece is lovely. But it needs an updo and a plainer dress (though I think this frock is indeed lovely). Nothing wrong with the individual components – it’s just the styling that’s not right.
An opposite view: I sort of like this headpiece. Not wow, but It is fun, daring, something else. May be with a more sculptured dress it would even be better. No Fabienne Delvigne this time?
Indeed- with this ruffled Valentino frock, the headpiece does not work.
Im sorry..she gets it sooo wrong soooo often but when she gets it right its usually perfect.THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE TIMES. HIDEOUS
Just awful. Beatrice Borromeo’s one looked zany and elegant in a spare way but/and she isn’t Queen Consort of the Netherlands.This whole outfit is almost insultingly juvenile in my opinion.
There should be some dignity left in the Royal World. This shreds the last bit from the Netherlands. And there is that stringy hair again. I was hoping that being a Queen would bring some restraint. She swings wildly from the elegance of the coronation to this? There needs to be an intervention.
No.
I didn’t like this hat when Beatrice Borromeo wore it, and I am shocked that Queen Maxima put that thing on her head too. This contraption needs to be retired to a hat box in the back of the closet never to be worn again!
Oh no!
She should have, at the very least, wore her hair up like Donna Beatrice. I wouldn’t have looked so silly.
You have GOT to be kidding. In what universe was this a good idea?