King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima continued their tour of Australia today in Canberra where they visited the Australian War Memorial, the Afghan Memorial, and met with Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull and Mrs. Turunbull Parliament House. For this calendar of more formal events, Queen Máxima surprised in orange from head to toe. Her wrapped straw calot, first worn on a trip to Curacao in 2011, features a straw double half bow and feather quill. On its own, the hat is a whimsical and rather fun accessory but paired with this coral lace dress (with incredibly awkward pink lining) and all orange accessories, the ensemble is catapulted way over the top into “Apricot Pumpkin Spice Barbie” territory.
Many of us royal hat fans adore Queen Máxima’s bold and brave style and I suppose it’s inevitable with one as fashionably daring as she, that misses will occur. The ensemble was a complete miss for me, particualrly at today’s calendar of memorial visits but I would love to see this hat again (imagine it instead with a charcoal grey dress- so lovely!). What do you think of this hat and ensemble in Australia today?
Royal Hats 
I think the outfit is very pretty (longer lining in the skirt though), but her hair style was a distraction and needed a touch more sofistication..swept up in a French twist perhaps. Cream-colored kid gloves, not orange, would have looked a bit more polished, too.
The hat is great and would have been fabulous with a real or green or white print dress but the coral lace dress is pretty irredeemable. She still my favorite though!!
When she’s good, she’s very very good, and when she’s bad -she’s better! At least she has fun with all of it -Team Max, either way!
Hi everyone. I was thrilled to be at the War Memorial yesterday to see Queen Maxima in person. The bright colour went well in the morning sunshine, and she looked pretty and delicate. Not at all pumpkin like! I think she wore the house colours as Canberra is the capital city, and she was meeting the PM and later on Australians of Dutch heritage. It wasn’t all memorials, they had a busy day. The hat looked very perky, I couldn’t see what it was made of, but it certainly made her stand out. She turned around and looked surprised at us in the small crowd waving at her, but smiled and waved in return. A beautiful woman.
I’m so glad the colors read well in person. I wonder sometimes whether the photography gives us a peculiar view of some things.
It seems this dress reads completely different in person than it does in photographs. I can see how if the dress was delicate and light, the hat would be elevated as well. Photography can be tricky and it’s great to hear this ensemble was much more successful in person! Thanks so much for sharing, Jacqueline!
I’m so glad you posted this, Jacqueline, and pointed out that it wasn’t a day of just memorials! I missed them by minutes at the WM but I guess it was just a flying visit there with all other things they had on. Despite some of the comments posted I didn’t mind the ensemble, I thought it was all very Queen Max and appropriate for a day in the nation’s capital given what else was on their agenda. Other guests’ sartorial choices were just dull in comparison both day and evening.
thanks for sharing!
Maxima’s visit has really pointed up for me how important the context of the whole outfit is to the success or otherwise of a hat. I like this orange hat, I think it has great potential, but as an outfit, this really doesn’t work. I didn’t particularly like the hat she wore on the first day (with the grey and teal dress), but actually I thought it worked pretty well as part of the whole ensemble, good shape, balance etc.
(And that’s even before we get into the complexities of adding appropriateness to a particular occasion! No wonder the royals sometimes do less than shine – they have such a lot to consider when thinking about their wardrobe.)
Thought you might like this link
that is sweet, thanks for sharing
I think I like the hat and would love to see it with grey, as you suggested or brown.
Chicago chuck congratulations with the Cubs! as for this hat, I like the shape, not the color.
Oh my, Maxima! You are like the little girl with the curl right in the middle of her forehead … when you are good, you’re very, very good; and when you are bad, you’re horrid! The dress is a shocker, and why she thought to be top-to-toe in orange … She must have known she’d to pin red poppies to her orange dress. Eek.
The hat is nice, no problem with that and HQ is right about pairing it with grey, or a sheath dress in orange and black, orange and white (blocked or a print) … anything really except all-over orange.
As this was just a visit to these memorials and not a special observance, I don’t think the orange was necessarily inappropriate considering it is the Dutch national color (remember, bright colors were worn by 3 queens present at the D-Day 70th anniversary, which seemed to be a somber occasion). However, this dress is all kinds of wrong for Máxima! I agree that a charcoal grey dress would’ve gone beautifully with this ensemble, and would’ve been much more flattering. While not my favorite hat, I do think it is fun for a calot, but honestly I would’ve really liked to see the burnt orange brimmed hat from Prinsjesdag 2005 make an appearance here.
The hat is great. I don’t like the dress at all. I’m not a fan of lace in bright colors, and the short lining is dreadful. The shoes are lovely too, but maybe with a beige or camel dress.
I think she should have worn this outfit to the races yesterday and the tan and blue outfit from yesterday would have been ok today.
Well it’s Halloween into Thanksgiving — pumpkin season.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear, I can’t believe it….this outfit is what I see eighteen-year-olds wearing to go to the races. And very lovely and appropriate it is too — on an eighteen-year-old.
God love her, Maxima loves to fly the Dutch colors, but this was a solemn occasion. Her better taste angel should give a whisper in her ear. Can’t help but love Max, though… 🙀😸
Goodness gracious, what was she thinking?! The hat may be okay with some other dress but with the orange lace and the dreadful lining — awful! Not to mention that the occasion warranted something a little more sober.
Oh dear! If the dress had been light beige with the orange accessories, it would have been OK, even at this event. Nothing like wearing of the orange!
Forgot to add that the hat reminds me of one worn by Princess Eugenie. Is it the same maker? Thanks
No, Princess Eugenie’s hat is by British milliner Sarah Cant. To my knowledge, a Fabienne Delvigne design has yet to appear on a British royal head.
Not good. Too much of everything except for headwear.
Too orange (even the jewellery including an enormous cocktail ring); too much lace and lining too short.
I dont think of her as a “mature woman” – but the outfit was inappropriate for a memorial. I think there might be some negative comments in Aus.
But it was the opportunity for a real hat – something she does well.
Real disappointment.
No. Just no.
I love orange on HM, but personally I feel the overall color/ensemble design was not formal or serious enough for such sober (although, not necessarily sad) occasions. Dressed like that, she should be at an art exhibit or an Aussie sheep sheering!
I agree with you. This dress is not appropriate for visiting memorials in addition to being quite unattractive – both in fabrics and style. An especially unflattering shape from the waist down for a mature woman. And the lining that came to only mid-thigh…well, shall I just say unfortunate.