Queen Máxima celebrates a half century of life today, a milestone that requires a dive into her millinery closet to look at some of her many memorable hats:
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There’s such diversity of shape, scale, colour and style in Máxima’s millinery wardrobe, and I’m sure you join me not only in wishing her a happy birthday, but in thanking her for the courage and willingness to experiment that makes it so fun to follow her hats.
Images from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
I didn’t know where else to post this but I watched the documentary “I am Jackie O” last night and was amazed at the huge range of hats she wore; and not just the pillbox we associate with her and which she made her own. There was what looked to be a velvet hat, pleated and shown in side-profile and had Maxima’s name all over it.
It’s on Sky in the UK and well worth the 90 minutes and hopefully available elsewhere.
What a fantastic collection of Maxima’s hats over the years — thank you, HQ! While some of her hats are “misses” rather than “hits”, I applaud her willingness to try out all sorts of styles and colors and not be afraid of the unusual. Happy birthday, Queen Maxima, and long may you continue to wow us with your millinery!
Happy Birthday, Queen Maxima! She is one of my favorite royals! She’s not afraid of color and her megawatt smile wins everyone over. She’s one I’d love to have dinner with!
Of all the hats shown, I think her large “slice” brims are my favorite. They are very flattering on her. My least favorite are the toques and “bandage” hats.
No matter, she’s a beautiful woman and I just love her.
Maxima has a head for hats, not always the right ones, but she’s always willing to give different styles a day out. I don’t tend to like the ones that look like pieces of bandages wrapped around in a middle. The hat worn for Ascot I could have loved if her hair had been worn up. I love the hat worn with the lobster necklace and I loved the bravado with the orange accessories (not the lobster). I also liked the padded silvery white band that resembled the band added to Camilla’s recent new hat.
Sometimes I don’t think her clothes do the hats justice and I’d love to see her wear someone different to Natan, in much the same way I’m not keen on Angela Kelly’s hats on QEII.
Maxima really is a hat-watcher’s dream, and we’re fortunate that she embraces hats so wholeheartedly. She is lucky that physically, every single shape, and more importantly size, seems to suit her (individual hats may not, but as a general thing, she looks equally good in large saucers, pillboxes, perchers, slices, toques etc etc) – this is by no means the case with all hat wearers, and gives her great freedom in the kind of hats she can wear that really look well on her. The other aspect, of course, is that her exuberant personality means she can carry off large statements so successfully, which on other people might feel overwhelming. Long may her hat closet expand!
I think her motto is “go big or go home” – in hats and life. Long may her closet expand, indeed!
Well said, Bristol!
Maxima..so stylish and beautiful, and one of my favorite queens..happy 50th birthday! I mean no disrespect, but I wish the Queen would go back to wearing her large beautiful picture hats, with coordinating outfits, shoes and accessories, her makeup and hair professionally done, pulled back and framing her fantastic face! Her hair now is noticeably undone, straggling and too long..and, well, messy! It seems she doesn’t care..or is trying to maintain her youth. Maxima, you looked 40 and still do!! You’re unbelievable!
I can see what you mean looking back over the last 18 months BUT I honestly think that the Queen has just not seen a hair dresser due to Covid, perhaps so that people do not accuse her of keeping privileges everyone else was having to do without? I think her hair for her birthday gala concert was definitely tidy and that in the TV interview and recent portraits taken by the King is lovely.
Love love love this post and love love love Queen Maxima! Agree with all the above she just goes for it whether it is a hit or miss! I saw a bit of her birthday interview last night and whilst I ant understand Dutch what came across was a wonderfully warm and genuine person. She’s awesome. I was lucky to see her in London on the day they arrived for the State Visit in October 2018 and her pink outfit was lovely and then, totally unexpected, I was at the ballet premiere of Frida in Amsterdam and who turns up but the Queen! She looked striking in red trousers and red lace top with fabulous long triple cluster ruby and diamond earrings. I was thrilled! It must be wonderful to actually meet her in person as she always seems so happy.
Wow, how amazing to see her in person! I imagine that everyone was completely entranced by her.
Don’t you just love Máxima?! She’s the epitome of the word fabulous isn’t she. I love how she enjoys what she wears so much, she’s having as much fun as it is for us to watch her. And she’s tried everything; there’s hardly a style she’s not flirted with. Which means that yes there’s the odd ‘eh?’ moment, yet she always seems to carry it off.
My particular favourites are in slideshow 2. Both wide brimmed; the beautiful blush number worn in Spain and then the white number work to Friso’s wedding. But also in this slideshow is the red/pink sea creature just to remind us of what happens when it all goes wrong!
Never change Máxima!
What a wonderful display of mostly admirable hats! I prefer Maxima in the richer colours, rather than the neutrals she sometimes chooses, and I prefer her in the larger hats. If she must wear a little hat worn at the back, I prefer the neat styles to the turban swathe styles. Like others, my favourite is prbably the flying saucer, purely as a hat as well as the ensemble and my second favourite is the large silver grey Rose worn for Alexia’s christening. May she continue to delight us with her varied hat wardrobe for many years to come!
Such beautiful Millinery on such a beautiful woman…. QM just oozes personality and rarely puts a foot wrong in the fashion stakes
¡Feliz cumpleaños and Gefeliciteerd Máxima! She has certainly embraced the art of hat wearing in a way many would not and I’m grateful she’s keeping such an art alive. Certainly some misses, but many more hits, and never a dull moment guessing which one she’ll wear next! And I can also say I was privileged enough to see in person one of the hats featured in this post.
Have always loved (most of) Maxima’s hats and always applaud her willingness to try something new and/or different. Wish she’d wear more millinery by Dutch designers, or at least less by Delvigne, just to mix things up a bit.
Yesterday some different milliners, especially Dutch!
That was supposed to be “yes to…”
As you say, HQ, ‘ courage and a willingness to experiment!’ Máxima always gives us something to enjoy. Personally, I most like her in rich colours that contrast with her hair colour. The slice hats are particularly memorable, but my favourite is the flying saucer hat.
So many wonderful hats! What a pleasure to click through these over and over. Thank you!
Wide variety of hats, for sure! Wide brims, no brims, neutral colors, bright colors, no trim, feather trim, and on and on! What is not to love! Some of my personal favorites are: The large brim pink hat in the second slideshow; the sequined percher in the 5th slideshow; the upturned white brim in the 6th slideshow; the slice hat in the 7th slideshow, 5th picture; the percher with the pink feathers and dusty rose leaves in the 8th slideshow,4th picture; the pink slice hat in the 12th slideshow, 3rd picture; the black velvet percher in 14th slideshow, 5th picture; the 16th slideshow, 4th hat–all time #1 favorite hat and outfit; and the flying saucer-like hat in the last slideshow, 4th picture.
A very Happy Birthday to one of my favorite, fearless, confident, intelligent, beautiful hat wearers! She has shown time and again that any color and style works on her.
I love her the most in the big picture hats and slice hats, as they showcase her warm smile and personality.
Wow who would not want to follow Maximas style of hats, they are all beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Loretta