Tag Archives: Princess Laurentien

Catching Up… The Dutch Royals

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In early September, Queen Máxima paid a working visit to the United States. On September 8 in Austin, Texas, she repeated a white silk dress and open circle hat, tapered around the back to fit the contours of her head, both of which are hand painted by Argentinian artist Pablo Piatti.

Designer: unknown. Dress by Natan, in collaboration with Argentinian artist Pablo Piatti 
Previously Worn: Jul 5, 2021

On September 9 in Houston, Máxima repeated a textured brown straw bandeau headpiece trimmed with coffee hued silk roses.

Designer: unknown. Dress by Natan.
Previously Worn: Jun 29, 2022; Mar 10, 2020

On September 14, Queen Máxima attended the HBSC symposium ‘Young in the 21st Century’ in Utrecht. For this event, she repeated a black straw picture hat with upturned “slice” brim.

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Natan. 
Previously Worn: Sep 5, 2019; July 18, 2017; Nov 7, 2016

On September 15, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima spent the day in the Peel region of the Netherlands. For this day out, the Dutch queen repeated a halo bandeau headpiece of pale pink silk roses studded with blush net veil.

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Designer: Berry Rutjes. Dress by Natan.
Previously Worn: May 11, 2022

On Wednesday, September 20, the Dutch king and queen were joined by Princess Amalia, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien for Prinsjesdag, the opening of parliament in The Hague.

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Queen Máxima wore a sculptural beret covered in the same lilac-grey recycled air-mesh/neoprene fabric as her dress and shawl. 

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Designer: Dress by Benchellal.
Previously Worn: this hat is new 

Princess Amalia wore her mum’s draped pink abaca calot hat, adorned again with the diamond star brooches that Queen Máxima placed on it the first time she wore it. It’s a lovely colour and face-framing design on Amalia.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Gown by Asos. 
Previously Worn by Queen Máxima: Jun 14, 2019;  Sept 14, 2014; Sept 13, 2013; May 24, 2013; Jan 21, 2013; Apr 29, 2011

Princess Laurentien topped her pale pink crepe cady wrap dress with a headpiece with bow-base in the same fabric and a large blush bloom. The flower is lovely but at close view, the bow lacks the finesse and crisp finish that I think the beautifully tailored gown deserves.

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Designer: Eudia. Dress by Hardies Mode 
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new. 

Yesterday, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima began a state visit to Sweden.

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For their arrival in Stockholm, Queen Máxima wore a domed brimless hat covered in the same pink silk as her dress, with ruched starburst detail gathered on one side. The hat is topped with a brown dotted net tulle veil.

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At first glance, it’s a subtle design that seems charming enough. At closer view, there are some construction issues. We see enough fabric covered hats here at Royal Hats to know that such pieces simply should have as many puckers around the bottom of the hat as this one does.

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Designer: unconfirmed. Dress by Natan. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new. 

Which hats here stand out most to you?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Prinsjesdag 2021

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The Dutch parliamentary year officially opened today with the presentation of the government’s 2022 spending plans and a speech from King Willem-Alexander to members of the Senate and House of Representatives in the Grote Kerk in The Hague.

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As for Prinsjesdag events in the past, court dress was observed by royals in attendance. Queen Máxima topped a her tailored blouse and ballgown skirt with a repeated a pleated tomato red calot/turban.

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It’s a strong look for her, although the crisp pleats previously seen in this hat seem to have been lost since it’s initial two outings.

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Skirt and blouse by Natan. 
Previously Worn: Oct 11, 2018; Feb 3, 2015; Oct 1, 2013

Princess Laurentien paired her silver and gold brocade gown with a circular headpiece of layered grey and gold sinamay that expanded in pillowed layers around one side of her head.

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The shape is a great take and expansion on the bandeaux so popular at present and the design creates such beautiful movement around Laurentien’s face.

Designer: Eudia (Evelien Gentis-Smit). Gown by Hardies.
Previously Worn: This design is new

What do you think of this pair of millinery designs today in The Hague? Jump to this post to see all of Queen Máxima’s past Prinsjesdag hats. 

Images from Getty as indicated  

Norwegian Royal Wedding 20 Years On: European Royals

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We conclude our look back at Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s wedding today with the remaining royal guests and what a glittering group it was!

Queen Paola wore the elegant Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau. She and King Albert attended with Prince Phillippe, the men both in uniform with caps (Princess Mathilde was in the last trimester of her pregnancy with Princess Elisabeth and remained at home).

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Princess Kristine Bernadotte (3rd wife of Prince Carl Bernadotte who was born a Swedish prince/Duke of Östergötland but ended up a Belgian prince thanks to his mother’s lineage after relinquishing Swedish succession) wore a tiara of unknown origin which, following her death in 2014, remains a mystery.

Grand Duchess Josephine wore the Belgian Scroll Tiara.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore the Luxembourg Chaumet Choker Tiara with diamond lattice base and pearls

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Princess Sibylla of Luxembourg wore her diamond Art Deco Tiara.

Queen Sofia wore the exquisite Spanish Floral Tiara.

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The Countess of Wessex wore her wedding tiara, a piece rumored to be made from four alternative sections from Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet.

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Princess Laurentien wore the Dutch Ears Of Wheat Tiara.

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Prince Willem-Alexander attended with fiancé Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti (they married a few months later on February 2, 2002) who wore the base of the Dutch royal collection’s Antique Pearl Tiara. While we’re used to seeing this tiara with the pearls, this was Máxima’s first tiara outing and the smaller scaled version made a great inaugural piece for her.

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And finally- a pair of bachelor prince heirs, both in military uniform with caps.

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One poignant comment yesterday wondered if we’d ever see such a glittering array of jewels at a single event. After all of the social distance and pared-down scale of events we’ve all experienced over the past year and a half, it seems impossible, doesn’t it? I have, however, hopeful that as the next generation of crown princesses enters adulthood, the weddings of these future queens will enthrall and delight just as those of their parents did.

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Images from Getty as indicated; Scanpix and Corbis

Dutch Royal Wedding 20 Years On: Religious Ceremony

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Last week, we looked back 20 years at the hats worn to Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien’s civil wedding on May 17, 2001. Today, we continue with their religious ceremony, held May 19, 2001 at St Jacobs Church in The Hague.

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Laurentien’s gown, made of radzimir silk, was designed by Edouard Vermeulen of the House of Natan (she and Constantijn resided in Brussels at the time so a Belgian designer wasn’t surprising or controversial). The bodice followed a straight boat neckline, modernized with a cowl-like fold.

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Three quarter length fitted sleeves opened to a dramatic pointed calla lily shape.

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The gown’s unique silhouette continued with a fitted empire waist, below which the skirt opened, as a coat, to reveal a column skirt beneath.

The coat’s train flowed to a length of 3.5 meters (12 feet) over which Laurentien wore a full length, layered silk tulle veil. Unfortunately, the veil obscured the deep V at the back of the dress, a design feature that beautifully balanced the gown’s high neck at the front. At the time, I thought it was beautifully modern and sleek gown, elegantly regal in scale and design.

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Laurentien anchored the veil with the diamond Laurel Wreath Tiara from the Dutch royal jewel collection. With her pearl and diamond drop earrings and voluminous veil, the tiara has just the right amount of sparkle, gravitas and height to complete this bridal look.

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Queen Beatrix topped a blush silk floral collared dress and variegated pastel woven coat with a wide brimmed rose straw hat. The hat featured a wide, round crown with straight sides and flat top and an upturned kettle brim, trimmed with a layered pink silk hatband and swath of tulle wrapped around the crown.

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Laurentien’s mother, Jantien Brinkhorst, wore a red straw hat with wide, sidesweeping brim. Notice the gentle brim pleats on the lower side.

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Máxima Zorreguita, who would marry Prince Willem-Alexander the following February wore a brimmed taupe straw hat. The brim’s binding and triple layered hatband looked to be in the same silver silk as her suit, linking the pieces together.

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We’ll look at hats worn by other members of the Dutch royal family and royal guests in tomorrow’s post. For now- what do you think of Laurentien’s bridal look, 20 years on?

Hats worn by royal guests and extended members of the Dutch royal family
Hats worn to the civil ceremony

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Dutch Royal Wedding 20 Years On: Civil Ceremony

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Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary earlier this month, a milestone which warrants a look back at their nuptials.

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Constantijn and Laurentien’s circles overlapped years before they decided to marry, Laurentien’s mother Jantien a school friend of Queen Beatrix and her father,  Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, a prominent Dutch politician and diplomat (and, ironically, vocal proponent of a smaller Royal House and reduced political role of the Head of State). The couple, who then resided in Brussels, returned to The Hague for their three day wedding celebration: civil marriage on May 17, 2001,  gala dinner dance at Palace Noordeindeon May 18 and religious ceremony on May 19. Laurentien turned to Edouard Vermeulen of fashion house NATAN for all of her wedding attire.

She arrived at Oude Raadzaal (Old Town Hall) for the civil ceremony in a watermelon pink belted coat and dress topped by a lavender-grey hat with upfolded halo brim. Trimmed simply with a hatband in the same straw, the hat’s focal point was a pronounced brim pleat over Laurentien’s left eyebrow.

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It’s always hard to regard past looks objectively- at the time, I was awed by the dramatic shape of this hat and thought the look to be bold and confident.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne

Queen Beatrix wore an ivory straw flat crowned hat with wide layered pink and ivory folded straw hatbands and a pink upturned Breton style brim that beautifully set off her ivory coat and pink accessories.

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Laurentien’s mother Jantien topped her pale cornflower blue suit in a matching hat in the most unique shape – a sort of pillbox with pointed crown over which lay a slanted downturned brim – trimmed with a long quill. The hat’s scale and shape worked so well with the open collar on her jacket.

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Máxima Zorreguita, who would marry Prince Willem-Alexander nine months later, wore a grey straw hat with jauntily upturned brim on the right side. The hat was trimmed in a dark taupe hatband and bound brim (notice the matching clutch!) and an oversize grey flower with lime leaves and curled feather staments that curved around the left side of the design. Interestingly, the hat would reappear two years later on a visit to Brazil with smaller brim and trimming. I prefer this original version.

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Princess Margriet topped her blush suit with a wide brimmed black sinamay hat with tall ruched hatband around the shallow, rounded crown and a relaxed, fluted brim.

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Princess Annette wore a cream hat with straight-sided, domed crown and mushroom shaped brim with side embellishment. I’ve not been able to locate a photo of Princess Marilene.

Twenty years on, which of these hats best represents fashion of the time? Which one stands out to you most?

We’ll continue with a look at the religious ceremony later this week.

Images from Getty as indicated