His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will pay a state visit to Greece at the invitation of President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The visit will take place from Monday 31 October to Wednesday 2 November in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Dutch Royal House
Monday, October 31
- Morning: The King and Queen will lay a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square in Athens. They will then be welcomed by President Sakellaropoulou at the Presidential Palace. Later, they will meet representatives of the Greek Ombudsman and the Dutch Ombudsman at the Netherlands Institute in Athens.
- Afternoon: Meet the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, and attend a reception for the Dutch community
- Evening: President Sakellaropoulou will host a state banquet at the Presidential Palace
The royal couple have arrived, and Queen Maxima has honored her hosts by wearing a dress by Zeus + Dione. I *think* she should wear this label more often. It’s that flattering. I particularly like this white veiled hat, which has a Philip Treacy shape to it, although the designer has not been confirmed. Josine has her post up over at ModekoninginMaxima, so head there for details.
She has brought the big jewels for the visit, too. Many thanks to our Hofdude, Triple A, for the following information!
This diamond ‘feuille de groseille’ or strawberry leaf brooch with a large pear pearl pendant has an important historical provenance, as it originally belonged to Queen Sophie, a Württemberg princess who was married to King Willem III of the Netherlands. The diamond strawberry leaves are punctuated by a large central pearl and elaborated by a large pearl pendant drop. The leaf element can be worn with the centre leaf pointing up or down. On one painting of Queen Sophie, shows that this brooch seems to have been part of a larger brooch or could be attached to another round diamond and pearl brooch. The pear shaped pearl seems to have been replaced in recent years. 5 Generations of Dutch Queens have worn this beautiful jewel.
Triple A
The Queen has chosen a dress from Costalleros for the evening gala, and defied the odds and the protocol to pair it with the Ruby Mellerio tiara. The dress has a high collar, 3/4 sleeves and a small, swishy train. As far as the jewels go, these Queens have been blessing us with tiaras in republics, and for that I am grateful.
Check it out in motion!
State dinner in Athen 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/NeTcc2GazJ
— ChristinZ (@ChristinsQueens) October 31, 2022
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou is wearing some lovely blue lace!
Tuesday, November 1
- Morning: Visit the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center to see the World Press Photo exhibition on women’s rights, atend a pitch competition for startups, and visit to the Elpida oncology clinic at Paidon children’s hospital
- Afternoon: Concert by refugee children from a number of Greek reception camps
- Evening: Performance by the Nederlands Danstheater in the Megaron Mousikis, hosted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
For the morning activities, the Queen wore her 2018 Claes Iversen cape dress. She changed it up by turning the belt backwards. Since we have discussed the lack of attention paid to royal men, I will point out the King’s orange tie. Nice repping, Your Majesty!
For the evening, the Queen turned to Iversen again, this time wearing a long, one-sleeved gown. We all know Maxima loves her belt buckles, and one is in evidence here. Yes, those are the enormous earrings from the Stuart parure.
She accessorized with Queen Emma’s aigrette, which some of you thought might have made a good hair ornament last night. At least she brought it along! Triple A, as usual, has excellent background on that piece.
The history of Máxima’s brooch tonight takes us back to the nineteenth century. In 1879 Emma tied the knot with Willem III and a wedding naturally includes gifts. Emma received a diamond hairpin from her sister-in-law Sophie, also known as an aigrette. The design consists of 12 diamond twigs, with small diamonds set at the end. Thanks to a special attachment, the brilliants hang ‘loosely’ from the twigs, so that they move gently. Sophie’s special gift shows craftsmanship and also fits well with the fashion of the nineteenth century. Ladies wore their long locks up and richly decorated hairpins were in high demand. Yet Emma is only seen once with this jewel. She did wear the jewel at a special moment. Shortly after her husband’s death, Emma posed in mourning clothes, with the aigrette in her hair. Royal, but not too lavish given the sad circumstances.
Wednesday, November 2
- Morning: The King and Queen travel to Thessaloniki. They will attend an economic session on sustainability and agriculture at LABattoir. They will also make a visit to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
The Queen went business-like for her final day of activities. We don’t have a designer identification for the blazer and trousers, however there is speculation that her new brooch – tulips and olives intertwined – was a gift from her hosts.
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We will circle around with official photos as they become available. In the meantime, add your photos and comments!