On Tuesday, 15 September 2026, the Senate and House of Representatives met in a Joint Session of the States General at the Royal Theatre in The Hague. King Willem-Alexander delivered the Speech from the Throne during the Joint Session. Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia, Princess Ariane, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands attended the Joint Session.
Prinsjesdag is the day on which the opening of the Dutch parliamentary year takes place on the third Tuesday of September. On that day, the reigning monarch of the Netherlands traditionally delivers the Speech from the Throne at a Joint Session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives. After the Speech from the Throne, the Royal Family went to Noordeinde Palace, where the traditional balcony appearance takes place.
For the occasion, Queen Máxima wore the sash and star of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion with an off-white taffeta silk skirt. She paired it with a black blouse.
Princess Amalia wore the sash and star of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion with a green straight dress featuring draping and a matching cape by Rachel Gilbert.
Princess Alexia wore the sash and star of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion with a long dress in a green shade, featuring a flowing two-piece cape by Reiss.
Princess Ariane wore the sash and star of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion with a ruby-red column dress made of wool crepe, featuring an embroidered tone-on-tone cape by Jan Taminiau.
I realize Prinsjesdag is a challenging dress code for the royal ladies, but this seems like a rather motley assortment of outfits this year. I think Ariane’s dress, headpiece, and overall look are by far my favorite. Maxima’s jewelry is exquisite, but her blouse looks too casual to me and her headpiece is very odd. Alexia’s hat style does not pair well with her dress. Amalia looks poised and her hair is gorgeous, but her dress color is not my favorite. Laurentien - no, just no to the shirtwaist dress and headpiece. The men seem to have a much easier, more straightforward dress code for this.
ReplyDelete-Royal Watcher
Agree in everything you wrote
DeleteTotally agree with your description. I'll just add that not only Alexia's hat doesn't pair well with her dress but also her handbag.
DeleteThe youngest "Princess" is the most beautifully one of all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your positivity, but you are digging too deeply into the world's dwindling supply of exclamation marks. One suffices!
DeleteShe is not just beautiful, but Princess Ariane carries herself with style, elegance, confidence and expression that connects with people.
DeleteAlexia seems not interested; the hat is not coordinating with the event, the bag is big like a shopping bag.
Amilia is becoming more confident, beautiful dress, the heels influenced my Maxima are so not necessary!
All the sisters are beautiful but Ariane has that gorgeous, sunny smile!
DeleteIn my view all three girls are very pretty. But Amilia has the most classic beauty in her facial features..
DeleteTotally agree about Ariane! Not only does she look very beautiful, she also seems to be a nice person.
DeleteSuperbe princesse Ariane dans cette robe Bordeaux ; je remarque qu’elle est coiffée d’une sorte de bandeau de la même couleur comme les gants - Je n’oublie pas son magnifique sourire !
ReplyDeleteAnd this is an old dress of Maxima. Ariane looks really amazing. Amalia a big no, too much fabrics and wrong colour. Alexia kind of too common but that's because of the hat. Maxima less is more which is really nice cause often with her it's too much of everything
DeleteAriana is wearing a dress Maxima wore years ago to Prinsjesdag !
DeleteFor me, the choice of Ariane is the one I would most want to wear if I had to choose one. Perhaps I am conservative, and prefer the most conservative. I very much like the little sparkly "shawl" at the top, and the use of a single colour across the outfit. They all look splendid, but a little bit hotchpotch except for Ariane.
ReplyDeleteLes robes ne me plaisent pas vraiment. Question d'équilibre, mais je raffole des gants en cuir bordeaux de la princesse.
ReplyDeleteIt's their choice of headpieces that render them a very extravagant bunch. Amalia has become my favourite but the cape does not do her any favours. The colour is rather odd but it does look good on her. Me thinks.
ReplyDeleteAriane ziet er het beste uit, komt ook het symphatiekst over, de rest afstandelijk en zelfs een beetje arrogant, waarom heeft Maxima weer die rare antenne op haar hoofd gezet.
ReplyDeleteAlexia's dress is my winner of the day - or would-be winner, because of the hat, which is like an ironical afterthought an manages to kind of ruin the outfit as a whole. Two two other sisters are rather "closed" and somehow restricted through their respective capes. Especially Amalia is drowned in fabric of a colour the associations of which I am not going to dwell on. The Jan Taminiau gown is a rewear and given my personal dislike for capes, I admit that the gown is beautiful and the "opening" at the front a divine idea. Máxima - well, quite an incomprehensible mixture.
ReplyDeleteUn chapeau de cowboy avec une robe longue, c'est particulier, mais le top c'est la robe moutarde avec des effets de volants, là c'est tellement jeune et réussi. Marie.
ReplyDeleteMais non, ce n'est pas un chapeau de cowboy. C'est un chapeau que mon papa appellait un "chapeau vent". C'était la mode pour hommes après la fin de la deuxième guerre mondiale. J'ai toujours vu mon père porter ce chapeau pendant les années 50.
DeleteNote : Les cowboys portaient des "Stetson". Un vrai Stetson à l'heure actuelle est beau et coûte beaucoup d'argent. Ils sont aussi plus grand que le chapeau porté par la princesse Alexia.
While the ivory skirt of Queen Maxima looks exquisite, her black blouse takes the look down a few notches. But, contrary to others, I love her headpiece/fascinator. I also like the green on Princess Laurentien, mainly because the colour is becoming on her. The A-Team (Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia, Princess Ariane) with some slight issues, imho. The first one is the colour on the Princess of Orange and the exessively draped fabric on her dress. The secon one is the hat/dress combo on Princess Alexia. Well, not too bad, in fact, but also a bit of a let down. Third, while I think she is definitely best dressed of the three, Princess Ariane (in a gown her mother once wore; good) might have looked even more smashing with a different hair-style. Overall - we have seen worse in the past. So, Happy Prinsjesdag!
ReplyDeleteHad to giggle to myself I thought there was a scratch on the first photo it wasn’t until I saw it was the wisps of the hat. Not a fan of the capes but okay. Alexia seems to have a bit of an eclectic fashionista style, and Ariane just goes with the flow. Lovely family
ReplyDeleteThe queen wears a Strange combination of a beautifull evening skirt with a quite ordinary black blouse.
ReplyDeleteAmalia, as often, good but for an older woman.
Ariane, very sweet, whatever she wears, and this is quite good.
Alexia: wants to be somewhere else.
I really think that tiaras would have looked nicer with the gowns (long dresses). I do realize it is a daytime event, so that could be the reason they are not wearing tiaras!
ReplyDeleteAmalia seems more and more confident and assured each time I see her. She does formal dressing very well, and as I also commented at this same event last year she has managed to out Maxima her mom!
ReplyDeleteAriane looks wonderful too.
The other three ladies outfits i am not so impressed with this time around.
The gentlemen both look good.
what's with the leather gloves? seen other royals wearing on state events heat of the summer should anyone say bcos it's cold
ReplyDeleteI realize that this is a very formal event but I don't like the leather gloves with an evening gown.
ReplyDeleteAlexia is the winner, because of her smile, she looks most genuine friendly
ReplyDeleteDo you perhaps mean Ariane? Alexia didn’t seem to smile much!
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