Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has opened up about why she chose the stunning Stuart tiara to wear to a state dinner at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, giving a candid interview to royal reporter Rick Evers. The tiara's mammoth 39.75-carat Stuart diamond - that once belonged to England's King William II and Queen Mary II – has not been seen for decades, though the Dutch monarch has worn the headpiece as recently as May, without its largest sparkler.
Queen Máxima wore the beautiful Stuart diamond on Tuesday
Speaking on camera in Buckingham Palace, the royal spoke of her decision to wear the iconic stone once again. "The Stuart Diamond was bought in 1690 by Mary Stuart," she said. "It's a very [big] thing for our relations, between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, so we thought this was the right moment to wear the Stuart Diamond and the diadem this time, and we hope to wear it more often in the future."
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She added: "We did it yesterday with much pride, with such a historical background for both our countries." When asked whether the huge diamond gave her a headache at all, she quickly laughed, "No, no."
The tiara without its large diamond centrepiece
The diamond was first set in the tiara in 1897, for Queen Wilhelmina, King Willem-Alexander's great grandmother. Her daughter, Queen Juliana, reportedly loved the piece, too, and wore it on a number of occasions – including during a state banquet at Windsor Palace with the Queen and Prince Phillip in 1972. It's unsurprising that Queen Máxima chose her own visit to the UK to wear the stunning diamond once again!
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Tuesday's state dinner saw the Dutch royals reunite with their friends the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - and Kate also chose suitably stunning jewels to mark the occasion. The mum-of-three opted to accessorise with Princess Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings, and the beautiful Lovers Knot tiara.