This week, the people of Brunei needn't only look to the skies to see the sun – Princess Maxima of the Netherlands is also there to brighten up the lush landscapes that surround them. Holland's future queen chose a bold canary trouser suit for her tour of the sovereign state, which is located on the tropical island of Borneo.
Maxima is travelling in Southeast Asia accompanied by her husband Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, and her mother-in-law, Queen Beatrix. The royal party began their two-day trip in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan, making history as they went. Beatrix is the first Dutch head of state to visit the Sultanate of Brunei since it gained independence from the rest of Borneo in 1984. Key members of the House of Orange were invited there by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who also holds the title of Prime Minister, as well as the Minister of Economy and Defense. After their schedule in Brunei is complete, the royal visitors will continue onto their next destination – Singapore. The itinerary has shades of the Diamond Jubilee Tour undertaken by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who also travelled to Singapore and Borneo in September of last year.
Before the Dutch royals left for their next stop, however, they stamped their regal quality on the lavish events Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – who Forbes name as the world's second richest man and whose lengthy reign is only beaten by King Bhumibol of Thailand and Queen Elizabeth II – had lined up for them. Glamour naturally came courtesy of Maxima, who wowed as she glided through the ballroom of her host's 1,700-room palace, known as the Istana Nurul Iman. Her nude-toned dress, dusted with diamantes, looked stunning. A delicate tiara put the finishing touches to the Crown Princess' ensemble.
The dress' figure-hugging fit did nothing to fuel rumours that the Argentinian-born royal and her husband were expecting their fourth child. The crown couple are already parents to three daughters – Amalia, eight, Alexia, seven, and Ariane, who is five. Prince Willem-Alexander once famously said he and his wife had named their daughters accordingly because they wanted a "triple A rating".
