Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was the ultimate ambassador for her country as she attended a state banquet in Denmark on Tuesday evening. The elegant royal chose to wear the same custom-made gown that she wore for the investiture of her husband King Willem-Alexander in April 2013. The dress' cobalt blue colour is not only a nod to the Dutch flag, but it was also created by Dutch designer Jan Taminiau, one of Maxima's favourites. Queen Maxima again chose to accessorise her gown with the striking sapphire tiara that was given to her by her mother-in-law Princess Beatrix.
Queen Maxima and Queen Margrethe share a toast at the state banquet
The tiara was created by skilled Parisian jeweller Mellerio, and features 655 diamonds set in platinum, with 33 Kashmir sapphires nestled at the bottom of the diadem. It was purchased in 1881 by King Willem III of the Netherlands for his wife, Queen Emma. After Emma, it was next worn by her granddaughter Queen Juliana who then passed it on to her daughter Queen Beatrix. Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander were in high spirits as they joined Denmark's Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik at the state banquet, held at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
Queen Maxima arrives, escorted by Denmark's Prince Henrik
Once seated inside the palace, the royal counterparts shared a toast before the banquet got underway. Also attending the formal reception were Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary, flawless in a long white gown, and Frederik's younger brother Prince Joachim and his wife Princess Marie, who chose a light blue dress featuring a peplum bodice with cut-out detailing. Maxima and Willem-Alexander are great friends with Frederik and Mary, and the Crown Princess was seen giving Maxima a warm embrace moments after she stepped off the plane at Copenhagen airport for the start of a two-day tour on Tuesday.
Denmark's Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik
The Dutch royal couple have travelled to Denmark to "strengthen the already excellent relations between Denmark and the Netherlands", with an aim to reinforce the two countries' existing economic and social cooperation. On their first day in Denmark, Willem-Alexander and Maxima enjoyed a lunch with the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at Christiansborg Palace, and then attended a conference at Aalborg University ahead of the state banquet that evening.