The Queen welcomed King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands with all the traditional pomp and ceremony that is expected of a state visit on Tuesday evening. Her Majesty, who has a good relationship with the Dutch royals, threw a lavish state banquet in the king and queen's honour at Buckingham Palace.
Members of the royal family were out in full force to welcome Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima to London. The Queen looked resplendent in a white gown, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Cullinan III and IV Brooch. She was supported by her son Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, who also looked lovely in a silver gown and the Greville Tiara.
Prince William and Kate made a dazzling appearance, with the Duchess adhering to the black-tie dress code in a light blue Alexander McQueen floor length dress and the Lover's Knot tiara. It was a rare occasion for Kate to don a tiara, and fans loved her ultra-regal look.
For the special ocassion, the Duchess of Cambridge also chose to wear Princess Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings, which she teamed with Queen Alexandra's wedding gift necklace.
© Photo: PAThe Duchess of Cambridge wore the Royal Family Order for the second time. It's first outing was at the Diplomatic Corps reception in December. The special gift from the Queen is made of glass, not ivory, unlike others.
© Photo: PAThe Royal Family Order is a personal gift from the Queen to female members of the Royal Family.
© Photo: PAThe Duchess swept her hair into an elegant chignon, leaving all attention to her exquisite jewels.
© Photo: Getty ImagesQueen Maxima was dressed to impress in a blue cape dress. The Dutch queen, who is of Argentinian origin, is known for her classy and elegant looks and she didn't fail to impress on Tuesday evening.
All eyes were on the queen and her stunning Stuart tiara. The Stuart Diamond featured in the tiara hadn't been seen in public since Queen Juliana's 1972 State Visit to the UK.
Maxima and Willem-Alexander are staying overnight at Buckingham Palace, so the royal will have been able to prep her look from the comfort of the Queen's home.
© Photo: Getty ImagesA closer look at Maxima's look, which was a favourite amongst royal fans.
© Photo: Getty ImagesBefore going into the palace's Ballroom, the Dutch and British royals posed for a group photo.
© Photo: PAAround 150 guests were invited to the state banquet, including some lesser-known royals. Willem-Alexander's sister-in-law Princess Mabel, who was married to the king's brother Prince Friso, made an appearance. Mabel lives in London with her two daughters.
© Photo: PAThe Duchess of Cornwall walks with His Excellency Mr Stef Blok.
© Photo: PAPrincess Michael of Kent during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace.
© Photo: PAHer Majesty gave a speech at the dinner, welcoming her Dutch counterparts to the UK for their first state visit. King Willem-Alexander also said a few words before the group sat down for dinner.
© Photo: PAKing Willem-Alexander said the Queen was "the most fearless Bond girl ever — with great panache," a reference to her fun skit alongside Daniel Craig at the London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony.
© Photo: PAIn honour of their royal guests, chefs created vegetable and meat pies and 280 slices of a chocolate orange torte. Sketches posted on Twitter showed the early stages of the torte design, which featured different layers of flavours including a thin chocolate base, a chocolate sponge, and a rich filling of orange chocolate mousse.
