On her first state visit of the year, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands dazzled in Cyprus with a choice of wardrobe that did not go unnoticed.
Maxima arrived at Larnaca Airport on the evening of March 3, along with her husband, King Willem-Alexander.
Queen Maxima in Velvet Blue Dress
For the welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace and the traditional floral offering, the monarch opted for a blue velvet dress signed by Costarellos, one of her favorite brands.
The design, of a deep blue, has an elegant draping on one shoulder and an asymmetrical fall from the waist.
This dress, however, is not a new addition to Maxima’s closet.
Although on this occasion she has shown it in all its splendor, she had already worn it discreetly in December 2023, when she received the president of South Korea on a state visit to the Netherlands.
To complete her look, the queen combined the dress with matching stilettos and a headdress by Philip Treacy, a British designer whose creations she has worn on several occasions.
But undoubtedly, the most striking were the jewels chosen: a set of sapphires from the royal collection, consisting of earrings and an imposing brooch that, instead of placing it on the chest as usual, pinned on the waist, enhancing the structure of the dress.
This brooch, with more than a century of history, was worn by Queen Wilhelmina in 1930 and originally housed an emerald.
However, in the 1980s, the stone was replaced by an oversized sapphire, believed to have come from the collection of Ana Paulova.
In recent years, it has been a recurring piece in the jewelry box of Princess Beatrix, who even wore it at her son’s coronation in 2013.
Maxima, for her part, has also worn it on multiple occasions, always in combination with blue tones.