Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, since marrying Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002 and ascending to her role as Queen in 2013, has captured global attention not only for her regal presence but also for her distinctive fashion sense and commitment to various social causes. This article delves into Queen Máxima's style evolution, her impactful role within the Dutch monarchy, and explores the secrets behind her enviable figure.
From Princess to Queen: A Style Evolution
Maxima's transformation into a royal figure was marked by a shift towards more formal attire. After becoming a princess upon her wedding to Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002, Maxima turned to formal wear and her wardrobe consisted of ballgowns, tiaras, and fascinators. Her regal style was even more apparent after she became Queen of the Netherlands in 2013.
Her marriage to Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002 saw her don an ivory Valentino gown with a five-meter train, paired with the Dutch Pearl Button tiara. Attending a wedding in 2015, Queen Máxima wore a lace mermaid gown with an illusion neckline by Jan Taminiau. She also wore a diamond and ruby tiara, a matching choker necklace, and ruby drop earrings. During a visit to the British royals in 2019, Queen Máxima opted for a floor-length gown with a sheer neckline and sheer sleeves, completing the look with an updo and the Stuart Diamond Tiara. At the 2020 state opening of Parliament, the queen wore a Claes Iversen dress with ruffled detailing.
Queen Máxima dressed in a more regal manner after becoming a princess. She wore an off-the-shoulder dress in the Netherlands' national color, orange, and rewore her wedding tiara to a different wedding later that year. A. Jones/J. Whatling/J. Parker/M. Máxima and her mother-in-law, Queen Beatrix, coordinated in pink ensembles at a joint engagement in 2008. Mark G. After Beatrix abdicated in 2013, Willem-Alexander and Máxima were declared king and queen.
A Queen of Style: Defining Fashion Statements
Queen Máxima's approach to royal dressing has always been delightfully different, more Milan catwalk than Buckingham Palace drawing room, and yet somehow never inappropriate.
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Since assuming the role of queen consort to her husband King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 2013, Queen Maxima has demonstrated a proclivity for fashioning whimsical styles with an unapologetic use of colour.
Frequently blending Dutch designers with global powerhouses, she has a clear signature. Bold hues, structured tailoring, wide-brimmed hats, and a distinct lack of trepidation around unusual silhouettes and architectural lines.
It's regal, yes, but with a touch of flair that feels refreshingly personal. One week she's in a sleek cape dress in sapphire blue, the next she's sporting a navy trench dress with zesty orange gloves and pumps. Her style doesn't just follow trends, it sets them.
She understands the power of fashion to communicate strength, grace, and modernity, dressing like the queen she is, but always with personality.
Even her accessories tell a story. She often wears family heirlooms, including the breathtaking Dutch Sapphire Tiara or pieces once owned by Queen Juliana. But she'll just as readily step out in costume jewellery from Zara or vintage finds. The result? A look that is as accessible as it is aspirational.
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Whether it's her glowing complexion, enviable figure, or that famously bouncy blonde blow-dry, there's something about Máxima that captivates, effortlessly blending glamour with substance.
She's not trying to look younger or fit into someone else's mould. Instead, she's embracing who she is - a wife, mother, queen, and global figure - with confidence and flair.
That, more than any designer label or clever cut, is the secret to her timeless appeal.
Whether she's dazzling in designer couture at a state banquet or rocking bold colours and statement hats on official engagements, Máxima continues to look fashion-forward and fabulous. While many royal watchers focus on the Brits when it comes to style, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has long stood out on the global stage. The wife of King Willem-Alexander is known for her no-holds-barred approach to fashion, and this week, the Dutch royal turned heads yet again at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Although her hilarious impersonation of Donald Trump made plenty of headlines, the Dutch queen's enviable fashion also got the internet talking.
Maxima, 54, made a show-stopping appearance in a custom lime green Natan Couture jumpsuit as she joined world leaders during the summit. The plunging, sleeveless outfit featuring cape-like sleeves stood out in a sea of business suits, and her choice of a Natan Couture design is hardly surprising. Belgian designer Édouard, baron Vermeulen has been responsible for many of her standout outfits for the past 20 years, mixing bold colors with regal silhouettes that deliver plenty of dramatic flair. Queen Maxima favors gowns with intricate details.
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The Royal Diet and Fitness Regime
Over more than two decades, she has worn his creations for numerous official engagements. However, the foundation for Queen Maxima's fabulous fashion is her fantastic figure, which is reportedly all down to one diet in particular, that is also loved by Sarah Ferguson.
Queen Maxima stunned again in another outfit for Donald Trump's visit at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch Palace
She reportedly follows a diet popularized by Dutch company New Fysic-one that's also favored by Sarah Ferguson-and avoids sweets and starches in favor of nutrient-dense meals.
The ketogenic diet regime is low in carbohydrates, but in contrast, high in fats. The lack of carbohydrates makes your body go into a process called ketosis, which makes you burn fat for energy
Together with this she follows a method developed by a Dutch company called New Fysic which consists of a diet high in protein, eliminating carbohydrates, sweets and a few fruits and vegetables completely.
She complements this with regular exercise like Pilates, swimming, strength training, long walks and bike rides.
Alongside her diet, the queen trains with a personal fitness coach several times a week. Her preferred workout? A combination of Pilates, swimming, and strength training, all designed to maintain long, lean muscle without bulk.
These workouts are paired with brisk walks around the palace gardens, the occasional bike ride when the Dutch weather cooperates
The Queen's workouts are paired with brisk walks around the palace gardens, the occasional bike ride when the Dutch weather cooperates
and her love of Argentinian dance, such as the tango.
Beauty and Hair Care
As for her beauty routine, Queen Maxima trusts her golden hair to Martina Stanislavova of La Martina salon and stylist Elles Nijkamp, with some sessions taking place right in the royal family's private hair salon at Huis ten Bosch Palace. The Dutch queen is famous for mixing bold colors.
When it comes to hair, Máxima is mainly in the hands of Martina Stanislavova, whose salon La Martina is in The Hague near Noordeinde Palace, but she also works with the hair and makeup artist Elles Nijkamp, who created Máxima's whole look for Willem-Alexander's inauguration in 2013.
She also works with the hair & makeup artist Elles Nijkamp,
The Dutch royal family have their own hair salon in Huis ten Bosch Palace that was recently renovated to add a few more stations for the team of hairdressers, and it is here where Martina uses hair extensions and hairpieces to create Máxima's signature look, the asymmetrical or side bun.
It turns out hair extensions and subtle hairpieces are part of Maxima's trademark voluminous updos, especially her signature side buns.
Máxima: The Person Behind the Crown
We all know (and love) Queen Máxima of the Netherlands as the glamorous and dutiful wife of King Willem-Alexander. But Argentinian-born Máxima Zorreguieta has always been a hard-working high-achiever, even before she met the-then Crown Prince of the Netherlands in the late 90s.
Before moving to the Netherlands and becoming Queen, Máxima - whose father Jorge Zorreguieta served as Secretary of Agriculture under General Jorge Rafael Videla - graduated with a degree in economics and worked her way up to Vice-President of Institutional Sales at Deutsche Bank in New York before moving to Brussels to, allegedly, be closer to the future King.
Máxima and Willem-Alexander met in 1999 in Seville, Spain, married three years later, and had three daughters, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, and Princess Ariane of the Netherlands.
During the years of working alongside the Dutch Royal Family as Princess and now Queen herself, Máxima has been able to warm the hearts of the Dutch people, becoming extremely popular in The Netherlands. Her strenuous efforts to fight for immigrant rights, mental health awareness and LGBT rights have won her praise from all corners of the country.
A Diplomatic Force
In the academic weekly Intermediair, there was a long article on Princess Máxima, titled: Máxima, the born Queen.
All the upheaval about her marriage with the Prince of Orange became dumbstruck after her overwhelming entrance during the princely engagement on 30 March 2001. On that moment the whole of the Netherlands wanted to engage with her, certainly since she has so clearly taken distance from the Videla-regime. Perhaps more surprising yet, is that she effortlessly remained upright since then. Princess Máxima is by far the most popular member of the Royal House.
'It is her appearance, her flair, her joie de vivre, her exuberance, her cosmopolitanism. All are characteristics which the royal Court did not own in too large extents', says a royalty watcher. 'Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander never seek real contact with the public. Princess Máxima tries to have a real conversation with you, including non-verbal communication.'
Royalty-reporter Marc van der Linden of ‘Weekend Magazine’ endorses that Princess Máxima knows how to reach the people: 'She makes jokes, is not fearful to make physical contact or to show her emotions. I remember that she was very emotional during the awarding of the Geuzenpenning (Medaille des Gueux) to the mother of Ingrid Betancourt, the kidnapped Colombian candidate for president.’ But The Queen also shows some more of her emotions, finds Marc van der Linden. The nature talent is an asset for the Royal House. There is quite an unanimous opinion in that. Máxima felt out of Heaven as the rescueing angel, when Queen Beatrix’ long time so praised no-nonsense style suddenly no longer did fit so well in the mood of changing times. 'Princess Máxima lets the monarchy radiate again’ says Peter Rehwinkel, mayor of Naarden and before that spokesman for constitutional law for the Labour Party in the Second Chamber. 'She lays other accents than The Queen. Of course that lies also at her age and origin, and at the abundance that she radiates. I think I must state explicitly that Princess Máxima’s actions are no break with the trend or with the preceding and that she is also not intending that at all.'
Queen Beatrix certainly is one of Princess Máxima’s example figures, thinks Peter Rehwinkel. ‘Princess Máxima may come over quite exuberantly but, like The Queen, she leaves nothing to the coincidence. For the last rehearsal of her marriage, she brought a vertically striped long curtain with her, so that she could exactly see and exercise the effects of her bridal train. A directly involved person tells: ‘She directed the bridesmaids so precisely. In Spanish indeed. But it was clear: this lady knew exactly what she wanted and knows how to impose her wishes.
It is often indicated and easily to conclude: Princess Máxima outshines the Prince of Orange. Everywhere she comes the thronefollower fades away in her shadow. But the Prince of Orange is a good-natured man, and they seems still to be very much in love with each other. 'Princess Máxima knows how to deal with all the attention quite nicely, in such a way that it is not irritating for the Prince to stand in her shadow, says an insider of the royal Court. ‘They allow each other the attention' stated one of the photographers making pictures at the opening of an exhibition in the Amsterdam Historical Museum: ‘Prince Charles was quite jealous on Diana. Prince Willem-Alexander feels no jealousy on Máxima.' The marriage is a golden match: she is a woman of the world but obtained royal class. 'Prince Willem-Alexander has grown thanks to his marriage with Máxima', says Marc van der Linden. 'More and more you hear, also at the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (Government Information Agency): "The Prince wants this” or "No, the Prince does not want it". He has become more confident. No longer he feels the prying eyes of his all-and-everything controlling mother.
With Princess Máxima, the Royal House has gold in its hands. But the Royal House has no control over the context of that gold, no matter how hard it tries. What does that mean for Princess Máxima’s future? 'In Argentina still girls are born with the knowledge that they once wants to marry a rich or important man’, says Marc van der Linden, ‘who also have that ambition because they want to mean something in the world. And Princess Máxima is doing that now. In principle the doors of the White House will open for her, if she wants. You must find that also nicely.’ Máxima Zorreguieta did not marry the Prince of Orange by chance, is what Marc van der Linden wants to say. She wants to propose and to do something. And she cán do something: see her activities on micro-credits. She also enjoys the attention, so state the photographers who follow her. But is she allowed to enjoy all this? Princess Máxima is skilfull enough to enforce chances and opportunities. Even when this would fail, it is unthinkable that she would succeed her father-in-law, the late Prince Claus.
The Future Queen: Catharina-Amalia
Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, is not your average young person. She lives in a gorgeous palace, goes on a yearly pilgrimage to the ritzy ski resort of Lech, and even has a penchant for tiaras. Whereas many other people her age are focused on earning a living and figuring out their futures, Catharina-Amalia is training to become the next queen of the Netherlands. As the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, Catharina-Amalia is the heir to the Dutch throne.