Addressing the crowd, the royal continued her long-standing support for LGBTQ+ rights, asking: ‘Being able to be yourself and love who you want: isn’t that what should be considered normal?’ Maxima and her husband, King Willem-Alexander, have championed the queer community since their accession to the throne in 2013. That very year, Maxima officially lent her support to the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, but as early as 2008 she had been attending conferences with similar concerns. In 2016, the King visited COC, the world’s oldest active LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation, to mark their 70th anniversary.
Last month, Queen Maxima wore a headpiece that was dazzling for a different reason. Joining her husband and their daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia, for a state banquet on honour of the German President, the royal wore the Dutch sapphire parure tiara, a dazzler that dates back to the late 19th century. The imposing tiara, which features 33 blue sapphires and 655 diamonds, was purchased by King Willem III as a gift for his wife, Queen Emma.
Queen Maxima wore the Dutch sapphire parure tiara for the German state visit in June, while Princess Catharina-Amalia wore the Dutch star tiara
Patrick van Katwijk