The Future Queen of the Netherlands Wore The Same Tiara She Used to Play Dress-Up in as a Child to Glittering State Banquet
It was a full-circle moment for Princess Catharina-Amalia, who admits, "I love tiaras."
Princess Catharina-Amalia made a sparkling statement at the royal palace in Amsterdam on Tuesday, April 15, wearing a gorgeous lavender gown and a set of ruby and diamond jewels to a state banquet for the Sultan of Oman. And if her massive tiara looks familiar to royal fans, it's because the future queen of the Netherlands once modeled it in a photo as a 9-year-old princess playing dress-up in her mom's room.
Catharina-Amalia, 21, joined her parents King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the glamorous event, wearing the Mellerio Ruby Parure Tiara. The intricate design dates back to 1888, per The Court Jeweller, and has been worn by Dutch queens and princesses ever since. Princess Catharina-Amalia's mom wore it for her first official portrait as queen, and in 2021, released a photo of her then-9-year-old daughter trying on the tiara.
The adorable photo was released to celebrate Catharina-Amalia's 18th birthday, when an official biography about the future queen's life was published.
"I love tiaras," she said in the book. "Show me a tiara, and I'll know where it came from. I can recognize all the tiaras of Europe. I used to put them on from my mother. Then there would be one on her make-up table and I would have it directly on my head."
The princess is pictured trying on the Mellerio Ruby Parure Tiara at age 9.
She wore the same tiara to an April 15 state banquet in Amsterdam.
The princess posed with her parents, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander, along with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
Princess Catharina-Amalia kept the ruby theme going with matching ruby and diamond drop earrings and a coordinating brooch pinned on to her sash.
As for the rest of her outfit, she wore a caped gown by royal-approved brand Safiyaa London. The 21-year-old isn't the only future queen who has recently stepped out in a purple Safiyaa dress; Kate Middleton wore a bright lilac midi dress by the brand to the 2024 Wimbledon men's finals. Meghan Markle also wore a similar caped style by Safiyaa, but in red, to one of her final public appearances as a senior royal before moving to California.
Meanwhile, Queen Maxima wore an even grander tiara to the banquet that certainly lives up to its name. The 53-year-old was positively dripping in diamonds and pearls for the event, wearing the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara with a five-strand pearl necklace and dangling pearl drop earrings.
The queen matched her jewels to an equally ornate ivory dress, wearing an embroidered gown by Mahpara Khan.
