Category Archives: Dutch Royal Family

Dutch Royal Family, Royal Family of the Netherlands

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands Receives a Military Beret Following Military Training with the Royal Netherlands Army

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  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
  • Photos courtesy of the Ministerie van Defensie/Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst

In Den Haag, the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD) has announced that Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands received her military beret on Friday, May 29th, upon completing the first phase of her military training as a reservist with the Koninklijke Landmacht (Royal Netherlands Army).

According to RVD, Her Majesty the Queen is attached as a reservist to the Militair Huis van Zijne Majesteit de Koning (Military Household of His Majesty the King) and is undertaking her training through that appointment. The Queen will not be assigned to a specific regiment, corps, or branch of service, but will instead fulfill a broader general role within the Koninklijke Landmacht.

As part of the appointment, Her Majesty the Queen received a beret bearing a lion insignia on a red background, traditionally associated with the General Staff of the Koninklijke Landmacht. Upon completion of the full training program, it is anticipated that Her Majesty the Queen will hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

RVD noted that reservists play an important role in supporting the regular armed forces and may be called upon for military service when required. Reservists serve across all branches of the Dutch armed forces and participate in mandatory exercises, theoretical instruction, and the maintenance of military training and operational readiness.

The relationship between the Royal Family of the Netherlands and the armed forces dates back centuries. Willem van Oranje served as a military commander during the Dutch Revolt, while successive stadtholders and sovereigns of the House of Oranje-Nassau traditionally maintained close institutional ties with the military.

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander completed his military service with the Koninklijke Marine and subsequently served with both the Koninklijke Landmacht and the Koninklijke Luchtmacht. As Sovereign of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the King also holds a distinct constitutional and military position within the Dutch armed forces.

Dutch Royal Family, Royal Family of the Netherlands

The Royal Family of the Netherlands Holds Annual Summer Photo Session at the Historic Clingendael Estate

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  • Portrait courtesy of RVD
  • Portrait courtesy of RVD
  • Portrait courtesy of RVD
  • Portrait courtesy of RVD

In Wassenaar, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Oranje, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, and Her Royal Highness Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, held their annual summer photo session for the press.

The photo session took place in the Old Holland Garden at Landgoed Clingendael, known for its geometric flower beds and boxwood hedges inspired by traditional 17th-century Dutch garden artistry.

Noticeably absent this year was the family dog, Mambo, who has accompanied the Royal Family during previous photo sessions.

Dutch Royal Family, Royal Family of the Netherlands

Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, Begins Military Training with Royal Netherlands Air Force Under Defensity College Program

Photo courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD)

In Den Haag, Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD) announced that Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, has begun a work-study placement with the Royal Netherlands Air Force as part of the Defensity College program.

The program enables university students to combine their studies with part-time service as military reservists, while strengthening the connection between the armed forces and Dutch society. Participants undertake practical assignments alongside structured military training within the Ministerie van Defensie (Ministry of Defense).

The Princess’s participation follows the completion of her initial general military training on January 23rd, 2026, after which she was promoted to the rank of corporal. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Dutch law at the University of Amsterdam, while continuing her involvement with the armed forces.

Her placement forms part of a longstanding association between the royal family of the Netherlands and the military. This relationship is rooted in the history of the House of Orange-Nassau and dates back to William of Orange (1533–1584), also known as William the Silent, who led the early phase of the Dutch Revolt against Spanish Habsburg rule from 1568 until his assassination in 1584, during the conflict later known as the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648).

In the modern era, members of the royal family have continued to undertake military training. As Prince of Orange, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands performed his military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy from August 1985 to January 1987, training at the Royal Netherlands Naval College in Den Helder before serving aboard the frigates HNLMS Tromp and HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen. He later completed refresher training in 1988 as a duty officer on board HNLMS Van Kinsbergen. After graduating from Leiden University, he obtained his Military Pilot’s License with 334 Transport Squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and, in 1994, attended the Netherlands Defense College, where he studied aspects of the work of the armed forces.

Princess Catharina-Amalia’s current placement continues this tradition, combining academic study with structured military experience within the framework of a constitutional monarchy.

Dutch Royal Family, Imperial Family of Japan

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Host State Visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan

  • Portrait courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD)/Anton Corbijn
  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (Imperial Household Agency)
  • Photo courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD

In Den Haag, it was announced that Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will host an incoming state visit from Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in the second half of June 2026.

The Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD) noted that the visit will reaffirm the longstanding relationship between Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The state visit will focus on cooperation in areas including security, innovation, defense, economic resilience, and international law.

The relations between the two countries date back to 1600, when the Dutch ship De Liefde arrived in Japan. The ship’s pilot, William Adams, later entered the service of the Tokugawa shogunate and became one of the first Western advisers to the shogun.

In 1609, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Hirado. After Japan restricted most foreign contact in the seventeenth century, the Dutch remained the only Western traders permitted to operate in the country, relocating their commercial station in 1641 to the island of Dejima in Nagasaki.

Dutch merchants continued to operate from Dejima until 1859, when Japan reopened to international trade at the end of the Tokugawa period. The Dutch presence was maintained in part because their activities were primarily commercial, and they did not pursue missionary work in Japan.

During this period of limited international contact, exchanges between Japanese scholars and Dutch merchants and physicians contributed to the development of Rangaku, through which European scientific and medical knowledge entered Japan.

Modern diplomatic relations continue to reflect this historical connection. In 2000, Their Majesties Emperor Akihito of Japan and Empress Michiko of Japan paid a state visit to the Netherlands, marking the 400th anniversary of relations between the two countries.

In October 2014, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a state visit to Japan. In October 2019, the King and Queen attended the enthronement ceremonies of Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo. In May 2025, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander visited Japan to attend World Expo 2025 in Osaka.

Relations between the Royal Family of the Netherlands and the Imperial Family of Japan reflect the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

Dutch Royal Family, Greek Royal Family, Headlines, Royal Weddings, Swedish Royals

Valentino Garavani, Legendary Italian Couturier and Fashion Designer to Royalty, Dies at 93.

Photo: Wikipedia

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, one of the most influential figures in haute couture and prêt-à-porter, has died in Rome, Italy, at the age of 93.

His death was announced in a statement by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, which said the designer passed away peacefully at his home in Rome, surrounded by loved ones.

Born Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani in Voghera, Italy, on May 11, 1932, Valentino founded his fashion house in Rome in 1960 together with his longtime companion and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti. The Valentino name would go on to become synonymous with refined elegance, meticulous craftsmanship, and a distinctive aesthetic that spanned both haute couture and prêt-à-porter. Among the house’s most recognizable signatures was “Valentino red,” a vivid shade that became emblematic of the designer’s work.

Over a career that extended for more than four decades, Valentino dressed heads of state, celebrities, and royalty, establishing himself as one of the defining couturiers of the late twentieth century.  Valentino retired in 2008, though his influence on fashion continued to be widely felt.

Valentino’s legacy is also closely linked to several historic royal weddings.

In 1995, he designed the wedding gown worn by Ms. Marie-Chantal Miller for her marriage to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece. The wedding took place on July 1, 1995, at St. Sophia’s Cathedral in London. The couture gown was an ivory silk creation adorned with pearls, featuring intricate lacework, a high neckline, and a 4.5-meter Chantilly lace train, crafted by 25 seamstresses over four months.

  • Portrait courtesy of David Seidner.
  • Portrait courtesy of David Seidner.
  • Portrait courtesy of Patrick Lichfield, the 5th Earl of Lichfield.

In 2002, Valentino designed the wedding dress of Ms. Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti for her marriage to His Royal Highness Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange. The wedding took place on February 2, 2002, in Amsterdam, with the civil ceremony held at the Beurs van Berlage and the religious ceremony at the Nieuwe Kerk. The iconic gown was made from ivory mikado silk and featured a cowl neckline, three-quarter sleeves, lace inserts, and a dramatic five-meter train.

  • Portrait courtesy of Jeroen van der Meyde/RVD.
  • Portrait courtesy of Jeroen van der Meyde/RVD.

Valentino’s final major royal bridal commission came in 2013, when he designed the wedding gown of Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden for her marriage to Mr. Christopher O’Neill. The wedding took place on June 8, 2013, at the Slottskyrkan (Royal Palace chapel) in Stockholm. The gown was crafted from silk organza with appliquéd Chantilly lace and was accompanied by a lace-edged cathedral veil.

  • Portrait courtesy of Ewa-Marie Rundquist/Kungalige Hovstaterna.
  • Portrait courtesy of Brigitte Grenfeldt/HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden.
  • Portrait courtesy of Brigitte Grenfeldt/HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden.

Valentino Garavani’s work bridged classical couture traditions and modern luxury fashion, earning him international recognition and lasting cultural significance. Through the foundation he shared with Giammetti, his legacy in fashion, art, and philanthropy continues.

Dutch Royal Family, Norwegian Royals

Future Heirs to European Thrones Pose for a New Photo Ahead of HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway’s Gala Birthday Dinner.

On Friday, June 17, 2022, the Norwegian royal court released a photo of the future heirs to European thrones ahead of Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway’s gala dinner held at the Royal Palace in Oslo.

In the back row (L-R) Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Oranje (not Orange) and Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth of the Belgians, Duchess of Brabant.

In the front row (L-R) Her Royal Highness Princess Estelle of Sweden, Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Luxembourg.

Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is wearing the late Her Royal Highness Princess Ingeborg of Sweden’s Boucheron diamond and pearl tiara. Her decoration is the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav.

Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Oranje is wearing the Dutch diamond Star tiara and her decoration is the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands.

Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth of the Belgians, Duchess of Brabant is wearing what looks to be the late Queen Elisabeth’s necklace turned into a tiara or it could be a new tiara. Her decoration is the Order of Leopold.

Dutch Royal Family

HRH Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands Celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the Royal Society for Horticulture and Botany.

On Wednesday, May 25, 2022, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands attended the 150th anniversary of the Royal Society for Horticulture and Botany held at the Den Alerdinck estate in Laag Zuthem.

The celebrations took place in connection with the Gardenista 2022 garden festival.

Click here to view a photo gallery.

Photo courtesy of RVD