Queen Letizia & Queen Maxima had a mother-off in The Netherlands this week

This week, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia were in The Netherlands on a state visit. They were wined and dined thoroughly by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. It was time to play everyone’s favorite game: All Of The European Royals Are Happier When The Windsors Are Not Around. Maxima and W-A looked like charming hosts, even if most of the exterior photos revealed that it was a pretty rain-soaked state visit. I’m including photos from earlier in the week with the kings and queens out and about in Amsterdam and The Hague, plus photos from Wednesday night’s state dinner.

At the state dinner, something weird happened. There was a receiving line, traditional at state dinners, and Felipe, Willem-Alexander and Maxima were all standing to greet the guests. But Letizia was perched up on a high stool or chair of some kind. She had been walking around just fine during the earlier events, although People Magazine noted that Letizia has been wearing shorter heels lately. People Mag explains Letizia’s seated position as likely to do with her history of foot problems, so maybe she was simply in pain and the Dutch royals were being especially accommodating.

At the state dinner, Letizia wore a gown by The 2nd Skin CO. She also wore Queen Maria Cristina’s Loop Tiara with Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Diamond Earrings and the Grey Pearl Brooch. Princess Catharina-Amalia wore the Ruby Peacock Tiara and Maxima wore the Stuart Tiara. All of the royal ladies coordinated in shades of blue for the formal portraits.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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92 Responses to “Queen Letizia & Queen Maxima had a mother-off in The Netherlands this week”

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  1. garrity says:

    Princess Catharina-Amalia is a total glamazon like her mom. I hope she’s smart as hell and that we may consequently look forward to decades of her gorgeous, majestic presence with bonus needling of the Windsors in that pragmatic, no-bullshit Dutchie way.

    • M says:

      Right??? That photo with her in the middle is bad ass. You can tell she is the future Queen. It seems like they have raised 3 very self-assured young women. Love Maxima’s outfit. Letizia’s seems a bit overwhelming on her small frame.

      • BeanieBean says:

        I love that photo! Catharina-Amalia is standing straight & tall & looking fierce! All women in that photo look lovely, but she is the stand out.

      • Feeshalori says:

        She is tall, isn’t she, with her parents’ height. She towers over those two dignitaries at the table. Good for her that she embraces her height, it adds to her presence.

      • bananapanda says:

        The Dutch are generally amongst the tallest – everyone I’ve met is 5’9″ or more. I love hanging out with them while travelling as they’re fun, educated but not snobby, and speak multiple languages. One friend told me they generally grow up with multi-lingual tv and most choose not to turn on the subtitles so they are attuned to accent/cadence.

    • SussexWatcher says:

      She’s gorgeous and looks so confident and capable. All I can think of when I see her and all of the other European royals her age (even down to the much younger Princess Estelle!) is how – as literal TEENAGERS – they are much better at their jobs than Huevo and Keen. Better at making speeches than the lazy Wailses, better at shaking hands and making small talk, better at standing up straight without clutching their crotch, better at royal engagements, better at everything!

      • Aurora says:

        Estelle is a natural at royaling, and Catharina Amalia has a regal presence! Meaning there’s nothing wrong with being shy or introverted, but both these young ladies… even Leonor of Spain and little Charlotte carry themselves better than many grown up royals. I guess it comes with succesful efforts on their parents’ side with acquainting them better with a sense of a higher duty towards their position and their country. I hardly doubt Charles or Diana were able to overcome their fraught relationship for teaming up on this regard.

    • s808 says:

      She looks like a future Queen! Very confident and capable.

    • Cherry says:

      IKR?? Girlfriend looks REGAL. Such a strong and confident-looking young woman. I love how she’s towering over all the old folks in all the photos!

    • goofpuff says:

      I agree. She already looks so stately and like a Queen. Way more than any of the current Windsors residing in the UK.

    • tenzing says:

      yes, she is as smart as her mum, even started grammar school early and has an excellent example in both parents not being lazy at all. maxima even has a serious job at the united nations as a special envoy for women and microfinancing wich she gets paid for one dollar a year. as maxima explained she already was paid for her role as queen and has no need for a salary. she also shamelessly recycles her outfits and will even use a bicycle to go places privately so you can just bump into her in the wild. but like everywhere since covid and the cost of living crisis there is a growing antimonarchist faction who are loud and rude. it is all becoming more and more archaic and i feel sorry for the lot of them, privileged and all being locked into a golden cage is idiocy, this sideshow should be abolished and the inmates set free.

      if baldilocks would be able to fend for himself i would doubt but amalia is sensible enough and she would and she should be set free. at some time things could get very nasty like in nepal if they haven’t already. i do hope for all those kids involved that this crazy panto sideshow is retired and the bling showed in the palaces that can become museums to explain how daft we have been all this time.

    • Armoire says:

      I want her to suckerpunch Whiny Will to the ground in a champagne haze at a Windsor garden party. Is that too much to ask?

  2. Pinkosaurus says:

    Oooh sparkly! I’m a magpie. That said, I’m always interested to see what Maxima is wearing because she can carry anything. Looks like a great visit and I’m sure they were happy no one had to deal with the Windsors.

    • Becks1 says:

      I know, I want more close ups of the bling!!!!

    • Seraphina says:

      I have no clue what a magpie is in this context, but I am here for these royals AWWAYS.

      • Bean says:

        Magpies are known to love, covet and steal shiny sparkly things. Sparkly items have been found in their nests.

      • Feeshalori says:

        The UK’s Queen Mary was also known as a magpie for her love of bling and acquisitive nature.

      • BlueNailsBetty says:

        Magpies (the birds) are attracted to shiny objects. Magpies (the bling lovers) are attracted to all things shiny especially jewelry and tiaras.

      • Seraphina says:

        Thank you! Then I am one wholeheartedly with no regrets (my husband and bank account may have regrets).

    • Anita says:

      With certain royal houses, or rather with the rest of the royal houses in Europe, apart from Britain, I feel that they call each other and say, let us get together and have a good time.
      I also love that King WA’s socks seem to match his daughter’s dress. That’s a nice look.

  3. fishface says:

    Such stylish women.

  4. seaflower says:

    All the Euro royals look so relaxed and like they are enjoying themselves when the UK bunch aren’t around.

  5. Liz in A says:

    It was revealed that Amalia spent the last year in Madrid, when she couldn’t attend uni here in Amsterdam due to death threats. So William toasted particularly to keeping her safe and private, but able to have some freedom there. True warmth and graciousness

  6. SquiddusMaximus says:

    One was a journalist and news anchor, the other a financial researcher who worked for DeutscheBank and taught math. Both are multilingual. It’s refreshing seeing royals who are accomplished and driven, not just given accolades for going on school runs and smiling for cameras.

    • Kristen from MA says:

      And Maxima has a role at the UN, where she serves as an expert in microfinance. She’s not a trophy wife, for sure.

      • Concern Fae says:

        Just realizing that the UK press would never let someone like that marry in. They’d get them fired, attack whatever organization they worked for, dig up dirt on their families. They want the BRF beleaguered and under control.

      • Steph says:

        Willhem has/had a role in the UN as well. During IG at the Hague I did a little research in the Dutch royal family. They are a long line of educated and accomplished monarchs (all queens except willhem!). I think it’s one of the reasons we never see the BRF with other European royals. They are woefully subpar in comparison.

      • Flowerlake says:

        Maxima is generally recognized in the Netherlands as the catch and Willem-Lex as the lucky one 🙂

        She had her own career and is very active ever since marrying him.
        She has been the most popular royal for a long time now.

    • Thelma says:

      THIS!!!!💯💯💯💯💯💯

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      Letizia has gotten a LOT of crap from the Spanish press but it’s obvious that her husband really adores her. She had a successful career before she got married, and has done her work diligently as well as raising two apparently happy and well-adjusted children.

      Maxima definitely has a big personality and made a splash in the Netherlands, and her “star power” was 100% embraced by her mother in law (the then-Queen) and her husband still looks at her with the “how did I get so lucky” eyes. Beatrix and WA understood “we all look good as a result”.

      • goofpuff says:

        Imagine what the UK could have had if only the Windsors were able to have the same foresight when Meghan showed up. Instead the Windsors royally screwed themselves over.

    • Truthiness says:

      I thought I hated monarchies, how dare these two families come across as hard working enlightened professionals that serve their countries well and are valued participants.

  7. Josephine says:

    brilliant start to finish. no notes. this is how it’s done, and i’m picturing kkkhate there bringing down the vibe with all the buttons and toddler-wear. nice to see the adults doing it well.

    i am absolutely not a tiara/jewelry person but would make an exception for the ruby peacock tiara. love the name, love the look.

    • SussexWatcher says:

      Buttons and toddler wear 🫠🫠🫠💀

    • Jodes says:

      Check the bracelet. Yum.

    • Lulu says:

      I wish I could see her necklace clearly.

    • Becks1 says:

      They all look fabulous – even Amalia – she’s wearing her dress and jewels, not the other way around.

      When you look at their day clothes, you see where Kate goes so wrong. They are dressed conservatively but still fresh and chic. They don’t look like they borrowed their grandmother’s coatdress.

      • Berkeleyfarm says:

        mind you the stone BRF “fans” do expect their princesses/royal duchesses to dress in a particular way. Kate got a lot of stick for “her hems are too short” “she should put her hair up” “wear a brooch” before she became the Great White Hope.

      • goofpuff says:

        The Kate’s criticism for her clothes that I saw was from not weighing her skirts so she kept flashing everyone at events so her skirts needed to be longer and more structured to compensate. And because she kept playing with her hair so much at every event that she really needed to put it up because it was distracting.

        She’s always had a doily grandma old school style. Its her favorite look for royal events.

  8. Cessily says:

    Would love to know what the European royals think of the left overs.. that is a book I would read. I don’t think we will be seeing events like this in the UK anytime soon.

    • Flowerlake says:

      Kate’s first foreign outing alone was a visit to the Netherlands, because Willem-Lex is generally considered as easy going and not too stiff on protocol.

      The British royals are not really known for being close to the Dutch royal house, though. The Dutch royals are much closer with most other monarchies, including the Scandinavian ones, Spain and Japan.

      • Berkeleyfarm says:

        Yes, a visit to a friendly country with a personable royal family would be a good place to start.

      • Aurora says:

        Willheim and Max seem very much a no-chills couple when it comes to interaction and their work. Maxima is a social butterfly, she clearly enjoys being out and about, and you can see she’s strived for working beyond ribbon cutting. They both look at each other in a very heartwarming way.

      • Feeshalori says:

        I understand that when they first met, she had no idea he was a prince, which he was at that time. I don’t know remember the particulars of the story, but that’s what I read.

  9. L84Tea says:

    Ooh, Maxima wore the Stuart tiara. If you get a chance to look at it up close, you’ll see that the Stuart is not just a big gun…it’s an oozy.

    • JustBitchy says:

      If you want to lean more about the Stuart Vincent Meylan (whose books are a must for any magpie) wrote this. Main stone is almost 40 carats a s all of the others are huge.
      https://www.instagram.com/p/C53_cO5Ii-q/?igsh=eDhtamNnZ2M5YnNu

    • Flowerlake says:

      If anyone wonders about the Netherlands and their connection to the British Royal House of Stuart:

      Prince of Orange Willem II married Mary, the daughter of Charles I Stuart in the mid 17th century.

      They had one son: Willem III.
      He in turn married the daughter of James II, also called Mary Stuart. James II was a brother of the first Mary, so the second Mary and Willem II were cousins. Since James was Catholic, most English got sick of him and invited protestant Willem (William in English) and Mary to take the throne. The Netherlands and the UK were thus briefly united in a personal union.

      They had no children, so Mary’s sister Anne succeeded them. The diamond in the tiara is named after the second Mary.

      (These Marys are not to be confused with the famous Scottish Mary Stuart, who was the grandmother of Charles I and a direct anecstor of them both).

  10. Thelma says:

    Wow…love the interesting and glammed up fashion. Not a boring coat dress in sight😂

  11. JustBitchy says:

    Flawless from start to finish. Amalia is gorgeous-with a hint of nervousness I’d expect from a 20 year old who has to be in front of millions.

    Was listening to an Economist pod today about euro countries and their very low military enrollment. Netherlands among the lowest. Made me wonder why Amalia didn’t do a stint like the future queens of Norway, Spain and Belgium did/are doing.

    • H says:

      I think she has done some military training, but the extreme death threats she was receiving curtailed her activities quite a bit.

  12. Maria says:

    Looking at the pics of these fabulously classy, intelligent and beautiful people makes me think about how all the Trumps thought they had these same qualities and were oh do wrong!

    • Giddy says:

      Yes. Trump made the Queen wait for him. Melania always looked more showgirl than First Lady. Ivanka actually thought she was the equal of the head of the IMF and the prime ministers of the U.K. And Canada at the G-20. Jared was so busy cutting side deals that he left D.C. a billionaire, and Dumb and Dumber kept the up the family embarrassment..

  13. Giddy says:

    These women are so gorgeous and accomplished. Their home countries must be justifiably proud to be represented by them. What’s that from salty isle? *crickets*

  14. Digital Unicorn says:

    I love the European royals cause they all look so colourful and full of life – unlike my lot who are the most bland pot of milk tea that ever existed. The dutch CP is a delight – she’s inherited her mothers style and swagger and by that I mean her DGAS vibe.

  15. Sunday says:

    OMG Maxima in that all red outfit with the hat and the gloves is giving full Carmen Sandiego, I absolutely love it.

  16. MaryContrary says:

    I saw video of them arriving and greeting each other. They looked legitimately happy! It was also fascinating that they were all speaking English. Crazy that the other European royal houses are multi lingual and the Windsors, well . . .

    • Cee says:

      There are videos of Maxima and Letizia speaking in spanish to each other and Amalia listening in. Given how much we’re told to “shut up” and “go back home” it’s refreshing to see Maxima speak freely in her first language when perhaps English is expected so everyone can understand.

    • Karla says:

      Most Europeans are multilingual. 1 or 2 foreign languages are our normal. At least on the continent. I live in a Country with 3 official languages which are all mandatory in school plus English. I would guess that Maxima and Letizia would chat in Spanish. Maxima probably spoke Spanish with her daughters so it would be easy for Amalia to study in Spain.

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      English is a lingua franca and taught to royals at a young age. I am told that Queen Sofia would speak to her children in English (to get them fluent). Felipe went to Georgetown and Letizia did a stint anchoring in the US. WA of course studied it from childhood and Maxima went to an English-speaking school in Buenos Aires. But no surprise the ladies would be chattering in Spanish.

      • Cee says:

        I attended the same school as her and it is a British school. In my time they tried to enforce an English Only speaking rule at recess everyone ignored LOL
        But yeah, primary school consists of lessons in English in the morning and lessons in Spanish in the afternoon. Once you move on to Secondary school (7-12) it’s all English except subjects like Argentine History, Geography and Spanish Lit. I even had Art and PE in English. It’s no wonder she is 100% fluent; it’s almost impossible to graduate from Northlands and not be.

      • Becks1 says:

        I had heard this as well (from a tour guide at the palacio real in Madrid no less lol) – that the Spanish royal family spoke English at home which was easier for all since Sofia’s first language was Greek and Juan Carlos’ was Spanish. It also prepared the children since their future at the time was somewhat unsure. I was never sure if he was just joking though lol.

      • Berkeleyfarm says:

        @Becks1, all of Juan Carlos’ children were school age when Franco finally died and JC became King. And of course JC himself was a son of an exiled royal house (and by the time he became King his wife’s house had been booted off their throne). JC played a double game for a long time because Franco could have changed his mind and his spies were everywhere. Nothing was certain. It’s been somewhat lost in his recent scandals (which are massive) but he really did bring Spain out of dictatorship and he should get a lot of credit for that.

        Felipe knows he is walking a thin line.

        Re the languages, that’s not uncommon in households where mom and dad don’t really speak each others’ first language (obviously Sofia has learned Spanish but wanted her children to be fluent in English). For royal households, a lot of them hire anglophone nannies for their children.

  17. Cerys says:

    The European royals all seem much more competent in their roles than their Windsor counterparts. I don’t know how they are perceived in their respective countries but, as a Brit, I’d happily swap the Windsors for practically any other European royal family if we are obliged to keep a monarchy.
    PS I’d love to know what other royals really think of people like William, Kate, Camilla etc.

  18. Jks says:

    So refreshingly competent and gracious!

  19. Lulu says:

    I always enjoy seeing what Queens Maxima, Letizia and Mary are wearing.

  20. Embee says:

    I adore Letizia’s red and pink outfit! It’s such a hard combo to do well but when done so (and she does, flawlessly) it is so striking and exciting!

  21. Cee says:

    Letizia has morton’s neuroma in at least on foot. This is usually coupled with PF so it is a wonder she’s still capable of wearing heels, even lower ones. She must have been in too much pain to even stand in line while everyone walked in. I can barely stand in lines, it is excruciating pain.

    • Julianna says:

      Did they say that is what Letizia has? They all looked so glamorous. I don’t know to much about the Dutch royals but I do admire Letizia.

      • Cee says:

        They did say that last year, if I recall correctly. She has worn flat shoes more frequently and I guess that caught someone’s attention. She still wears high heels but not as high as she used to. The pain is progressive so you go lower and lower until you’re browsing zero-drop shoes

      • Lauren says:

        Unlike the BRF the Spanish royal family doesn’t try to hide their health information, they shared the details of her foot issues several years ago

  22. Seraphina says:

    SWOON!!!!!!!!!! Always a fan of Queen Maxima and Queen Letizia. ALWAYS. Thank you for covering. They all look great – and wonderful to see the Princess being included.
    As far as QL and her heels, I feel her pain. After COVID, I am in low heels and while I covet a good heal, as I get older I am taking pity on my body and choosing low heeled footwear and sneakers on uneven terrain. Gotta love getting older.

    • Feeshalori says:

      Seraphina, I feel your pain both literally and figuratively as far as age is concerned.

  23. Isabella says:

    Princess Catharina-Amalia was photographed curtseying to the Spanish king. I didn’t know that was a thing. Would love to know the protocol. If she was Queen, she wouldn’t have to do that, right? The curtsey is such a servile weird thing to me. I wish they do away with it across the board. Just modernize.

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      Yes, she would curtsey to Felipe and Letizia on greeting because they outrank her. When she becomes queen they will be of equal rank and the greeting would be the cheek kiss.

      I should look for a longer clip and see if Princess Beatrix curtseyed. She went back to her title of “her royal highness princess Beatrix” after she abdicated but is a former head of state and that is special. Other houses that have done abdications recently have had the old monarch keep king/queen but it’s the Dutch custom to go back to their “original” rank.

  24. blueberry says:

    I lived in Spain when Felipe and Letizia got married so they always have a soft spot in my heart! It was a huge deal with plenty of excitement but she also got a lot of snobbery for being “common” and divorced. It’s good to see they have proved the haters wrong.

    Also can I just say that I hope to live to see the day when a woman can be glamorous and fashionable without having to disfigure her feet! It’s awesome to see her sitting down and setting a good example to take care of ourselves even if it looks ‘out of place’. Screw the ableists

  25. mary mary says:

    I love Maxima’s style SO much. She always looks like she’s cool, smart, fun!

  26. alisays says:

    Sorry , but they look so dated and out of touch. The fashion game is off for sure , it’s too fwd ( Latizia’s Red / Pink ) or too dowdy for Maxima .

  27. BeanieBean says:

    Re: Letizia’s foot problems. I’d love it if she and other royal women would normalize wearing flats, not just with trousers but with dresses & gowns.

  28. aquarius64 says:

    C-A is 20 and attending her first state dinner. Does she have regent powers as well?

  29. bisynaptic says:

    #AbolishMonarchy

  30. Jayna says:

    Beautiful women. But Letizia would benefit from gaining five pounds. At a certain age, that thinness starts showing in your face.