King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are making a four-day state visit to Kenya at the invitation of President William Ruto. The King and Queen are accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp. On March 18, 2025, President Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto welcomed the King and Queen at State House in Nairobi with an official ceremony.
The King and Queen, along with the accompanying ministers, met with the Kenyan president and his cabinet members. Following the delegation meeting, King Willem-Alexander attended the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of tourism, trade, security, agriculture, and fisheries.
In honour of those who contributed to Kenya’s freedom and independence, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
I like the colour and style of her dress, the hat is beautiful and she wears it well, however I do not love her earrings, a simple diamond stud would have been fine.
ReplyDeletemjt
Anonymous 11:44
DeleteOn the Dutch website about this state visit a picture of the earrings can be seen. The earrings are tulipes (gold with red stones). The tulip is the national flower of The Netherlands and is together with dafodills one of the first flowers which are sold early in the spring. As a matter of fact I bought a bouquet myself this afternoon when doing my shopping : a combination of white and red tulips.
I think the earrings are tulip shaped, which, of course, make them a nice nod to her own country (her now country, we all know that she hails from Argentina originally).
Delete@DSC The flower is called Fritillaria and it is a Spring bulb perennial. I have them in my garden and they will appear once again in a few weeks. They look like an upside down tulip but are much smaller and they belong to the lily family of flowers. They are commonly in the colour of the earrings, and also in white, with speckled petals, also like the earrings. Yes, there are lots of them in the Netherlands too.
Delete- Anon 9:13
J'aime beaucoup la couleur de cette robe mais je ne pense pas que les manches la faisant ressembler à une cape apportent un élégant look à Maxima ; peut-être que plus courtes, cela l'aurait flattée ?!
ReplyDeleteKönigin Maxima, das wäre besser gegangen. Irgendwie zu viel an Hut, Schmuck, Kleid und auch Schuhe. Besonders das Bild auf dem man die Rückseiten sehen kann, da tut sich urplötzlich gar nichts mehr, nur der Reißverschluss zieht und nimmt dem kompletten viel Glanz. Aber wow für die First Lady Rachel Ruto, es fasziniert mich sehr wie harmonisch ihre Zusammenstellung für diesen Anlass ist. Der König sieht sehr gut aus so schlank. -Dorothe-
ReplyDeleteDa haben sie recht, und insbesonders diese schmerzhaft aussehenden Fuesse in den uebertriebenen Stilettos. Warum sich Frauen das antun werde ich nie begreifen. Es ist nicht elegant, es ist Zeit dass sich die Mode etwas fuss-und Koerper freundlicheres einfallen laesst.
Delete@ Dorothe
DeleteTo each his own. I prefer Queen Maxima's outfit to the one of the First Lady. I think Maxima would look ridiculous in a dress like this. The First Lady would look ridiculous in a cape dress like Queen Maxima.
Les chapeaux à large bord convient à la personnalité de cette magnifique Reine
ReplyDeleteFroufrou
Better without the cape and Her Majesty's large beige hat.
ReplyDeleteThe overall picture is stunning but in a second look the dress seems more orange and not quite good combine with the red accessories, and is alas, not kind to the behind.
ReplyDeleteThe split is unnecessary and a bit of a spoiler.
To end positive: her hair is beautifull!
@ Anonymous 14:28
DeleteOn the Dutch websites the color of the dress is called "Terracotta".
The dress has been bought in 2023 but not worn yet until now. Maybe splits were fashion then. It doesn't bother me at all that there is one.
The dark red of the accessories is also something we've seen more during the last years. It doesn't has to be the same color as the outfit but in the same color range. With this dress beige accessories would not be a good idea.
welcome to Kenya. Finally Maxima meets a first lady who matches her vibrant style.
ReplyDeleteA bit wild but I like it. Both ladies look very nice, their personalities shine through. My only negative is the unbecoming photo of the backside going up stairs. If a view of the back of dresses are needed it should be when they are standing.
ReplyDeleteYes, an unfortunate and over-zealous photographer. Shame on them.
DeleteI think it’s a great photo. It’s not like it’s unflattering or inappropriate.
DeleteI don’t find the back view photo unbecoming at all, certainly not shameful … but rather a picture of the group disappearing inside. They were probably out front for a minute or less; the photographers take as many pictures as they can in that time, as it all goes very quickly, and then put them quickly either to the publication they are paid by eg newspaper or to eg a site where others can buy or use them. It is the choice of publisher - in this case Helen - to use them. All that said about the practicality, I think it’s a fine and interesting photo and I don’t think we should shame anyone for having a well dressed bottom!
DeleteOh my, that ridiculous sombrero again. Finally, she has nicely styled hair, but she covers it with such a giant piece.
ReplyDeleteA more subtle, less theatrical hat would be more appropriate for an official reception - at least that's what the lecturer in the protocol department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs taught us.
Stephanie
@Stephanie 18:07
DeleteA state visit is a very official occasion and as a queen her hat can be as theatrical as she pleases ;-)
Apart from the large brim it's a very classic shape with no frills or fussy details on it, so I think there's nothing wrong with the hat in this context.
It's not my personal favourite either but there are a lot of hats out there that are much much worse ;-D
I agree with you, Stephanie, that Maxima looks better in hats that are not almost cartoonishly huge. She fortunately has the height and the excellent posture to avoid looking completely overwhelmed by a hat of such massive dimensions, but in recent times I’ve been glad to see her go in for more moderate choices. Similarly, Camilla is seldom seen these days in the almost comically gigantic hats she tended to wear in the early days. It’s been a welcome change, imo.
DeleteStephanie, ha! I absolutely love hats that fit people’s face well, and love this one on Maxima.
DeleteThe traveling royals again. As usual Maxima's overblown with a Natan outfit.
ReplyDeleteTout à fait d'accord.
DeleteC'est un réel plaisir de voir de plus près les boucles d'oreilles ; j'adore !
ReplyDeleteShe looks glamorous but I am not keen on her outfit. The earrings are a no.
ReplyDeleteI think there is something very regal looking about a cape dress and Queen Maxima pulls this one off nicely.
ReplyDeleteWonderful outfit from the oversized hat, quite appropriate for this very formal event, to the fabulous shoes. Lovely colour, ideal length and perfect fit. Queen Maxima at her finest. The King looks so much better since he lost weight. Looking forward to the outfits from this visit.
ReplyDeleteThe style and colour of this dress is fantastic on Maxima. It matches her warm, Latina skin tone perfectly. I especially like the delicately gathered neckline. And I always like when she wears this signature hat style of hers. It just says "Maxima"! :)
ReplyDelete- Anon 9:13
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