It was a day of pomp and pageantry in the Netherlands, as the King and Queen travelled by horse-drawn carriage from the Noordeinde Palace to open the new parliamentary session.
Queen Maxima, 46, was elegant in a formal grey gown as she and King Willem-Alexander arrived at the Ridderzaal in The Hague on Tuesday.
Thousands of well-wishers lined the route from the palace to the Houses of Parliament to catch a glimpse of the King and Queen Maxima, who wore a ceremonial sash and a dazzling diamond necklace for the occasion.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrive at the Ridderzaal in a glass coach for the opening of the Dutch parliamentary year
The Dutch Queen wore a floor length gown with co-ordinating hat, a sash and jewels
Pomp and ceremony: King Willem-Alexander delivers his traditional speech from the throne in the Knights’ Hall
Amid pageantry and tight security, police installed temporary barriers to block roads near the route and officers patrolled the city as crowds, many wearing orange hats and scarves, cheered the royals.
King Willem-Alexander delivered the traditional Speech from the Throne in the Ridderzaal – or Knights’ Hall – and hailed a ‘flourishing economy’ after a number of ‘difficult years’ for the Dutch.
He also used the speech to offer support to the Caribbean territories of St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, after they were devastated this month by Hurricane Irma.
‘The government will do all in its power to alleviate the islands’ acute distress,’ Willem-Alexander said.
‘The Caribbean part of the kingdom will not stand alone as it faces the task of reconstruction.’
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, Princess Laurentien and Prince Constantijn wave to the crowds on Prinsjesdag – or Prince’s Day
Prince’s Day is the traditional opening of the Dutch parliamentary year, during which the king delivers the Speech from the Throne in the Ridderzaal
The speech traditionally outlines the government’s budget plans for the year ahead
Queen Maxima was elegant in grey, while her husband King Willem-Alexander wore a morning suit to take up his position on the throne
It was a return to formal duties for mother-of-three Maxima, who last week enjoyed a low-key evening at a concert in Amsterdam.
The hat she chose for Tuesday’s outing was strikingly similar to one the Queen wore last week to open the Asian Library at Leiden University.
She wore a monochrome dress and a black, pillbox style hat for the visit to her mother-in-law Beatrix’s alma mater.