Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is, for me, right up there with the Duchess of Cambridge and Crown Princess Mary.
Yes, all three women have that crucial “commoner” thing in common, but aside from that, Maxima always looks happy to see everyone, be they a small child thrusting flowers in Her Majesty’s face, or a bellhop greeting her at a German hotel.
Today, the Buenos Aires-born consort turns 45, three years after becoming Queen alongside the Netherlands’ monarch and her husband, King Willem-Alexander.
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In 199, Maxima was working at a New York investment firm when she met Willem-Alexander at the Seville Spring Fair in Spain. Like Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Willem-Alexander didn’t initially reveal that he was a prince.
The couple announced their engagement two years later before marrying in 2002.
In 2013, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her eldest son, and a celebration was thrown in honor of the passing of the crown. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended, as did several other royal families from around the world.
Maxima not only became a Dutch citizen, but learned the language of her adopted home country, as she would one day be its Queen (she does, however, retain dual citizenship between the Netherlands and Argentina).
Maxima has three girls with Willem-Alexander, is an advocate for LGBT rights and works with the UN in matters of achieving financial success for developing countries.
She also has the best collection of headware I have ever seen. Let’s peruse them, shall we?
- There are giant safety pins in the back!
Andreas Rentz/Getty ImagesRedefining the shape of a headband
2. Redefining the structure of a headband (and feeling mighty good about it).
Michel Porro/Getty Images
3. Ooooh #backshot
Michel Porro/Getty Images
4. Wide-brimmed hats FTW. Bonus points for dramatic brim flips.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
5 . Sometimes a little netting and feathers is all the flair one needs.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
6. Brim flip with without the wide edge. Genius!
Michel Porro/Getty Images
7. 21st century pillbox, topped off with pearl earrings and a necklace because D.C./Jackie Kennedy.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
8. Subtle and delicate.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
9. “Don’t you love how this brim flips up? I can see you all without even touching my hat!”
Michel Porro/Getty Images
10. 21st century pillbox tilt.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
11. “Mad-hattering today because I had too much fun at last night’s tea party. And by tea I mean wine.”
LEX VAN LIESHOUT/AFP/Getty Images
12. “Shh, I’m picking up a signal.”
Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images
13. The purchase of a hat with the ability to block out unsavory strumpets, while allowing you to show off your diamond drop earrings is a purchase well-made.
Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images
14. “It’s almost as if the hat is in the background, but it’s not! Isn’t that marvelous?” she said to no one in particular.
Sander KONING/AFP/Getty Images
15. “I was feeling very Julia Roberts in that hooker movie the Americans love. Minus the hooker part.”
Alexander Koerner/Getty Images
16. The wraparound design of this hat is ON. FLEEK.
AFP PHOTO / ANP / KOEN VAN WEEL
17. I don’t believe anyone’s ever made burlap look so chic.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
18. “Pardon me, but the background here is clashing with my hat. Might you send someone in here to fix this? Like, now?”
Giorgio Cosulich/Getty Images
19. “Wasn’t feeling very hat-ish, but you could hardly tell.”
Michel Porro/Getty Images
20. What happens when you glue pencil shavings on to a saucer.
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21. Another wraparound FTW!
Michel Porro/Getty Images
22. There she goes again, making hippie fabric look chic AF.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
23. Favorite hat walking.
Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
24. Shoot, maybe this one is my favorite.
Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images
25. Watch the hat. The pins are no joke.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
26. “Which wedding is this again? The Lannoy girl?”
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
27. Wraparound pillbox hat > dry shampoo.
Ralf Juergens/Getty Images
28. “Dear guest book. I’m especially in love with today’s headpiece because it nearly blends in with my hair, but not really. Lovely to be here. How are you?”
Ulrik Eichentopf-Pool/Getty Images
29. “It’s amazing what you can do with a glue gun and washer rings.”
Pool/Getty Images
30. “My hat and I enjoyed this performance most thoroughly.”
Guido Ohlenbostel-Pool/Getty Images
31. “Deplaning was an absolute nightmare with this headpiece. This is a pained smile I’m giving you all.”
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
32. “I am FEELIN’ myself today.”
Mark Renders/Getty Images
33. “Greetings youth. Thoughts on the hat?”
Sandra Mu/Getty Images
34. “I found the help sewing with this and asked them to fashion it into something lovely. “
Michel Porro/Getty Images
35. “Read my lips. Get it?! Why aren’t you laughing?”
AFP/ ANP/PIROSCHKA VAN Piroschka van de Wouw/AFP/Getty Images
36. “The sturdiness of this chic hat allows for my hand to be accosted while the hair remains in place. It’s really quite remarkable.”
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
37. “Thank you for letting me stand here, darling. It’s most important that my hat not impale you.
Willi Schneider – Pool/Getty Images
38. “Does this cruise ship make my hat look small?”
Michel Porro/Getty Images
Which one of these hats is your favorite? Leave a comment!
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