William and Kate are spending much of this week at their Norfolk country home Anmer Hall as Thomas's Battersea is on half-term until Monday. They took a helicopter to London with Prince Louis today ahead of the event. There's a brief Instagram video here showing them arriving at KP. Kate visited King Willem-Alexander during her first solo visit overseas to the Netherlands in 2016; it seemed fitting for the couple to be involved in some capacity tonight.
The Duke and Duchess arriving.
We do love a tiara event here on the blog and given the rarity of white-tie events on the royal calendar the State banquet offered a wonderful opportunity for the treasures in the royal jewel vault to be showcased. It is William and Kate's third State banquet - their first in honour of China's president took place in 2015, and their second the Spanish State banquet in 2017.
The Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. Maxima can always be relied upon to bring the big guns. Tonight she donned the incredible Stuart tiara. The Queen wore the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, and Camilla sported the Greville tiara.
Hello reports:
"The Dutch royal's outfit was accessorised with an extra-special headpiece - the Stuart tiara featuring the Stuart diamond - which made its first appearance since Queen Juliana's 1972 State Visit to the UK."
Prince Charles escorted Queen Maxima to dinner.
The Queen has hosted two previous State visits from the Netherlands during her reign. The last State visit from the Netherlands was by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands in November 1982.
A beautifully warm greeting from one Queen to another on Horse Guards parade this morning.
The Mall was appropriately dressed for the occasion.
An enormous amount of planning goes into State banquets, ensuring no detail is overlooked. According to the Royal family's website: "Preparations for a State banquet begin well over a year in advance, but the final build of the State banquet table starts around five days ahead of the arrival of the visiting Head of State. The operational arm of Buckingham Palace, the Master of the Household’s department take the main bulk of the responsibility for ensuring the Banquet runs according to plan." Ahead of the event the Duchess would have received notes on where she was sitting and who she was next to. In order to avoid uncomfortable situations and to ensure all are included in conversation, one speaks to the person on the left for the first course, changing to the right for the second, and alternating for remaining courses.
The Royal chefs have been busily preparing a feast with culinary nods to the Netherlands. They created 280 slices of delicious chocolate orange torte.
Pastry Chef Selwyn Stoby revealed some of the early stages of the torte design. The creme au cafe features different layers of flavours including a thin chocolate base, a chocolate sponge, and a rich filling of orange chocolate mousse. Selwyn and his team then layered a ribbon of vibrant marmalade on top of the mousse. Every part of the torte has been produced in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, by Selwyn and three other Royal Household pastry chefs. "'I first created a marmalade with the mandarins and gently folded it into the chocolate mousse,' said Selwyn. Selwyn says the infusion of mandarins was a nod to the visiting Dutch Monarchy. The Dutch Royal house is called Oranje-Nassau. This name and association dates back at least to William the Silent (William of Orange) who founded the house in 1544."
The chefs also created a 'parfait aux pommes et mûres.' The design includes 'apple pearl balls', miniature meringue balls and apple stock syrup. Each parfait is carefully cased in white chocolate to contrast to the bitter blackberry sauce.
During a speech King Willem-Alexander described the Queen as the "most fearless Bond girl ever":
'My wife and I are delighted to be able to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom, and above all to find you in good health, as vigorous and engaged as ever. I appreciate how special this occasion is.
My grandparents came here on a State Visit. My parents did too. Today it is our turn. And all within your long reign. Last year you celebrated your Sapphire Jubilee. That is deeply impressive to someone who has yet to reach their Bronze Jubilee. In recent decades, you have seen your country, Europe and the world change enormously. The world looks to you as a trusted beacon in the midst of upheaval.
Your ability to keep in touch with the times is striking. You even have an adventurous streak, as you showed six years ago at the opening of the Olympic Games. In front of millions of viewers you played the role of the most fearless Bond Girl ever – with great panache!
Our countries are North Sea neighbours. The sea has made us natural allies; both outward-looking, both curious as to what lies beyond the horizon. Sir William Temple, the famous English diplomat, who was ambassador in The Hague 350 years ago, called the Dutch 'the most obstinate lovers and defenders of their liberty’. It’s a trait we definitely share with the British. A trait that has sometimes led to conflict between us, as competitors and rivals. But much more often, it has brought us together and united us. The Glorious Revolution of Mary and William is a good example. A peaceful change of government that bolstered the rights of Parliament. Or take the bonds forged between us during the Second World War, and the unimaginable sacrifices British armed forces made for our freedom.'
During the Queen's speech, she said: "Prince Charles and I are delighted to welcome you and Queen Máxima to Buckingham Palace this evening. Through this State visit, we celebrate the enduring friendship which has enabled our two nations to prosper and grow, side by side, as trading partners, and as North Sea neighbours. This visit also provides the opportunity for great happiness, and to welcome old friends to my home. Through Your Majesty's visits and your acts of friendship, you have formed your own personal connection with the British people. During your time as a sixth form student at Atlantic College in Wales, you kept our local communities safe by volunteering for the Life Boat service, embodying the true spirit of friends supporting one another. To this day, our close relationship greatly contributes to the economic and cultural life of Britain. The Netherlands are one of The United Kingdom’s largest European investors."
Hannah Furness reports.
You can view a video from the banquet below.
The Duchess was dazzling in royal jewels and a bespoke kingfisher blue Alexander McQueen mermaid style gown for the evening.
Another view.
Her Majesty wore a similar shade of blue for a State visit to the Netherlands in 1958. It was created by Norman Hartnell.
The Duchess shone in what has become her signature tiara, the Lover's Knot.
The tiara, which is steeped in royal history and is so closely associated with William's mother, looks beautiful on Kate. It's a stunning piece and one I expect we'll see the Duchess wearing throughout her life. The tiara features elements of the Gothic Revival style. The circle of the Lover's Knot is made up of a lower semi-circular band, set with a row of brilliant cut diamonds. Where two adjacent arches meet, a pillar-like structure is formed that rises up and ends in a round diamond, forming a diamond spike. There are nineteen diamond spikes of this nature and the size gradually decreases from the centre towards both ends.
Once again, Kate teamed the tiara with Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings.
Below, Diana wearing the tiara and earrings together.
The regal sparkle didn't end there.
The Duchess wore a beautiful necklace from the Queen's jewel vault. Order of Splendor noted the necklace is from Queen Alexandra's wedding parure.
More from the Queen's Jewel Vault:
'Albert Edward, Prince of Wales - son of Queen Victoria and the future King Edward VII - purchased a magnificent parure for his bride, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, as a gift for their 1863 wedding. The set from Garrard included a large diamond tiara plus a diamond and pearl necklace, set of earrings, and brooch. Alexandra wore the brooch, necklace, and earrings on their wedding day and she continued to wear the set for important occasions throughout her life. The tiara, popularly known as the "Rundell" Tiara, no longer exists; the rest of the parure was split between royal ladies for a time but is now reunited in The Queen's collection.
The necklace features 8 pearls surrounded by diamonds, each connected with festoons of diamonds, and three detachable diamond and pearl drop pendants. Queen Mary gave the necklace to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and she wore it constantly. The necklace was finally reunited with the brooch and earrings when The Queen inherited it in 2002; we have yet to see her wear it publicly.'
Below, Queen Alexandra wearing it on her wedding day. Fittingly, it was last worn by the Queen Mother during the last State visit from the Netherlands in 1982.
Kate also wore a shimmering bracelet.
Amidst a sea of sparkle, the most significant news of the night is that the Duchess has received the Royal Family Order from Her Majesty. Traditionally the order was made of ivory, but we knew we wouldn't see the Duchess wearing ivory and instead Kate's was created with glass.
It is understood Kate was awarded the RFO late last year. Joe Little reports she first wore it at the Diplomatic Reception last December.
The Order is awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to female members of the Royal family as they typically do not wear the commemorative medals men do. The order is a personal memento rather than a State decoration. The badge of the order consists of a portrait of the Sovereign set in diamonds, which is suspended from a ribbon. The ribbon of each Royal Family Order changes with each monarch.
Royal Family Orders originated in Britain during George IV's reign. His order was rather ornate in appearance, and the frame that surrounded his portrait was of diamond oak leaves and acorns. The badge was suspended from a white silk bow. Below we see an image of the order which originally belonged to George IV's sister Charlotte, Queen of Württemberg, circa 1820 - 1830. Charlotte willed it to Princess Victoria, later Queen Victoria, who left it to the Crown.
After George IV, each succeeding sovereign with the exception of William IV and Edward VIII, has issued their own Royal Family Order. A slight variation came with the reign of Queen Victoria. When Victoria came to the throne the order was not issued until after her marriage. In 1862 she created the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert. It consisted of a cameo portrait of Victoria and Albert; no other Royal Family Order has depicted both the sovereign and their consort since.
More than one Royal Family Order can be worn. In this case, they are worn layered with the most recent on top. For example, the Queen wears the Family Orders of her father King George VI which features a rose pink sash, and her grandfather King George V, a pale blue sash.
When and how does the Queen decide to award the honour? As it is given at Her Majesty's pleasure we will never specifically know the criteria. It would seem it is awarded to senior members of the Royal family who undertake royal engagements. The late Diana, Princess of Wales received hers quite early on - reportedly within a year of her marriage. She wore it several times during the royal tour of Australia in 1983.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex regularly represent the Queen at royal weddings across Europe, meaning we see Sophie wearing hers with some frequency. The Countess received the Order in 2004.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex regularly represent the Queen at royal weddings across Europe, meaning we see Sophie wearing hers with some frequency. The Countess received the Order in 2004.
The Duchess of Cornwall was first seen wearing hers in 2007 and has sported it on many State occasions since. Interestingly, the Queen never awarded the honour to Sarah, Duchess of York. None of her granddaughters have been given it either. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie carry out engagements occasionally, however, neither are working royals and Zara Tindall doesn't have a title or carry out engagements on behalf of Her Majesty.
In others news, Kensington Palace confirmed William and Kate will visit Coach Core in Essex on Tuesday, 30 October. They will meet new apprentices, hear from graduates, and learn how the scheme in Essex is engaging a diverse local community with sport.
In others news, Kensington Palace confirmed William and Kate will visit Coach Core in Essex on Tuesday, 30 October. They will meet new apprentices, hear from graduates, and learn how the scheme in Essex is engaging a diverse local community with sport.
