Prince Willem-Alexander's 40th Birthday Celebrations: August 31-September 2, 2007

[highpriestess]

Comments re other dresses:

Mabel's: Love the dress! Lovely color for her and the drape and the style are excellent. She's one of the few who doesn't look preganent with the empire waist line or gathering at the waist.

Rosario's: Such a lovely woman with such a stern complexion. I never saw her smile for a photo. Lovely dress but it makes her breast look imbalanced.

Cristina's: I love the top but the style lines across the body and all that fabric at the bottom make her look wider and bigger at the bottom. It's not very flattering. She should have put some efforts into her makeup and hairdo.

Maxima's: Lovely color on her. The top is fine. The waist line and all the ruffles at the bottom that cling to her legs are the problem. They accentuate her hip and makes it look bigger. It's not flattering her. I also don't like the mismatched earings and necklace.

Mathild's: Great color for her. Great top. Equisite pin. But the empire waist line makes her look preganent.

I think the best dressed three women for the night are: Victoria (I love her dress in the big group photo where she took away the shaw. It's a great design although I wish the color were brighter.), Letizia and Mabel. Maxima and Mathilde are the runners-up.

[adelaide]

Generally speaking the young geneartion of "royals" are very elgant for this dinner except, I agree totally, the countess of Wessex, absolutly horrible. I don't understand why Rosario Ndal never is smiling, she has always a look of matryr, strange attitud.

The princes of Asturias perfectly at ease, as usual felipe in tuxedo is a true model of elegancy, and Letizia with her so simple dress but very refined in the composition is totally superb with her tanned skin and the pale gown.

The dress of the Princess of brabant is magnific but the orande is a very diffiult color to wear, I'm not sure that it match her very well, question of taste.

The Infanta Cristina is wearing a dress of Valentino, very beautiful, that she wore yet the last year, but yes shei s not at her top may be her make up I don't know.

Obviously Maxima totally splendid, her little girls very charming.

[Henri M.]

Best dressed:

1. Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands (unbelievable fit and radiating for a 40-years old mother of three)

2. Doña María del Carmen Carricart de Zorreguieta (understated, subdued but yet trés chique)

3. Princess Mabel, Countess Van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg (very modern and beautiful diamond-and-aquamarine earrings)



The art déco neclace á la the colourful style of René Lalique was the eyecatcher. Wonderful addition to Princess Máxima's jewelry box!

Wonerfully bejewelled was also Doña María Carolina de Borbón-Parma y Orange-Nassau, Princesa de Borbón-Parma, Marquesa de Sala. She wore diamonds from the Orange-Nassau Foundation. It is an eternal shame Prince Felipe saw nothing in this immensely blue-blooded, Catholic, Spanish speaking and excellently educated lady....



Worst dressed:

1. The Queen (I know it is the best, the most exquise and very expensive but she looks like a blown up strawberry)

2. Princess Rosario of Preslav (besides the depressed face, the gown did nothing but accentuated her anorexic look)

3. The Princess Edward, Countess of Wessex (Sophie often has misses with her gala wardrobe, I must say)

[Regina]

I love Máxima's colour dress. Strong colors are perfect for her!

Letizia was splendid tonight. I usually don't like her dresses but this one was precious.

Mathilde? What can I say about her? She was perfect (as usual!).

[highpriestess]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

The art déco neclace á la the colourful style of René Lalique was the eyecatcher. Wonderful addition to Princess Máxima's jewelry box!

I like her necklace. The flaboyance colors and the big size really suit Maxima. It just doesn't go with the diamond earings she wears.

[SASSY]

Originally Posted by Mandrake

Video from Nosnieuws.nl
Click on:

http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams...0901/wa_40.wmv

And from RTL nieuws.

Prins geeft verjaardagsfeest

Thanks for the video links! I've never heard P. Willem speak before...actually I've never heard the Dutch language spoken.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

Biggest disappointment: Fred and Mary absent. What a shame

Actually Crown Princess Mary was seen next to The Prince of Orange, admiring the fabulous fireworks in the Palace Park. The Princess and the Prince were seen on the rooftop of the palace, where there is a sort of colonnade. In former times Willem III and Mary II used to admire the same fireworks as well from there.



Picture from yesterday's fireworks.

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

2. Princess Rosario of Preslav (besides the depressed face, the gown did nothing but accentuated her anorexic look)

She always shows a depressed face.

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

Actually Crown Princess Mary was seen next to The Prince of Orange, admiring the fabulous fireworks in the Palace Park. The Princess and the Prince were seen on the rooftop of the palace, where there is a sort of colonnade. In former times Willem III and Mary II used to admire the same fireworks as well from there.



Picture from yesterday's fireworks.

well, a lady in the public thought she saw Princess Mary, I didn´t hear it from anybody else. It is more likely that the lady wrongly identified the Princess.

[Mandrake]

Originally Posted by SASSY

Thanks for the video links! I've never heard P. Willem speak before...actually I've never heard the Dutch language spoken.

Well I always think that Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish will probably sound equally 'exotic' for the English speaking community

[Marengo]

According to the RTL reporters the prince says he regards these royals as friends rather than collegues. She also said that Prince Phillipe and Princess Mathilde regularly go to Villa Eikenhorst on a Friday to stay with the Princes of Orange and his family.

[carlota]

i'm sorry, but i can't say maxima's mum dressed really nicely. as much as i love maxima, and as wonderful as she looked, i think the gown chosen by mrs. zorreguieta, who always does wonderfully at combining, didn't favour her at all. green and grey simply don't go together and the fabrics of the dress and shawl seem impossible to match. not her best, imo. she could have chosen something else, something as discrete (so not to overshadow the star of the day) but a bit more eye-catching.

[sjetajiem]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

Actually Crown Princess Mary was seen next to The Prince of Orange, admiring the fabulous fireworks in the Palace Park. The Princess and the Prince were seen on the rooftop of the palace, where there is a sort of colonnade. In former times Willem III and Mary II used to admire the same fireworks as well from there.



Picture from yesterday's fireworks.

Crownprince Frederik came just after 22.00 to the party due to some delay in his sailing-program.
His wife did not attend the party!!!
Prince Albert of Monaco also came later.

[Kelly]

[DNF] Fotoarchief Denieuwsfoto

The happiest I have seen Alexia! They all look wonderful. Maxima's dress does make her hips look a little too big though.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by Kelly

[DNF] Fotoarchief Denieuwsfoto

The happiest I have seen Alexia! They all look wonderful. Maxima's dress does make her hips look a little too big though.

I agree. She never was a phyiscally slender type anyway, but the 'babyfat' is still there and maybe she could better opt for a tulle or organza fluffed skirt indeed.

But her fantastic necklace and the beaming smile for the Prince she visibly adores so much,outshine her unlucky gown.

[Empress]

I think that she looks wonderful. She's had three children, and she still manages to look beautiful. I am happy that she isn't a stick figure. I am sick and tired of that being the role model for women. 100 years ago having curves was a good thing.

[Drottning]

Originally Posted by Empress

I think that she looks wonderful. She's had three children, and she still manages to look beautiful. I am happy that she isn't a stick figure. I am sick and tired of that being the role model for women. 100 years ago having curves was a good thing.

Excellently said!!!!!

[COUNTESS]

Originally Posted by Empress

I think that she looks wonderful. She's had three children, and she still manages to look beautiful. I am happy that she isn't a stick figure. I am sick and tired of that being the role model for women. 100 years ago having curves was a good thing.

Hear, hear. You are right, she looked wonderful. She has curves and doesn't look like she might blow away. She looks heathy, not like some.

[Henri M.]

In the nationwide newspaper De Telegraaf it was said that Princess Máxima's birthday gift to her spouse was a painted portrait of Princess Alexia, their second daughter.

Most likely The Prince, who is reported to be unconditionally devoted to his three daughters, will have appreciated this geste by his spouse.

The origins from necklace which looks very much alike the $ 2 million dollars tutti frutti necklace once owned by Daisy Fellowes, is unknown. Was it a gift of the Prince for his spouse? He seems to kiss her footsteps so it is not unlikely he wants to spoil her with fantastic jewels (the Princess already has the most jewels of all her colleagues, with exception of Camilla of course).

[Marengo]

Simular in design but the stones are completely different.