Queen Máxima Revisits Her "Powerful" Wedding Earrings

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander posing in 2026; The couple smiling on their wedding day in 2002

(Image credit: Alamy; Getty Images)

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary on Monday, February 2, and the glamorous Dutch queen brought back some sentimental jewels for the occasion.

Máxima wore her diamond wedding earrings as she joined her husband for an engagement in support of Oranje Fonds, the philanthropic organization that was established to honor their 2002 royal wedding.

She accented her pear-shaped diamond drop earrings, which feature a flower-shaped stud at the top, with a new gray cape dress by Vanessa Seward x Beggxco and black knee-high boots.

Oliver Hobart, jewelry expert and creative director at wholesale jeweler 925E, tells Marie Claire that Máxima’s wedding earrings made "a quietly powerful jewelry statement" at the event.

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander holding hands and smiling on their 2002 wedding day — Máxima and Willem-Alexander are seen on their wedding day in 2002.

"We often see milestone anniversaries marked not by new acquisitions, but by archival pieces," Hobart explains. "It signals confidence and emotional security. You don’t need novelty when legacy already exists."

He continues that rewearing wedding jewelry is "a deliberate return to origin—a visual reminder of commitment, continuity and personal history expressed through design."

Elaborating on the cluster-and-drop design of Máxima's earrings, Hobart says this style is "often chosen for wedding jewelry because they frame the face with light while maintaining movement."

Queen Maxima wearing a gray cape — Máxima wears her wedding earrings on her 24th anniversary.

"The upper cluster provides presence and heritage styling, while the drop adds fluidity and grace," he explains. "It’s a combination that reads as ceremonial without feeling heavy."

Even though the Dutch royals were attending a daytime charity event, the diamond drop earrings felt perfectly appropriate for the occasion.

Hobart tells Marie Claire that the design feels "refined, not ostentatious," adding, "That restraint is what makes the gesture credible. Anniversary jewelry should feel anchored, not theatrical."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.