Queen Máxima turned up at one of her favorite events of the year amid her quiet season. This Tuesday, the queen and King Willem-Alexander made a private visit to Dutch Design Week (DDW), the largest design festival in Northern Europe.
© ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSENMáxima and Willem's outing wasn't on the official schedule, with the couple enjoying the festival as private citizens. They stopped at a string of exhibitors’ stands and took time to chat with several of the designers showing their work.
One of those conversations was with designer Ineke Otte, becoming a moment that she'll never forget. Otte is the creative force behind the eye-catching mussel-shell necklace Máxima wore in April 2022, still one of the boldest pieces in a jewelry wardrobe famous for its daring. This time, their encounter was completely unplanned.
Otte recounted the moment on Instagram. The queen suddenly appeared beside her, and when Otte said hello, Máxima noticed her clam bracelet. She then told her how nice it was to see her again, complimenting her colorful look. The two chatted briefly while the queen warmly held Otte’s arms and a security guard took photos. Otte also got to speak with King Willem-Alexander, describing the experience as a special, spontaneous encounter.
Designer David van der Veldt also had his own royal moment. “Yes, it was really nice,” he told the local newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad (ED). “I knew the Queen would be coming, but of course I didn’t expect her to talk to me too. When she did, I thought: ‘I could offer to have her sit with me on my sofa,’” he said.
Máxima’s fondness for DDW is no secret. She officially opened the festival’s 25th edition in October 2025, and she toured the event in 2023. Earlier visits stretch back to 2011 and 2016.
Máxima’s well-earned break
Tuesday's appearance came 12 days after the royal couple’s last official engagement, when they presided over the Appeltjes van Oranje (Apples of Orange) awards at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. The annual prizes, handed out by the Oranje Fonds, honor three social initiatives across the kingdom.
Since that ceremony, Máxima’s calendar has been cleared until the end of October. Part of the reason is the start of the autumn school holidays in the Netherlands. The rest is strategy: the Dutch Crown has grown careful about rationing its most popular royal’s public exposure, and a well-timed pause keeps the queen from wearing out her welcome.
© Patrick van Katwijk
