Prize Presentation Pearls and Diamonds for the Queen of the Netherlands

On Thursday, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was vibrant in apple red—plus diamonds and pearls—for the presentation of this year’s Apples of Orange prizes in The Hague.

Each year, the Orange Fund, a charity founded in 2002 to celebrate King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima’s wedding, awards the Appeltjes van Oranje to projects focused on social cohesion and participation. The winners receive a cash prize of 25,000 euros and a bronze statuette of an apple, which was designed by Princess Beatrix. Willem-Alexander, Máxima, and Beatrix were all on hand for the awards ceremony this year at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.

Ten organizations were nominated for this year’s prizes. The three winners were Doors Wide Open (pictured above), a drop-in community center and shop in Goor; the Mega D Youth Foundation, dedicated to empowering young people on the island of St. Eustatius; and the grand prize winner, Stek Den Haag–Buurt & Lukas, a support center for vulnerable people in The Hague.

Queen Máxima presented the prizes wearing a new dress in an appropriate shade of candy-apple red. Over at ModeKoninginMaxima, Josine Droogendijk speculates that—no big surprises—it might be a Natan creation.

With the dress, Máxima wore a pair of diamond rosette earrings from the family vault, from which she suspended lovely pearl drops. The earrings can be worn with different pendants. Princess Mabel has worn them on more than one occasion, including a memorable outing with diamond drops.

She also added two familiar bracelets, one set with rubies and diamonds and the other with sapphires and diamonds. The tennis-style bracelets are two from a set of three that also includes an emerald and diamond bracelet.

For the ceremony, Princess Beatrix wore a blouse with a blue paisley print, paired with diamond and sapphire flower earrings and a coordinating brooch. She finished off the look with one of her favorite necklaces, which is strung with flat metallic disks.