The Royalty Nerd

The royals squeezed in one more state visit before the end of 2023, with the President and First Lady of South Korea visiting the Netherlands.

Day 1: Dec 12th-Amsterdam

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President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee were officially welcomed in Dam Square by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. It was clearly a bit chilly, but I thought both ladies looked wonderful on their own and together!

There was also a wreath laying ceremony before a private lunch with the King and Queen.

Later in the day, the King and the President attended a roundtable (literally), with Dutch and Korean CEO’s from the semiconductor business sector. This took place at ASML which is an organization that provides the technology for producing semiconductors. They got a look at the cleanroom where this tech is created:

The tech industry is a major focus of this short trip, as well as agriculture, and sustainability energy.

You know what a state visit means: a state banquet (well, usually).

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In the evening, the King and Queen hosted a banquet to mark the occasion. Queen Máxima rewore a gown from Costarellos and the Mellerio ruby tiara.

Honestly, I was very disappointed when I saw this. I’m all for re-wearing outfits, and I love when royals do it. However, this gown and tiara combo has been re-worn too often for me, and I need it to be retired for at least another few years. I can think of a few other red or burgundy gowns that Máxima has at her disposal that would have been perfect for the occasion and still a repeat. I know this sounds a bit whiny, but I need this repeat to be repeated less.

In any case though, I’m always happy to see heirloom jewels, and the Mellerio ruby tiara is one of the few big gun ruby tiaras in European collections. Here’s a better look:

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Day 2: Dec 13th-Amsterdam

Day two started with a visit to the Dutch Parliament by President Yoon. He also attended a government lunch that was attended by King Willem-Alexander.

They also met with Dutch veterans of the Korean War.

In the afternoon, they attended another business forum, this time between the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers and the Korea International Trade Association. During the final session, the President gave a speech, with the King sitting in the audience.

The evening ended with a return concert hosted by the President and First Lady.

The concert was a celebration of dance and classical Korean music. Queen Máxima bundled up in a Natan cape.

And with that, the very short trip came to an end!