It's been far too long since we've had royal wedding hattery fun on the blog, hasn't it?  Good thing the Dutch royals were happy to oblige us today!

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Listen, Irene, I know it's difficult to be the mother of the groom at a wedding, but seriously.  It looks like you took a cutting of Marilène's fascinator and transplanted it into your own head.  This is sprouting in such a bad way!

Maybe if it were the same pearly gray as her suit?  Oh, I don't know.  It's just not right!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

HRH The Prince of Orange and Miss Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti
February 2, 2002

Here's our third crown princely wedding in the run up to Crown Princess Victoria's June nuptials -- less than a month now!  The crown prince of The Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, wed Argentine investment banker Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002. 

The wedding was not without controversy; Máxima's father, Jorge Zorreguieta Stefanini, was a minister in the administration of Argentine dictator Jorge Videla.  Videla's government carried out what was called a "Dirty War," killing tens of thousands of Argentine citizens, and Zorreguieta's involvement was suspect.  However, the Dutch States-General granted permission for the couple to marry -- but neither of Máxima's parents attended the wedding.

Since their marriage, Máxima's relaxed and friendly personality has become quite popular with the Dutch people.  She and Willem-Alexander have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Hereditary Princess of Orange (who will likely one day be queen), Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane.

Wedding Hatters

We've seen plenty of Queen Beatrix's sister Margriet on the blog, but now I get to introduce you to the other two royal sisters of the family!  The two new princesses here are Princess Irene (in blue) and Princess Christina (in purple).  The man in the photo is their father, Prince Bernhard, who died in 2004.

Irene and Christina's own marriages have interesting connections to this particular royal wedding.  Like their nephew, Willem-Alexander, both Irene and Christina fell in love with and married Roman Catholics (Irene wed, against the wishes of her family, the politically-controversial Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma, and Christina married Cuban-born Jorge Pérez y Guillermo). 

Unlike W-A, though, the women lost their positions in the Dutch succession when they married; although there are many Catholics in The Netherlands, the primarly Protestant country has had a sometimes-complicated relationship with Catholicism, dating from .  Though there's no prohibition on heirs marrying Catholics (like there still is in Britain today), all marriages do have to be approved by the Dutch States-General.  Neither Irene nor Christina sought that approval, and so they lost their places in the line of succession.

By 2002, attitudes had changed somewhat.  Prince Willem-Alexander retained his position as heir upon marrying Máxima; however, even though she did not convert, the couple has agreed to raise their children as Protestants.

As far as the hats go, I think Irene has to win this contest; her royal blue hat with black feathers looks appropriately chic for a royal wedding but also whimsical and special.  Christina's hat is one of my favorite colors, purple, but the style is a little dated, especially the flippy edge of the brim.