Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wows in formal blue silk as she welcomes the Emir of Qatar and his wife for official visit to strengthen relations between the two countries

The Qatar royals were welcomed to the Noordeinde Castle in The Hague READ MORE: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wows in a ruby dress as she reopens a museum in Hindeloopen 

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wowed in a formal blue silk ensemble on Monday as she welcomed the Emir of Qatar and his wife for an official visit today.

The Dutch royal, 53, and her husband King Willem-Alexander hosted a reception and lunch for Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani at Noordeinde Castle in The Hague. 

The official visit is intended to strengthen the broad relationship between the Netherlands and Qatar. 

Queen Maxima looked as regal as ever in a blue silk blouse which she paired with a blue satin floor length skirt from the Belgian brand Natan. 

Despite the sunny weather, Maxima wore long sleeves, perhaps to reflect  the formal nature of the visit. 

Queen Maxima wowed in a formal blue silk ensemble on Monday as she welcomed the Emir of Qatar and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani (pictured with Maxima) for an official visit to the Netherlands

The stunning blouse featured a large bow closure, which highlighted a stunning royal blue jewelled necklace. 

Maxima, who usually opts for a chignon style up-do, wore her hair down for the occasion, adding an subtle hat. 

It is a look the mother-of-two has worn previously at a Christmas Music Gala in Bussum in 2023. 

Meanwhile Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, who is the Emir's third wife, also looked stunning in a similar silk skirt in an ivory shade. 

She opted for a white blazer with large statement buttons, also choosing to keep her shoulder-length locks loose. 

Their husbands King Willem-Alexander and Sheikh Tamim added to the formality of the occasion in a navy and deep blue suits.  

In Qatar the monarch and head of state is the most powerful position in the country and is responsible for developing foreign relations.

During their visit, the royal couple will hold meetings with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the presidents of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Queen Maxima looked as regal as ever in a blue silk blouse which she paired with a blue satin floor length skirt from the Belgian brand Natan

The Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani were received by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at Noordeinde Palace

Maxima, who usually opts for a chignon style up-do, wore her hair down for the occasion, adding an subtle hat

The main purpose of the visit is to further strengthen the broad relations between the Netherlands and Qatar.

In the morning a round table CEO discussion will be held in parallel with the official visit, covering a range of areas, including the water, sustainable energy, food and maritime sectors

A statement posted on the Dutch royal website read: 'The bilateral relationship between the Netherlands and Qatar has developed significantly in recent years.

'Qatar is an important partner for the Netherlands in the area of stability and security.

'The two countries work together on promoting peace and strengthening the international legal order. They also collaborate in the areas of sustainable energy, growing food sustainably for domestic use and the digitalisation of society.

'In addition, Qatar plays a major role in Dutch and European energy security, and will continue to do so in the years ahead.'

Emir Sheikh Tamim has thirteen children born between 2006 and 2020, seven sons and six daughters, from three wives.

Maxima repeated a 2023 look, while Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, who is the Emir's third wife, also looked stunning in a similar silk skirt in an ivory shade

The Dutch royal couple hosted the Emir and his wife for a lunch and reception to mark the start of their official visit to the country

Last week Maxima showed off her athletic side as she dressed in camouflage overalls to take part in a team exercise with Regiment Engineer Troops in the Netherlands.

Despite being outside her usual glamorous gowns, the queen proved she can look good in any style of colour as she matched soldiers in their green camouflage uniform.

She wore natural make-up with a hint of bronze to accentuate her strong cheek bones and opted to wear her shoulder length blonde hair down, avoiding any discomfort while wearing a hard military helmet.

She stepped out in what for many would be unflattering overalls, rolling her sleeves up to her elbows and getting ready to get stuck in.

The queen took part in a number of exercises with Regiment Engineer Troops in Den Bosch, showing she her ability to take on challenges glamorous or grubby.

Maxima re-opened the Hindeloopen, a cultural history museum in the Dutch town of Hindeloopen, which was previously closed for renovations.