Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma has such good memories at Soestdijk Palace, where as a little girl she came to visit her grandparents. This November 21, the cousin of the Dutch sovereign returned to Soestdijk to inaugurate an exhibition dedicated to the wonders of the Court.
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La princesse Margarita inaugurate l'exposition « Shining on Soestdijk »
Maya Meijer-Bergmans, current owner of Soestdijk Palace, was happy to welcome Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma, 52, back to her estate. Princess Margarita, daughter of Princess Irene of the Netherlands, returned to her grandparents' palace to inaugurate the new exhibition masterfully put together by Nicole Uniquole.
This November 21, 2024, Princess Margarita, Countess of Colorno, respected her annual commitment, going to Soestdijk to inaugurate the exhibition dedicated to the wonders of life at Court. Last year, Maya Meijer-Bergmans and Nicole Uniquole had already benefited from the presence of Princess Margarita to inaugurate an exhibition which paid tribute to the women who lived in Soestdijk.
This Thursday, the niece of former Queen Beatrix threw a handful of golden confetti on the front doorstep of the palace to inaugurate the “Schitteren op Soestdijk” exhibition. Princess Margarita, sister of the Duke of Parma, then visited the exhibition which includes pieces from the Royal Collections, the Amsterdam Diamond Museum, Het Loo Palace and private collections. These are original pieces and replicas of jewelry and clothing linked to the royal family. Brooches, tiaras and other accessories made of precious metals are on display.
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Princess Margarita puts Benchellal in the spotlight to unveil royal jewelry and tiaras in Soestdijk
The exhibition also includes a gallery of photos by Patrick van Katwijk, a photographer who has followed the daily activities of the royal family for many years. A room is also dedicated to Dutch creators. Benchellal, Claes Iversen, Iris van Herpen, Edwin Oudshoorn, Hans van Bentem, Verhoeven Twins and Dirk van der Kooij present one or more pieces from their collections. The exhibition is on view from November 22 until February 23, 2025.
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Princess Margarita wore an ensemble by Benchellal for this visit. Mohamed Benchellal is a young designer of Moroccan origin, born in the Netherlands in 1984. He trained in fashion in Amsterdam and launched his brand in his name in 2015. He has already built a name for himself in fashion, having notably won the Vogue Fashion Prize in 2020 and 2023, he was the winner of the important prize from the Fashion Stipend Cultural Fund. Queen Máxima has already worn several of her sculptural outfits. Queen Letizia of Spain also wore a Benchellal creation during her visit to the Netherlands in April.
Visitors can admire a replica of the tiara worn by Queen Máxima at her husband's inauguration as well as a replica of the famous Stuart tiara. Princess Margarita, a jewelry designer herself, certainly enjoyed being able to admire the replicas of the Mellerio Ruby Tiara and the Württemberg Tiara up close. Among the historic garments are a coat of Queen Julian from 1930 and a gala dress that Princess Beatrix wore to the ball held the day before her wedding at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on March 9, 1966.
Built around 1650 for the mayor of Amsterdam, it was his wife, Catharina Hooft, who truly transformed the Soestdijk building into a luxurious pleasure residence. The residence, located less than 40 kilometers from Amsterdam, will be expanded and become a hunting lodge for the stadholders in the 18th century, then it will become the property of the royal family on the return of the Orange-Nassau to the Netherlands. Princess Irene, mother of Princess Margarita, was born at Soestdijk Palace in 1939, along with two of her sisters, Beatrix (1938) and Christina (1947-2019). Former Queen Juliana and her husband Prince Bernhard, who both died in 2004, were the last royal residents of this white palace, which was later sold by the royal family. Maya Meijer-Bergmans is the current owner of the palace. She and her husband bought the castle in 2017 when the Dutch state separated from it.
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