1 FEBRUARY 2002
Amsterdam took on a festive air on Thursday evening, as a gathering of royals from Europe and Asia flew into the city for a formal gala dinner and ball, commencing three days of celebrations for the marriage on Saturday of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander to his Argentine sweetheart, Maxima Zorreguieta. Among those attending the pre-wedding bash were the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Queen Sofia of Spain.

Reporting on the glittering event, HELLO! correspondent Lorna Hogg said Princess Mathilde of Belgium, who recently celebrated the birth of her first child, stood out in a particularly fine claret gown with spaghetti straps. The dress code for men was “smoking jackets”, while most of the ladies opted for dark colours – the exceptions being Queen Anne-Marie of Greece in an ice-blue gown, and Queen Sofia in fuchsia-pink. Sophie Wessex made a spectacular entrance in a charcoal one-shouldered flowing gown with deep blue wrap. However, all eyes were on the bride-to-be Maxima who led the dancing with Willem-Alexander in a stunning deep-apricot embroidered silk gown.

Also attending were Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit - whose marriage last August was the most recent congregation of European royalty - Princess Caroline of Monaco and Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito.

Queen Beatrix’s eldest son will exchange vows with Maxima in the city’s Nieuwe Kerk church at a ceremony attended by nearly 2,000 people, including Prince Charles, Prince Moulay Rashid of Morocco, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and former South African President Nelson Mandela. The wedding will also be televised around the world.

Hellomagazine.com will be providing constantly updated coverage of all the festivities on Saturday.