King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands honours Dutch athlete

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands awarded a Dutch former tennis ace the Order of the House of Orange during a small ceremony in The Hague on Monday, as a radiant Queen Máxima looked on. 

The Dutch King, 57, placed the orange coloured medal attached to a wide orange ribbon around the neck of former professional tennis player Richard Krajicek, 52, at Noordeinde Palace, the royal residence used for official receptions. 

The honour is reserved for those who have made a significant mark on Dutch society. 

The only Dutch male player to have won a major singles title, Krajicek triumphed at Wimbledon in 1996 after famously knocking out Pete Sampras in the quarterfinals. 

In 1997, the former tennis player launched the Krajicek Foundation to help children in deprived areas of the Netherlands establish an active and healthy lifestyle and develop confidence through playing sports. 

The small ceremony was attended only by King Willem-Alexander, Krajicek, Krajicek’s wife, Dutch TV presenter and former model Daphne Deckers, and Queen Máxima.

While the two men looked dapper in suits and ties, their wives added some glamour to the proceedings in outfits in different shades of blue. 

Queen Máxima, 53, sported a turquoise, satin suit for the occasion, which she was first photographed in in April at a reception in The Hague for the President of Nigeria. 

Worn over a simple white top, Queen Máxima’s fitted blazer cinched in at the waist while the matching wide-leg trousers made for a truly modern look.

The mother-of-three wore her blond hair loose and brushed back behind her ears to reveal a pair of turquoise and gold earrings. 

Daphne Deckers, who married Krajicek in 1999, looked equally elegant in a blue, knee-length dress. 

The occasion had a celebratory spirit as the Dutch royals and their guests toasted with champagne and King Willem-Alexander made a speech. 

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are back in the Netherlands after a trip to New York City last week, where the pair put on a loved-up display. 

The Dutch royals finished their four-day tour of America on a high with a stroll along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

Walking arm-in-arm, they met local residents and took in some of the city’s most well-known sights.

The King and Queen looked striking in matching ensembles – Máxima in an elegant blue dress with a sheer, patterned layer over the top and her husband in an electric blue suit with a pale blue tie.

The couple were seen posing against the backdrop of the Hudson River and New York’s impressive skyline, before taking a walk along Brooklyn Heights Promenade arm in arm. 

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima  arrived in America last Monday (June 10) for a four-day tour of America, beginning their visit in Atlanta and Savannah in Georgia before travelling north to Albany and New York City.