Lady in red: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands dazzles in a ruby tiara during a state visit to Prague

Tragically, King Willem died before Queen Emma could ever wear the set, and the royal wore the Mellerio Ruby Parure for the first time in a 1891 portrait to commemorate the coronation of their daughter, Queen Wilhelmina. Emma would continue to wear the tiara until her death in 1934, at which point her daughter inherited the piece, selecting it for such lavish occasions as the wedding gala of her daughter, Crown Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard in 1937, as well as in an official set of…