Queen Maxima’s husband steps behind camera for her 50th birthday portraits

Happy birthday,  Queen Maxima !  King Willem-Alexander  of the Netherlands’s wife turned 50 on Monday, May 17. The Dutch Royal House released three new portraits of Maxima on the eve of the Queen’s milestone birthday. The close-up shots were taken by the royal’s husband earlier this month in the garden of Huis ten Bosch Palace.

© RVD - HM de Koning

Maxima was photographed wearing a cream Massimo Dutti turtleneck sweater, floral earrings from Zara and a Saint Laurent Houndstooth Cape.

Ahead of her birthday, Queen Maxima admitted that she was not concerned about turning 50. “Get a little older every day,” she said (translated to English), according to RTL Boulevard.

Last week, the Dutch Queen, King and their daughters—Princess Catharina-Amalia, 17, Princess Alexia, 15, and Princess Ariane, 14—attended a special birthday concert for Maxima. The royal mom of three exuded glamour wearing a gown by Iris van Herpen for the family outing.

© RVD - HM de Koning

During the concert, held at the Royal Theater Carré, the King’s wife was given a musical birthday cake with fifty candles. Per More Music in the Classroom, which Maxima is honorary president of, the Queen’s cake symbolized her wish for structural music education for all primary school children in the Netherlands and the Caribbean.

In honor of her 50th birthday, the Queen sat down for a “candid conversation about life, love and work” with Matthijs van Nieuwkerk. The interview will air Monday on NPO 1.