Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is elegant in a dusty pink dress as she attends WWII commemoration service

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands cut an elegant figure as she joined a war commemoration event in Mesch.

The royal, 53, donned a dusty pink dress for the occasion with a statement belt feature.

She accompanied the outfit with a matching floral fascinator and a pair of brown suede heeled shoes.

Today's celebrations marked the country's 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazi occupation.

King Willem-Alexander accompanied Maxima for the occasion and looked dapper in a navy suit and light blue tie.  

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked chic in a pink dress as she arrived at the national start of the celebration of 80 years of freedom in Mesch

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked chic in a pink dress as she arrived at the national start of the celebration of 80 years of freedom in Mesch

The royal couple greeted World War II veteran Kenneth Thayer, 99, at the event and joined him a jeep.

Children lined the area waving Dutch flags as the royals and Kenneth entered the remembrance event in an army jeep.

Maxima held onto a colourful bouquet of flowers as she walked arm-in-arm with Kenneth.

Her long, blonde tresses were styled into a sleek updo, and Maxima opted for a glamorous make-up look that accentuated her eyes.

Walking arm-in-arm with the Dutch queen, American World War II veteran Kenneth Thayer returned on Thursday to the tiny Dutch village that he and others in the 30th Infantry Division liberated from Nazi occupation exactly 80 years ago.

Thayer, now 99, visited Mesch, a tiny village of about 350 people in the hills close to the Dutch borders with Belgium and Germany, and was greeted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima for a ceremony beginning nearly a year of events marking the anniversary of the country's liberation.

After Thayer and the king and queen were driven in a vintage military truck into the village along a mud track through orchards and fields, Maxima reached out and gave a hand of support to Thayer as he walked to his seat to watch the ceremony paying tribute to the American liberators.

American troops from the 30th Infantry Division, known as Old Hickory, were among Allied forces that liberated parts of Belgium and the southern Netherlands from German occupation in September 1944.

The royal mother-of-three walked into the event with World War II veteran Kenneth Thayer (pictured)

The royal mother-of-three walked into the event with World War II veteran Kenneth Thayer (pictured)

The Dutch royal couple were photographed chatting to Kenneth Thayer before getting into an army jeep

The Dutch royal couple were photographed chatting to Kenneth Thayer before getting into an army jeep

The 53-year-old royal looked animated as she greeted children lining the event with Dutch flags

The 53-year-old royal looked animated as she greeted children lining the event with Dutch flags

Maxima and World War II veteran Kenneth Taylor walked into the remembrance event arm-in-arm

Maxima and World War II veteran Kenneth Taylor walked into the remembrance event arm-in-arm

Today's event marked the country's 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazi occupation

Today's event marked the country's 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazi occupation

Thayer still recalls the day. He said he was sent out on a reconnaissance mission the night before the liberation and saw no Germans.

'And so we went up the next day and we found that I had accidentally crossed the border and, we didn't think anything of it, you know, it was just another day on the front line,' he said.

While Thayer was one of the guests of honor at the event, he paid tribute to his comrades who didn't make it through the war and said he was representing them.

'It wasn't just me and there (are) hundreds and hundreds of guys who didn't make it. They're not here, you know,' he said.

Residents of Mesch were among the first Dutch citizens to taste postwar freedom, at about 10 a.m. on Sept. 12, 1944, when Thayer and other American infantry troops crossed the border from Belgium. 

A day later, they reached Maastricht, the provincial capital of Limburg and the first Dutch city to be liberated. It would take several months more for the whole country to finally be freed.

The fighting in Belgium, the Netherlands and into Germany took a heavy toll on American forces. An American cemetery in the nearby village of Margraten holds the graves of 8,288 servicemen and women.

In an enduring symbol of Dutch gratitude to their liberators, local people have 'adopted ' all the graves, visiting them regularly and bringing flowers on birthdays and other special days.

The royal appeared delighted after accepting a bouquet of brightly coloured flowers from a young child

The royal appeared delighted after accepting a bouquet of brightly coloured flowers from a young child

Maxima opted for a full face of makeup for the occasion, complete with black mascara and pink lipstick

Maxima opted for a full face of makeup for the occasion, complete with black mascara and pink lipstick

The King and Queen of the Netherlands and Kenneth Taylor arrived in a green army Jeep

The King and Queen of the Netherlands and Kenneth Taylor arrived in a green army Jeep

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander looked animated as they entered the event

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander looked animated as they entered the event

It comes after Queen Maxima looked the part as she visited a laboratory during the opening of a new factory of NX Filtration on Wednesday in Hengelo.

The Dutch royal, 53, ditched her usual glam attire in exchange for a lab coat and safety glasses as she helped make a membrane in the laboratory during her visit.

However, before the mother-of-three got stuck into science experiments, she showcased her usual sophisticated style in a baby blue floral dress.

She completed the chic look with dark green stilettos, a matching beret style hat and clutch bag.

Meanwhile, she accessorised with gold drop earrings, which featured blue stones, and a slew of silver bracelets. 

Maxima appeared in good spirits as she was shown around the grounds of the new company.

The Dutch Queen showed her caring side as she helped the veteran out of the army jeep

The Dutch Queen showed her caring side as she helped the veteran out of the army jeep

The royal couple smiled as they arrived at the event in Mesch in the army jeep

The royal couple smiled as they arrived at the event in Mesch in the army jeep 

King Willem-Alexander put on a dapper display in a crisp navy suit and a light blue tie

King Willem-Alexander put on a dapper display in a crisp navy suit and a light blue tie

The NX Filtration factory produces filters to purify water, based on nano-membrane technology in it's factory.

Earlier this week, she also appeared in high spirits as she opened a new clinic in south Holland.

She cut an elegant figure in a burnt orange ensemble to officially open the new outpatient Endometriosis Clinic at the Reiner de Graaf Hospital in Delft.

The mother-of-three sported a long-sleeved blouse with ruffles and a pair of high waisted trousers in a matching shade.

She accessorised with matching chrome heels and a chunky velvet headband, enhancing her sophisticated look.

The royal was smiling as she chatted with children outside the hospital after accepting a bouquet of flowers ahead of the event.

Maxima opened the new clinic, which will treat outpatients with endometriosis - a condition where tissue like the lining of the womb grows in other places, including the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis affects the physical and mental health of one in ten women in the UK from puberty to menopause, though the impact may persist for life, according to Endometriosis UK.