WEDDING FLOWERS: Belgian Royalty
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Showing posts with label Belgian Royalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belgian Royalty. Show all posts

The royal look of love


It's a landmark to love and Philippe and Mathilde looked more than loved up on their visit to this special place. On day one of their State Visit to India, the King and Queen of the Belgians spent some time at the Taj Mahal and couldn't have been more romantic if they tried. The couple only had eyes for each other despite being accompanied by a huge diplomatic delegation and quite a lot of media. Today was all about the royal look of love.




The visit to the monument to love, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal in the 17th century, came at the start of a six day visit which will take Philippe and Mathilde to several parts of India including Mumbai and New Delhi. The focus of the trip is, as always, on ties between the two countries. But the memory of today is the loved up king and queen.

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It's perhaps appropriate that a couple approaching their 20th wedding anniversary (they wed in 1999) should really show the romance at a monument to eternal love. Philippe and Mathilde have never been the most PDA packing royal couples but it's hard to think of a regal pair who have looked just so happy in each other's company at this special place for romance. And just to prove how deep the love really runs, the best photo of the lot was a portrait of the Queen of the Belgians taken by her husband at the Taj Mahal and shared on the official Instagram account. Mathilde looks just so happy while the image is taken with so much love it squeaks. What a way to start a State Visit. The royal look of love has made us all warm and jolly.

Photo credit: MonarchieBe Twitter

Royal Social Media: October's Instagram hits


Social media is fast becoming THE way royal houses choose to communicate. In an age where news moves faster than fast and often gets boiled down to a few words and a picture or two, official social media channels help set the agenda while keeping a seemingly insatiable appetite for royal stories going. What the royal houses choose to post on their official Instagram accounts tells us what they want to show to the world. What gets the most likes tells us just what hits a nerve. So to see what really got royal audiences going in October, here's a run down of the most popular Instagram posts on each official royal account. It's going to be busy - we're off to a swimming pool, climbing trees and trying out a bit of ballet. And you have to wait til the end for the biggest hit of the month. Grab the tea and biccies and enjoy October's royal social media hits.







Let's start with the best photo of the month, a future king and queen apparently under water. We know Mary and Fred are pretty unflappable but even they need help not to appear soaking wet while apparently under water. The royal couple were photographed at the famous ''Swimming Pool Illusion'' artwork by Leandro Erlich at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa during their visit to Japan this month. It is, of course, an optical illusion but left us all with a fab photo of the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark. It was a huge hit on the official Danish Royal Household Instagram account, winning 16.2k likes, more even than the new photo of Prince Christian taken to mark his 12th birthday which wasn't far behind with 15.1k likes.



It shows the power of a good photo. Usually birthday portraits are a sure fire for the most liked any month of the year. That was the case in Belgium where a new photo of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant was shared to mark her 16th birthday and won just over 1,500 likes. It doesn't sound a lot when you look at the numbers for other royal accounts but this is the smallest of the official regal Instagram accounts and photos average around 300 likes. The total for the new portraits of the heir to the throne are big for this channel.



Another relatively small and new channel is the one belonging to the Norwegian Royal Household which began by sharing photos of the places and people visited by the family on their travels. Now it focuses much more on the royals themselves and the likes are jumping as a result. The most popular photo here in October was one of three generations of royal women opening a new sculpture in the park named after future Norwegian queen, Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The second in line to the throne was snapped with her mum, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her granny, Queen Sonja, on an autumnal day and the result was liked over 2,900 times. The photo itself is a great example of why social media can work so well for royalty. It's not the best quality shot (blurred here and there) and hardly formal but it's got a real behind the scenes feel as Mette-Marit looks on proudly at her little girl who is, herself, taking the camera on with confidence. Easy to see why it was published and liked.

OK, we've done the swimming pool, time to climb a tree. Clarence House went through a phase of sharing so much on its Instagram feed it was hard to keep up. It also comes a long way behind in the number of likes compared to the two other accounts run by the British royals and this month's most popular image is interesting in that regards. Despite plenty of photos of Charles and Camilla going about their royal business, top of the tree was an owl having a snooze. It is a fab photo, there's no doubt about that, and if you stop and read the post that goes with it, it's also a rather clever way of promoting a cause close to Prince Charles' heart. There is lots of information there about the owl himself and why such care is being taken around him and his habitat. Saving the planet without getting everyone's back up - perhaps Prince William needs to take a few lessons from papa.



While Instagram is a very modern medium, sometimes history can't be beaten. The most liked photo on the Royal Family's official account came from 1958. The image of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh meeting members of the Royal Ballet after a performance almost fifty years ago scored 37.5k likes. But then what's not to love about the pure divadom of the ballet stars as they curtsey to the Queen in one of her sparkliest tiaras? Social media is all about moments and this is 



Social media can also let some very serious moments take on the significance they need. On October 5th 2017, the high profile politician, Eberhard van der Laan, died after a very public battle with lung cancer. He was 62 and had given up his tenure as Mayor of Amsterdam less than three weeks earlier. The Dutch Royal Household posted a poignant tribute to Mr van der Laan with a personal message from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima who underlined their admiration for his love for Amsterdam and his desire to help others. They also offered their condolences to his family. Over 12,000 people showed their support for this post.





New beginnings also featured high on the most liked royal Instagrams of October 2017. After keeping us waiting for several weeks, Prince Gabriel of Sweden finally starred in his own official portraits. The little prince, born on August 31st 2017, was snapped in the arms of his father, Prince Carl Philip, while mummy Sofia cuddled big brother, Alexander. The photos won 35.5k likes - hardly a surprise to learn they are the most popular on the official Swedish royal account. When were new baby photos ever going to be anything other than completely and totally loved?



But the most popular photo shared on official royal Instagram accounts in October was all about a major story for 2018. The first official appearance of the Duchess of Cambridge following the announcement that she is expecting her third baby was always going to get people excited so it's perhaps no surprise that the photo of Kate with William at a reception to mark World Mental Health Day got just so much love. It won 127k likes, making it easily the most popular photo on the always popular Kensington Palace account. We can expect royal social media to be dominated by the new baby, due in April 2018. No doubt there will be plenty of posts to come - the likes are bound to follow.

8 royal birthdays for October


Some months are awash with royal birthdays and while October can't quite match the cake baking, card sending regal frenzy of September it doesn't do too badly on the celebrations front. Some royal houses seem to be particularly fond of October babies (not looking at anywhere in particular here, Belgium) but there's a good spread of royal birthdays going on this month. So get the cake ready and the cards written, here are eight royal birthdays for October.






Prince Emmanuel of Belgium is 12 on October 4th
Emmanuel Leopold Guillaume Marie, second son and third child of Phillipe and Mathilde of Belgium, was born on October 4th 2005 at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht. Fourth in line to the throne at the time of his birth he moved up to third behind his sister, Elisabeth, and his brother, Gabriel, on the accession of their father as King of the Belgians on July 21st 2013. He attends school in Kessel-Lo and accompanies his parents on an increasing number of engagements.



The Duke of Kent is 82 on October 9th
Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick of Kent was born on October 9th 1935 at Number 3 Belgrave Square, London,the first child of George, Duke of Kent and his wife, Marina. He succeeded to his father's title in 1942 when the Duke of Kent was killed in a plane crash. He performed royal engagements from an early age and still maintains a busy schedule of events on behalf of the Queen. He married Katherine Worsley in 1961 and the couple now has three children and ten grandchildren.




Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands is 48 on October 11th
Constantijn Christof Frederik Ashwin is the third son of former Dutch queen, Beatrix, and her late husband, Claus. He was born on October 11th 1969 in Utrecht when his mother was still heir to the throne. Prince Constantijn trained in law and business and married Laurentien Brinkhorst in 2001 - the couple has three children. Constantijn, brother of King Willem-Alexander, is currently fourth in line to the throne of the Netherlands.



Prince Christian of Denmark is 12 on October 15th
Christian Valdemar Henri John, first child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, was born on October 15th 2005 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Second in line to his country's throne from birth, his name was first revealed - as is traditional for Denmark's royals - at his christening in January 2006. Christian lives with his parents and three siblings in Copenhagen where he attends school.


Prince Laurent of Belgium is 54 on October 19th 
Laurent Baudouin Benoit Marie was born on October 19th 1963 at the Chateau de Belvedere, near Laeken. The second son and third child of the then Prince and Princess of Liege, Albert and Paola, he was born third in line to his country's throne and has since seen his father and older brother succeed as monarchs. Prince Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003 and the couple has a daughter and twin sons. 



Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant, is 16 on October 25th
Elisabeth Therese Marie Helene was born on October 25th 2001 at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht. She was the first child of Philippe, then heir to the throne of Belgium, and his wife, Mathilde. On her father's accession as King of the Belgians on July 21st 2013 she became the first female heir to the throne in her country's history and on her accession she will be its first queen regnant. Elisabeth, as first in line, takes the title of Duchess of Brabant. She attends school in Brussels where she lives with her parents and three siblings.






Princess Margaretha of Sweden is 83 on October 31st
Margaretha Desiree Victoria of Sweden was born on October 31st 1934 at the Haga Palace near Stockholm, the first child of Prince Gustaf Adolf and his wife, Princess Sybilla. Her father was then second in line to his country's throne but was killed in a plane crash in 1947 leaving Margaretha's nine month old brother, Carl Gustaf, as future heir. Margaretha married John Ambler in 1964 and the couple had three children. Princess Margaretha, eldest sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, now lives in England.

  
  Princess Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias is 12 on October 31st
Leonor de Todos los Santos, Princess of Asturias, was born on October 31st 2005 at the Ruber Clinic in Madrid, the first child of the then heir to the throne of Spain, Felipe, and his wife, Letizia, On her father's accession as King of Spin on June 19th 2014, Leonor became heir to the throne and took the title Princess of Asturias. She lives in Madrid with her parents and sister, Sofia, and attends school there.

5 September Royal Brides


Princess Claire of Luxembourg was a September royal bride
(photo Grand Court Ducale/ Guy Wolff)

September isn't the most popular month for royal weddings. Summer holidays are still coming to an end and everyone's getting back into the swing of the royal agenda. That's not to say the month is a marriage free zone and to prove it here are five September royal brides.






Claire Margareta Lademacher, September 17th and 21st 2013


Claire Lademacher was a royal bride twice over in September 2013 when she married the second in line to the throne of Luxembourg, Prince Felix. The couple wed in a civil ceremony in Germany on September 17th and again in a religious ceremony in Saint-Maximilien-La-Sainte-Baume in France four days later. Princess Claire has worked in bioethics and carries out occasional royal engagements. Felix and Claire have a two year old daughter, Amalia, with this royal bride expecting her second baby in October 2016.



Sophie Lara Winkleman, September 12th 2009


Sophie Winkleman was known as a TV actress before her royal romance with Lord Frederick Windsor became public. The Cambridge graduate announced her engagement to Frederick, son of the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent, on Valentine's Day 2009 and the couple married on September 12th that year at Hampton Court Palace. Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor have two daughters, Maud who is now three, and Isabella, who was born in January this year.



Tessy Antony, September 29th 2006


Tessy Antony was a controversial royal bride when she said 'I do' to the third son of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg on September 29th 2006. She was just twenty, the groom had just turned twenty one and they had had a son together six months earlier. Tessy had met her husband, Prince Louis of Luxembourg, while serving in the country's army and their royal romance made headlines around the world. Their marriage in Gilsdorf in Luxembourg got plenty of global attention. However, there was no fairytale ending. The couple, who welcomed a second son in 2007, divorced in 2017. 


  


Princess Astrid Josephine-Charlotte Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie of Belgium, September 22nd 1984


Princess Astrid of Belgium, second child and only daughter of the then Prince and Princess of Liege, married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este on September 22nd 1984 in Brussels. Her marriage gave her the title of Imperial and Royal Highness and seven years later she became the daughter of a monarch when her father became King Albert II of the Belgians. A change in the succession law gave her rights to the throne of Belgium for the first time soon after her father's reign began. Astrid and Lorenz went on to have five children and in May 2016, this royal bride became a grandmother for the first time with the arrival of Anna Astrid, the daughter of her elder son, Amadeo.

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Princess Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark, September 18th 1964

Anne-Marie of Denmark became Queen of Greece on her wedding day, September 18th 1964, but while her road to her royal wedding was bumpy, life afterwards would prove even more turbulent. Her groom was King Constantine II of Greece who had inherited a tricky throne from his father, King Paul, in early 1964. By then he had made it clear he wanted to marry Anne-Marie, youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark, who he had met when she was thirteen and he was accompanying his parents on a state visit to her home country. They announced their engagement in July 1964 and on September 18th that year, at the age of eighteen, Anne-Marie married Constantine in Athens. They would go on to have five children together but much of their married life was lived in exile after the Greek monarchy fell. The couple now have a home again in Greece and have welcomed nine grandchildren to their family.

The Summery Summary: Belgium


As the warm months of July and August pass into history, it's time to sum up what the royals were up to in the summer. And where better to start than in Belgium where September 1st means back to school for the youngest members of the Royal Family and a boosted agenda for the grown ups. The headlines from the past couple of months give us a good idea of how the holiday season was spent - here's the summery summary for Belgium's royals.



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The highlight of the Belgian summer is always National Day which falls on July 21st and which marks the start of the reign of King Philippe who took the throne on that day in 2013 when his father, Albert II, abdicated. This year, the festivities took place in sunshine, starting with the traditional Te Deum where the family was pretty in pink.




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The military parade followed with the royal children, led by Princess Elisabeth, stealing the show before mum and dad headed off by themselves for evening celebrations.





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We'd already enjoyed a family day out that month when the King and Queen of the Belgians took their two daughters and two sons to the coast to see a lifesaving exercise and enjoy a day by the seaside.  The family were later snapped on their annual visit to l'Ile d'Yeu.




There was another major set of engagements for King Philippe and Queen Mathilde in July when they led royal remembrances at the 100th commemoration of the Battle of Passchensdaele where they were joined by the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.




Prince Gabriel, second in line to the throne, turned 14 on August 20th when his family shared a new photo of him taken at the National Day celebrations just weeks earlier.




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Meanwhile, Prince Laurent continued in his role as chief commotion causer when he tweeted photos of himself taking part in events marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army at the Chinese embassy in Brussels. Laurent had previously been banned from meeting foreign dignitaries without express permission. His official Twitter account was deleted and he lost part of his annual allowance following the incident on July 29th. Laurent was last seen at an official event eight days earlier when he attended National Day celebrations.




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But this summer was, above all, about family and while this is a summary of July and August, let's sneak in a photo from the very end of June. Queen Paola turns 80 on September 11th 2017 but got the party started with a celebration alongside many of her grandchildren on June 29th. It set the tone for the season - overall, this was a summer of sunshine and smiles for the Belgian Royal Family.

5 royal brides who didn't wear tiaras....


Royal brides wear tiaras, we all know that to be true. And if you're hubby is a) a ruling sovereign or b) quite likely to end up as one then a diadem is all but compulsory. However, several very important royal brides have bucked that trend including one who celebrates her 49th wedding anniversary today and walked down the aisle with only flowers in her hair. Here are five famous royal consorts who didn't wear tiaras to their weddings.



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Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
April 26th 1923


When Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Albert, Duke of York at Westminster Abbey she wasn't expected to be queen. She was also marrying into a royal family that hadn't really done bridal tiaras for a while. So the lack of diamond diadem was less surprising than it might have been. Instead, the woman who would end up as Queen Mother chose to wear myrtle in her hair with a white York rose on either side of her headdress. Yep, even then, Elizabeth knew just how to do things right. This dress is very 1920s and really rather simple for a woman who would become one of the last empresses of the 20th century. Not many of those just wear flowers in their hair.





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 Princess Astrid of Sweden
November 1926

Just three years later, one of the most popular royal brides of the twenties swerved a wedding tiara chance not once but twice. Astrid of Sweden's marriage to Leopold, heir to the throne of Belgium, was one of the love stories of the time. The couple were hugely popular with massive crowds gathering for both their civil wedding in Stockholm on November 4th 1926 and again for their religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudula in Brussels on November 10th that year. Astrid didn't wear a tiara to either celebration. She kept things very traditional for her home wedding, choosing a Swedish crown of myrtle to top her lace veil. There was even less adornment for her Belgian wedding even though just about every female guest at the ceremony was wearing a tiara. Astrid was marrying an heir to the throne but chose to do things her way. She would become Queen of the Belgians in 1934 on her husband's accession as Leopold III. Queen Astrid died following a car accident on August 29th 1935.




Grace Kelly
April 19th 1956

Grace Kelly wasn't just marrying a sovereign when she walked down the aisle in Monaco to say 'I do' to Prince Rainier III on April 19th 1956. She was creating the image of the perfect princess. The Hollywood superstar turned royal bride was dressed to impress by Helen Rose of MGM and the two of them decided to ditch the diadem. Instead of a tiara, the bride the world wanted to see wore a beaded lace Juliet cap. But then Grace didn't need diamonds to sparkle. Her wedding look was iconic from the moment it appears and remains the same today. 

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Paola Ruffo di Calabria
July 2nd 1959

Like Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Paola didn't think she was marrying a future king when she said 'I do' to Albert of Belgium in Brussels in July 1959. Her new husband was the younger brother of King Baudouin of the Belgians who, at that time, was expected to wed and have children himself. So Paola's marriage - which she had wanted to have in Rome - was a lower key affair although still packed with royalty, a huge train and epic amounts of flowers. And the bride's decision to wear orange blossom in her hair rather than a tiara was a bit of a departure from the expected norm at the time although all eyes were on her Brussels lace veil, a family heirloom of hers. Paola ended up Queen of the Belgians when Albert succeeded his brother in 1993 after Baudouin and his wife, Fabiola, had no children of their own. Albert abdicated in favour of his son, Philipppe, in 2013.

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Sonja Haraldsen
August 29th 1968

Like many a 1960s bride before and after her, Sonja Haraldsen went fake flowers for her hair ornament. Never mind that she was marrying the future King of Norway. Never mind that their royal romance had caused all kinds of controversy as the Crown Prince was meant to marry regally. Never mind that on saying 'I do' Sonja became the leading lady of Norway as her new father-in-law, King Olav, was a widower. None of that was enough to persuade Sonja to drop her dream look and swap a (rather pretty) artificial flower arrangement for a tiara. She chose a small spray of white flowers to top her simple veil and dress. Sonja, who became Queen of Norway in 1991, has never knowingly shied away from a tiara since her wedding but on the day she became a royal bride she chose to do things her way and keep the flowers unreal.

Royal Number Seven


Sweden's royal baby boom continues and the latest pregnancy announcement (Madeleine, number three, March next year, all well) has put the country's king and queen in a rather special situation. For this little prince or princess will be grandchild number seven for Carl Gustaf and Silvia. Seven is a bit of a magic number, lucky for most and special for many. So in honour of their exciting news, here's a run down of who else makes the number seven royal grandkids club. We'll start with the current monarchs of Europe and their broods...




United Kingdom



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Lady Louise Windsor is the seventh grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh

Name Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary
Born November 8th 2003, Frimley Park, Surrey
Daughter of Edward, Earl of Wessex (youngest child of Elizabeth and Philip) and Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Place in line of succession Lady Louise is eleventh in line to the throne
Title Lady Louise Windsor (though technically she is entitled to be known as HRH Princess Louise of Wessex)


Denmark



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Princess Josephine of Denmark is the seventh grandchild of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik


Name Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda
Born January 11th 2011, Copenhagen
Daughter of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark (and elder son of Margethe and Henrik) and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Place in line of succession Princess Josephine is fifth in line to the Danish throne
Title Her Royal Highness Princess Josephine of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat


Of course, many of Europe's monarchs are still raising their children so don't have grandchildren yet. That's not going to stop a royal review in its tracks. Let's go one generation back to the monarchs who have recently abdicated and put a call out for number seven....


Belgium


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Prince Gabriel of Belgium is the seventh grandchild of King Albert II and Queen Paola

Name Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie
Born on August 20th 2003, Anderlecht
Son of King Philippe of the Belgians (eldest child of Albert and Paola) and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
Place in line of succession Prince Gabriel is second in line to the Belgian throne
Title His Royal Highness Prince Gabriel of Belgium

Spain



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Princess Leonor is the seventh grandchild of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia

Name Leonor de Todos los Santos
Born on October 31st 2005, Madrid
Son of King Felipe VI of Spain (youngest child of Juan Carlos and Sofia) and Queen Letizia of Spain
Place in line of succession Princess Leonor is the heir to the Spanish throne
Title Her Royal Highness Princess Leonor, Princess of Asturias



Netherlands

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Countess Zaria is the seventh grandchild of Princess Beatrix and her late husband, Prince Claus

Name Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou
Born June 18th 2006, London
Daughter of the late Prince Johan Friso (second son of Beatrix and Claus) and Princess Mabel
Place in line of succession None, Zaria has never held succession rights
Title Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau




In Norway, King Harald and Queen Sonja currently have five grandchildren and one step grandson while Luxembourg's Grand Duke and Duchess, Henri and Maria Teresa, have three grandchildren. Sweden's monarchs welcome their sixth grandchild in September when Princess Sofia is due to give birth to her second baby with Prince Carl Philip and number seven will arrive in March 2018 with Madeleine's latest arrival. 

Royal social media stars of July 2017


Royalty relies on image. Since medieval times, the appearance of things regal plays a big part in the success or otherwise of a dynasty. From Holbein's portraits to Beaton's photos, one moment caught forever can have a huge say on the forever prospects of a royal family. In the 21st century, image remains just as important and is played out in many different ways with Instagram increasingly popular. Nearly all the royal houses of Europe have an official account now (we're looking at you, here, Felipe and Letizia because you broke our hearts not launching one to co-incide with the State Visit) and what they post there gives us a pretty good idea of how they want to be seen right now. Just as importantly, what we like gives a good indication of how we see the royals right now. And birthdays and cute kids always win. Nothing beats a birthday on Instagram. Except puppies, and we had one of those this month, too. In a cake filled month, here's what won hearts for the royals in July 2017.




To be honest, there was only ever one contender for most popular official royal Instagram of July 2017. Birthday boy George always had this one in the bag. Turning four guaranteed us a new official photo which had the top spot sorted before it was even released. But the Chris Jackson portrait of a smiling George was successful beyond anything seen so far on official royal Instagram accounts. It took 307k likes and counting in just a few days, making it easily that channel's most liked photo ever and. That's in a month with a lot of photos to get through as the Cambridges toured Germany and Poland, hit Wimbledon and did the whole State Banquet thing when King Felipe and Queen Letizia came to call. Nothing came close to George.





Birthdays played big in Sweden, too, this month where the official royal Instagram account was on fire and winning more hearts than you can shake a stick at. There was a rush of shared images for the 40th birthday of Crown Princess Victoria and you put a popular princess, big birthday and Instagram together and you get a mad rush of likes. The most popular image, just, was this stand out snap of Victoria with her children, Estelle and Oscar, on the carriage ride through Stockholm on her birthday. This is what royal Instagram is all about. A fab photo, behind the scenes and giving us something we wouldn't otherwise see and all taken by Victoria's husband, Daniel, as the two of them tried to keep adventurous Oscar in the carriage itself. But it had stiff competition with official portraits of Victoria almost beating it to top spot and an image of the whole Swedish Royal Family released to celebrate summer hot on its heels. It's been a really successful month for Sweden's royals and that's written large on the Instagram page where the House of Bernadotte can currently do no wrong.
Belgium's official royal Instagram account also had its best month ever. This is one of the newest around and it's still building a following. Right now it has just under 6,500 followers compared to Kensington Palace's 2 million. So it's most liked image of July is a real triumph. OK, it's only on 3,000 or so likes but that's about half its followers and it's easily the most popular post it's had so far. And it shows that the next generation of the country's royals are bringing in the likes - this photo of heir to the throne, Princess Elisabeth, with her two brothers and sister was shared to mark Belgium's National Day on July 21st and outdid anything else on the account with no questions asked. Check out the comments, Elisabeth is a royal star in the making.




Back to the birthdays and another anniversary special ended up as the most liked Instagram post on the official Norwegian royal account. The slightly awkward photo of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus unveiling the, shall we call it unusual, statue of his mother, Queen Sonja, on her actual 80th birthday took at terrific 2,115 hears in July, making it one of this new account's most popular posts ever. This royal channel started out by promising to put the people and places visited by the Royal Family at the top of its agenda but in a summer of celebrating birthdays, it's the family itself who have ended up centre stage with the like count going up as a result.  Pretty pictures of princes and princesses are where it's at with Instagram.



If you don't have a really big birthday or a huge anniversary to post about, pets will always prove popular. Denmark's royals gave us a dog on Instagram in July 2017, what's not to love? Crown Princess Mary shared two photos of her family's new pet dog, Grace, on the official account and sent the heart meter soaring. The pair of snaps took in over 13,000 likes during the month. The comments are interesting, too. Plenty of those who left a message were oohing over Grace and remembering Ziggy, the princely pet pooch who passed away earlier this year. This post is a great example of how Instagram and social media allows the royals to take full control of their image - Instagram offers the royals a chance to add something more personal to the public image on their own terms while keeping their hands firmly on the keys to the castle door.
There were no really big birthdays or new pets for the Dutch royals to celebrate but fear not, that other favourite regal staple, the summer holiday pose, swept in from the right at the start of July and topped the official Instagram likes for the month. We got a whole album of lovely images from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima as they posed alongside their three daughters and they got over 13,000 likes in return. It all comes back to the same thing, that image of happy family with a focus on the next generation. 
Did I mention birthdays were always popular on Instagram? That new photo of George at four was the most liked image on the official account of Clarence House with 12.1k hearts but coming in second was another birthday image. The Mario Testino portrait released for the 70th birthday of the Duchess of Cornwall, showing Camilla and Charles getting cuddly, took almost 9,000 likes which is a good showing for this account which is image heavy but usually sees pics taking 1-2,000 hearts a go. And it had a busy month with an avalanche of images of the couple's engagements as well as some fabulously fun shares from the past so this tally of support is pretty impressive all round.
Prince George also topped the poll on the official Royal Family account as well with 77,000 likes and counting there. Overall, that one image has taken around 400,000 hearts in just over a week of publication, an indication of the power of one photo. A photo of George, Charlotte and their mum and dad came in second with 36,000 likes. In fact, the Cambridges dominated the Royal Family most liked list, too, despite another busy month of regal images there. At a time when William and Kate are coming under increasing scrutiny over their workload, it's interesting to see that in the image led world of Instagram, one smile is enough to win plenty of friends and influence people, briefly at least. For that's the other side of social media. The narrative can change instantly on both sides. The posts tell us how the royals want to be seen, the likes tell us what we want to see and like everything in life, it's fluid. July 2017 was all about birthdays but it will be interesting to see where the love lies in times when there's no cake to eat.

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