WEDDING FLOWERS: Greece
News Update
Loading...
Showing posts with label Greece. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greece. Show all posts

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: June 26

In which we explore some totally unrelated Things About Which I Have Thoughts for the week:

Queen Máxima attended a conference, June 22
See, when you overdo it with the accent color, you lose the delight of an accent color in the first place.

Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece (with the Marquess of Douro) at the Ralph Lauren & Vogue Wimbledon Party, June 22
M-C's got it down. The unexpected pink of the purse is the whole point.

Princess Beatrix at a sailing event, June 20
Visor Alert: Queen Princess Beatrix helms her own ship (De Groene Draeck, the Green Dragon) and her bouffant bends for no occasion. 

Queen Rania hosted women for iftar at Raghadan Palace, June 21
Oh, this Roksanda Ilincic frock is such a perfect dress-to-wearer match. I appreciate an Ilincic done simply even more after that recent Ascot episode.

Crown Princess Mary (with her plus one, Fred) attended the Reumert Awards honoring the Danish performing arts, June 21. Click here for a gallery.
I saw some clips of this show. I got the impression it wouldn't have made much more sense even if I did speak Danish, which I don't. But that makes it a great occasion for this outfit, which is a long dress with a long kimono on top (from Rabens Saloner).
It's the perfect outfit for swanning about one's lanai all day, before heading out for an evening of baffling theater. I'd take the whole ensemble home, no problem. And I'm not just saying that because I need those Portuguese gold filigree earrings in my life rightthissecond.

Photos: via Getty Images, Queen Rania Instagram, Liberty, DR screencap, Rabens Saloner, Alma e Coração

Royal Fashion Awards: Royal Ascot 2015, Days 2 & 3

We took a day off from our Ascot coverage, so let's play catch up with a big roundup of royal racegoers:

Best in Gents
The Duke of Edinburgh (Days 2 and 3)
Ascot is my annual time to give the dapper Duke his due. His top hats are "antique", as the Royal Hats Blog explains, which in this case means they're his from fifty years ago. (Princess Anne: "SEE?") For her part, the Queen delighted me with another amazing brooch from Queen Victoria, Prince Albert's Sapphire, and then did an abrupt 180 the next day in a probably modern and hardly as lavish piece, the Shamrock Brooch. I like to think she just wanted us to save up our jumpy claps, knowing that the Duchess of Cornwall was about to pile on pounds of diamonds that evening. Her Maj is gracious like that. (Oh yes, Camilla had a BIG tiara appearance and it is covered at the Vault!)

Best in Comebacks
Princess Beatrice (Day 3) and the Princess Royal (Day 2)
We might as well call this the Triumph of the White Dresses category, because both of these ladies used that simplicity for accessory success after accessory semi-disasters on Day 1. Beatrice continued to play with color - and with handbags - and I adore it. I also adore Anne with a scarf draped gracefully over her shoulders.
Beatrice's dress from Beulah London, hat from Laura Apsit Livens

Biggest Statements in Patterns
Princess Alexandra (Day 2) and The Princess Royal (Day 3)
Alexandra will win you over to her festival of paisley with her cheery smile and her festive hat trim; Anne will simply dare you compare her to a luxury carpet with her steely gaze. But they both come out pretty well in the end.

Biggest Statement in Feathers
Princess Michael (Day 2) and The Countess of Wessex (Day 3)
Positively swashbuckling, these two - in other words, perfect for Ascot. Well done. (The Countess of Wessex Blog explains that Sophie's Jane Taylor hat looks like a slight remix from a previous Ascot appearance, with some extra stuff added. Can't ever get enough extra stuff to stick on your Ascot hat.)

Best in Couture
Princess Haya (Day 2) and Princess Marie-Chantal (Day 3)
Princess Haya continued her couture Ascot run in Chanel Couture with a Philip Treacy hat, and on Ladies' Day, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece joined in the fun also in Chanel Couture and Philip Treacy. I have to say, it's a good combo.
Haya's suit modified from Spring 2015; Marie-Chantal's jacket from Spring 2011

Best in Forehead-Bolters
The Countess of Wessex (Day 2), Autumn Phillips (Day 2), and Princess Eugenie (Day 3)
I was expecting to like this latest batch of Ascot fashions so much. (It is Friday, perhaps I'm feeling generous.) I don't even mind a round of my least favorite sort of hat, the one that doesn't cover much of your head except for maybe parts of your vision because hey who needs that. I like all these three! Sophie's all stripey, Autumn's all springy, and Eugenie's all swingy.
Emilia Wickstead for Sophie; Hobbs for Autumn (h/t Countess of Wessex Blog); Peter Pilotto dress and Helmut Lang blazer for Eugenie
Bonus points to Eugenie for picking just the right shape of blazer to add to that dress. I think this is my favorite Eugenie outfit in a long time, which makes the York sisters my day 2 and 3 faves, which is also something that hasn't happened in a long time. Stranger things have happened at sea...

Who's your Ascot Best Dressed for Days 2 & 3?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated / Beulah London / Laura Apsit Livens / Style.com / Instagram / ModaOperandi / Hobbs / Saks

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia's Wedding: Royal Guests, Part 2

This is Part 2: Return of the Royal Fashion Awards, covering the royal guests at the Swedish royal wedding. (Here's Part 1.)

Spoiler Alert: This one includes my favorites. So much goodness, I needed TWO bests of the best. 

Miss Congeniality
Princess Hisako of Takamado
Things we learn while watching the wedding broadcast: Our Japanese representative is apparently an utter delight. So chatty, so smiley! I think she and Sophie Wessex are royal BFFs now.
Princess Hisako is wearing a different tiara than the one she wore to Princess Madeleine's wedding, the jeweled bird on her shoulder is a work of art, and her skirt comes with its own cape. Can she come to everything, please?!

Best in Gifts
The Countess of Wessex
Sophie's very flattering dress is by Taťána Kovaříková, and it was an official gift to her during a recent trip to Prague (per the Countess of Wessex Blog). Which, uh, is MUCH better than all the engraved toilet seats and ceremonial croquet mallets and whatnot they usually collect on those jaunts. Other cities need to get on Prague's level.
Sophie gave us another look at the aquamarine and diamond tiara she wears from Collins & Sons jewelers, which I appreciate - we haven't covered this one in depth, and we need to. Understated and elegant all around, this appearance.

Best in Elegant
Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Speaking of understated and elegant, I think Mathilde owns some version of this silhouette in all her favorite colors, and I can see why. This edition is lightly beaded and boosted by some serious diamond power, including the bandeau of the Nine Provinces Tiara and Queen Fabiola's diamond fringe brooch.
Look at that updo. Someone get me a cinnamon roll, I'm having a craving. 

Best of the Best #1
Princess Tatiana of Greece
I'm pleased to report that Tatiana's streak of fabulousness at Scandinavian royal weddings remains unbroken. She's been wearing Greek designer Celia Kritharioti lately, and this couture dream is just another reason she should make that a permanent relationship. I'm swooning over here!
 
Plus, Tatiana gave us another NEW TIARA ALERT! This one's a mystery; we don't know if she borrowed it for the event, or if she owns it. And though it be but little, its sparkle is fierce.

Best of the Best #2
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Hey hey! Not a culotte in sight! *praise hands emoji* This Jan Taminiau gown, worn the evening of Wax's inauguration, gives me chills. CHILLS, I say. And I can't object to a smattering of rubies, here in the form of the Mellerio Ruby Parure.
Now that we know that she intends to reuse the inauguration gowns, is it possible to require that they be used at least once a month? Asking for a friend.

And with those two mic drops, the Royal Fashion Awards for the guests are complete. See you tomorrow for some Tidbits fun (with some wedding moments we haven't yet discussed, because this is the last tiarafest wedding for a long time, probably, so it is imperative that we soak it up, people).

Who do you crown the Best Dressed Wedding Guest?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, SVT video, Jan Taminiau

Royal Flashback of the Day: June 11

Add another couple to the guest list for Carl Philip and Sofia's wedding: Billed-Bladet reports the Greek royal court confirmed that Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana will be in attendance. This is encouraging news, I'd say, because Tatiana has turned in some A+ ensembles at past Scandinavian royal weddings. Let us examine:

Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill, 2013
Her ensemble for Madeleine's wedding is my least favorite of these options, despite the fact that it is the only one with a tiara (the Antique Corsage Tiara), but in this case, that means it's still quite good. Even though it is a basic overall look, the fit and draping on this dress are dreamy. As they should be, for a bespoke gown from Armani Privé.

Her two previous appearances came prior to her own wedding. She had no tiara to wear, but she also had no order sashes to worry about, and she made the most of her appearances without those occasionally pesky ribbons.
Wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark and Marie Cavallier, 2008
A purple gown has my heart no matter what, but all the pleated texture on this one was truly best showcased in those pre-sash days. This is from Angel Sanchez, who would later design Tatiana's wedding gown, and it was also worn by actress Nicolette Sheridan.


Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling, 2010
It takes a LOT to best a purple gown for me, but then you have THIS RIGHT HERE. This is Carolina Herrera, and it is majestic. A sash worn here would have conflicted with the dress embellishment, so it was a perfect choice for a royal wedding guest appearance before her own wedding.
It even has a train! Such jumpy claps.
You can wrap these both up and put them in my imaginary princess closet, please and thank you.

Photos: via Getty Images, Gilt, Angel Sanchez

Sunday Tidbits for June 7: All Your Royal Wedding Watching Details, Plus More

First order of tidbits business: All the stuff you need to know for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist's wedding on Saturday. Stay tuned for more bits after we stop humming "Here Comes the Bride"...
The Royal Chapel, where the wedding will take place. (via Kungahuset.se)
--Here's what you need to know if you're interesting in watching the wedding:
  • The wedding is on Saturday, June 13th, at 16:30 - that's 4:30 pm - Stockholm time. Here's a time zone converter for you; it's 10:30 am Eastern time for my North American friends.
  • Sweden's SVT will broadcast the wedding all the way from guest arrivals through the cutting of the cake.
    • The broadcast begins at 15:00 with commentary and guest arrivals.
    • The cortege after the wedding is estimated to start at 17:30.
    • Dinner around 19:30.
    • The cake portion is estimated to happen around 22:30.
  • Here's the livestreaming link. SVT streams big events like this without geoblocking, much to the delight of royal fans around the world!
  • Yes, we will have a live blog up here for those that want to chat on the wedding day, and I'll be on Twitter as well.
--Here's what the guest list of international royals looks like so far. Remember, this is not the official list from the Swedish court yet, just those royal houses that have confirmed attendance on their own, so it's all subject to change. Oh, and don't forget the entire Swedish royal family...
  • Belgium: Queen Mathilde
  • Denmark: Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie
  • Japan: Princess Hisako of Takamado
  • Netherlands: Queen Máxima
  • Norway: Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, Ari Behn
  • United Kingdom: Earl and Countess of Wessex


Still with me? Superb. On to the other stuff:

--Hey, you know what else is happening this coming Saturday? Trooping the Colour in London, a.k.a. The Queen's Birthday Parade, that's what! BBC1 broadcasts that starting at 10:30 local time. You can look for coverage of the event over at the Jewel Vault on Saturday. [BBC]

--Princess Charlotte of Cambridge will be christened on July 5 at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate. Unless you've just emerged from under your cozy rock, it probably hasn't escaped you that the first photos of Prince George and his sister (taken by the Duchess of Cambridge) have been published. [BBC]

--New photos were also published of Prince Félix, Princess Claire, and Princess Amalia to mark the Luxembourg prince's 31st birthday. [Luxarazzi]

--The Royal Yacht Squadron celebrated its bicentenary in Cowes on Friday, drawing a whole boatload (heh) of royals: the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Viscount Linley, Prince Michael of Kent, King Harald of Norway, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Henrik of Denmark, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, and Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. As the ancient proverbs say, nothing brings people together quite like the love of a good yacht. [Royal Hats Blog]

--The Japanese imperial family also got in on the state visit action this week, hosting the President of the Philippines. Alas, they passed on the tiaras for their state dinner. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]

--Prince Harry has been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order! Aww, baby's first order. We chatted about it over at the Jewel Vault, where I had (totally coincidentally) posted just the day before about the insignia worn for the same order by the Duchess of Cornwall

--Also over at the Jewel Vault: A day of racing for the royals at the Epsom Derby. Princess Michael is definitely coordinating her eyepatches to her clothes. Please please please, let her next outfit be rainbow striped.

Coming up this week: Traditions and trips in Sweden, beginner engagements and hats in Denmark, and more (something about a wedding, maybe?)...

Photos:  Kungahuset.se and via Twitter and Getty Images as indicated

Royal Closet Raid of the Day: April 20

I was disappointed we didn't get to see any of Queen Margrethe's nieces and nephews at her birthday bash last week, so I'm making up for it closet raid style, that thing we do where we pick the look we love so much we'd like it for our very own. Today's honoree (sure, we'll call it that): Princess Marie-Chantal!
With Crown Prince Pavlos at Princess Madeleine of Sweden's wedding, 2013
You know I love me some OTT Big Time Princessing, but I have love for those that can do it on a more casual scale, too. This whole look is perfectly put together without trying too hard. The white of the dress and the diamonds with the navy and blue sash of the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia feels crisp and fresh, and the jewels (one of my favorite fringe tiaras, with small diamond earrings and a long, thin necklace) are just the right amount of added interest.
The dress is a surprisingly simple number from Valentino Couture, the Fall 2011 collection. Marie-Chantal had it made in white, and Qatar's Sheikha Mozah had it made in navy:
I'll stick with Marie-Chantal's version, though, accessories included. My runners up include that Dolce & Gabbana number also owned by Crown Princess Victoria, and the Oscar de la Renta worn the night before this appearance. I'll be dreaming of an M-C-sized shopping spree tonight...sigh.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Style.com

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe's Fredensborg Birthday Dinner

The last event of Queen Margrethe's birthday fiesta was a dinner at Fredensborg Palace, not to be confused with the dinner at Christiansborg Palace last night. Did you think we were going to repeat our palaces in the same birthday celebration? Don't be ridiculous.

I had hope that this evening's black tie dinner would be a tiara event. (A similar dinner back in 2010 was with tiaras, for example.) That hope, however, was dashed. SO CRUELLY DASHED. My faith in Margrethe's capacity for sartorial splendor has been shaken to its very core! How will we ever recover from this travesty??

Alright, I'm over it. Let's work with what we've got:

Most Side Eye in Accessories
Queen Margrethe
Sorry, birthday girl, but I'm giving you the side eye real hard here. The accessorizing, specifically - it was a great dress when she wore it to the Dutch state visit, and it still is now. But it's got cool and muted tones, and that turquoise and gold set is all kinds of bright and warm, and the contrast is making me cringe. (The necklace was a birthday gift from Prince Henrik, a new addition to her modern turquoise set which includes pieces he gave her for previous birthdays. Which is fantastic - and the necklace is the best piece of the set! - but still not at its best with this dress.) She also snuck a piece of the Floral Aigrette Tiara in her hair. Ordinarily I'd be all over that, but instead, I'm just wondering why she didn't just make the dinner a tiara thing and let the other ladies play too. It's possible I'm not entirely over it.


Most Likely Best
Crown Princess Mary
Even my faith in Mary's ability to pull off a great outfit is shaken. I think I like this one...I might even like the center part low ponytail. Hmm. I reserve the right to change my judgement.


Most Overshadowed
Princess Marie
Here's Marie again, looking fine again. But I'm not looking at her, I'm looking at Hef over there.


Most...Floatiest
Princess Benedikte
Just go with it, okay? Floaty is the only word I've got for this dress, and you wouldn't have been able to stop me from swooping around with my wings fluttering behind me right in the middle of dinner. That's why she's the princess and I am NOT. (One of the many reasons...)


Most Confusing
Queen Anne-Marie
I thought this was the same dress she wore to yesterday's dinner. But it's not. It's very slightly different. Used up those Best in Usual titles a little too soon, I guess.


Most on the Mend
Queen Silvia
I think the latest addition to our ongoing saga of Silvia and her attempts to stylishly heal her shoulder is a scarf cover for whatever device she's chosen this time. I don't know. Sil, you're adorable.

Most Typical
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
I originally posted this as Most Mysterious, because M-M sure did a good job evading the television camera. But sure enough, it's just another typical Mette-Marit flower power frock by Giambattista Valli.


Most Welcome Relief
Crown Princess Victoria
If we can't have tiaras, at least we have Elie Saab. (Her sister's Elie Saab, to be precise.) And on that sigh of relief...

...we're done! Do scroll through and make sure you haven't missed any of the events. We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming on Sunday.

Who was your best dressed at the Fredensborg dinner?

Photos:via Getty Images as indicated, DR1 video, Elie Saab

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe’s Birthday, Day Events

A morning wake up call with song (and canons!) marked the start of Queen Margrethe’s actual birthday, and the busiest day of birthday festivities. Our visiting royals are now down to the fellow Nordic monarchs, with the addition of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Crown Prince Haakon, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Margrethe's morning wake up
Some quality balcony time with the whole family and their guests was followed by a carriage ride through Copenhagen for the Queen and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who were standing in for Prince Henrik, still sick with the flu. With hats in place, they convened at Copenhagen’s Town Hall for a round of interpretive dance (because hey, why not) and a reception. Meanwhile, we convene for our next round of royal fashion awards…


Best of All, Birthday or Not
Queen Margrethe
Actual, audible awws from me when Daisy stepped out on the balcony, in this fresh color, flattering cut, and her whopper of a diamond daisy brooch, made from her grandmother’s stones for her mother and subsequently given to her. She’s the best dressed of them all, and that’s not just a birthday given.


Best in Accessory Additions
Crown Princess Mary
Mary reused a gorgeous navy Oscar de la Renta coat dress with an embellished neckline, and I loved that she went with gray accessories instead of trying to coat herself in navy from head to toe. I also loved her hat, which looked quite familiar and for good reason: Zara Phillips has worn the same one, and the Countess of Wessex has worn a similar model. It’s by Jane Taylor.


Biggest in Accessory Additions
Princess Marie
I speak not, obviously of her hat – which still did not manage to stay on the good side of the wind gods despite its wee stature – but of her brooch. Everyone wore commemorative birthday medals, but Marie added an enormous bird on the other side. I'm loving that choice with this outfit, actually, just wishing that pesky medal wasn't competing. (But I suppose politeness has to win every now and then, le sigh.)


Best in Sisters
Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie
Yeah, I’m running out of ways to say they’re typical as always, these two. They both had fab ruby earrings, and Benedikte wore her famous koosh ball hat, and that's all I got.


Most Dubious in Hats, Part 1
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
Is this a prop from The Tudors, or what? This has to be a prop of some sort. Yeah, from the same Gothic horror set that gives us those skull earrings, perhaps.
Otherwise, M-M in white, check and check.


Most Continued Sartorial Dedication
Queen Silvia
And how did Queen Sil accommodate her arm injury today? A purple cape. A PURPLE CAPE. Omigod. She's going to force me to declare her my favorite royal of EVER by the time this is done, isn't she.


Most Dubious in Hats, Part 2
Crown Princess Victoria
Points for a Georg Jensen daisy brooch, okay, but that hat. Hmm. I thought it was just a novelty, a little sentimental touch, when she imitated an old hat of her mother’s at Princess Leonore’s christening. But now there’s a second version in white. It's not terrible or anything, but...this is the hat you bulk buy, V? Really?
Also shown: Victoria's Chanel dress, runway version

And that's that!

But it's not really that, because there is one more birthday event left to come: a dinner at Fredensborg Palace. The open post is still up and running with all your live link info and a place to chat about that if you like.

But as far as this post is concerned...

Who was your best dressed at the day events?


Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, DR1 video, Lyst, Jane Taylor Millinery, Style.com

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe’s Christiansborg Birthday Dinner

Queen Margrethe and the Danish royal family were joined for an official dinner for her 75th birthday by fellow European sovereigns, and: YAY. That's all I have to say. Well, I have quite a lot more to say, as you will see from this lengthy and picture-laden entry, but that's the gist of it.

A couple notes: If we’ve covered these jewels in the past (and we usually have!), there will be a link. Most of these people are wearing the light blue Order of the Elephant from Denmark, which is usually given to sovereigns and their spouses, plus those in the Danish family. If foreign royals are wearing a different sash, it’s because they haven’t had a chance to receive the Order of the Elephant yet (they’re usually given at state visits, and occasionally at other times; here's my explainer post on that).

Now, to the awards:

Best in Coincidences
Queen Margrethe
Tuesday’s post featured a flashback to an epic Margrethe outfit using the Floral Aigrette Tiara and pieces of the ruby, diamond, and pearl set from the crown jewels – and that’s precisely what she gave us again! And in a flowing red dress, because why not? She is the birthday girl, after all. (And she flew solo, because Henrik is out with the flu.)


Best in Repeats
Crown Princess Mary
You saw me die over this Birgit Hallstein gown when Mary wore it previously. And then you saw me die over it in another format when Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt wore something similar to the New Year’s Court in 2014. And here we go again! Mary paired it this time with the tiara, small earrings, bracelet, and hair clips from the Danish Ruby Parure. This is both stunning and understated – in other words, the perfect choice. And in an inadvertent twin episode, PM Helle wore her version again, too!
Helle Thorning-Schmidt on the right

Best in Old Favorites, Part 1
Princess Marie
Marie loves a good peplum gown and she loves her Diamond Floral Tiara (which is her only solid option for an event like this, having just one other tiara at her disposal which is much more informal), so this navy lace peplum and tiara combo was entirely expected. But it’s also entirely lovely! She's also wearing a brooch from Queen Alexandrine as a pendant, so she's fully loaded with her family heirlooms.

Best in Old Favorites, Part 2
Queen Anne-Marie
I almost did another flashback to the birthday celebrations in 2010 today, which would have featured this exact same gown and Greek Emerald Parure pairing on Anne-Marie. She wears the heck out of her gowns and she wears the heck out of those emeralds, and I can’t say I blame her on either count.

Best in Beach Cover-Up Gravitas
Princess Benedikte
On anyone else, this floaty top layer would be a swimsuit cover-up, tossed on as they flew in from a day at the beach. But Princess B. can carry anything off, and now it's magically part of a gala gown (mind you, the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara and a solid smattering of diamonds doesn't hurt, either!).

Best in Extended Tiaras
Countess Sussie and Princess Elisabeth
Married to Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, cousin to the Queen, Countess Sussie (on the left) usually brings us a sighting of Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara, and so it is here. Also a cousin of Queen Margrethe, Princess Elisabeth (on the right) usually brings us a sighting of Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara, and so it was yet again. File both these tiaras under "not a fave, but lovely to see."

Best in Solo Gentlemen
King Harald and Grand Duke Henri
I make no excuses for paying more attention to the ladies around here, but a little love for the gents in attendance without their better halves: Harald and Henri! Dashing in their uniforms all on their own (and I love Harald completing the Scandinavian Sovereign Trio there, which should be the name of their a cappella group). An engagement in New York is occupying Queen Sonja, and I'm not sure what happened to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.

Best in Splendor Dedication
Queen Silvia
Silvia injured her shoulder a while back, and it appeared she had some sort of support fashioned out of her dress material for her bad arm, not for one second risking her sartorial splendor for some random injury. THIS IS TRUE DEDICATION, PEOPLE. All the applause to you, Queen Sil. (And to your fabulous Leuchtenberg Sapphires too!)

Best in Big Guns
Queen Mathilde
Together with her almost unbearably shiny repeated Armani Privé gown, Mathilde gave us a tiara debut: the full version of the Nine Provinces Tiara! She's worn the bandeau, but this was the first time she's added the top arches in. I think this might be the first time I've actually liked this pointy wall of diamonds, so credit to Mathilde for making that happen.

Most Meh in Understated
Queen Máxima
Well, she can’t bear full responsibility for bringing the jumpy claps every single time, I suppose. And leave it to Máxima to wear a tiki hut skirt and still make my understated list, eh? She went standard with the Diamond Bandeau Tiara, her favorite, but she did pin the brooch from the Stuart Tiara parure to her waist. She's just teasing us, at this point, keeping us waiting for an appearance of the elusive beast itself.

Best in NEW TIARAS!
Queen Letizia
Never mind that Máx went standard, Letizia picked up the slack with an elusive tiara of her own! Made by Ansorena and reportedly a gift from Felipe, we've been waiting years to see this one in action. The center brooch has been seen, but not the tiara. It was nearing apocryphal status, for heaven’s sake, but a foreign tiara engagement proved the perfect place to finally bring it out of hiding.
We will have to give this one the full Tiara Thursday treatment later on (a couple Spanish articles about the tiara: one, two).
I'm reserving judgement until then. But for now, for simply showing us something I had completely given up on, she wins all the jumpy claps!

Stay tuned...the festivities continue with a full day of events tomorrow and another dinner tomorrow. For now:

Who was your best dressed at this dinner?

Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, DR1 video, Ansorena

wedding

[australian native wedding][recentbylabel2]

Featured

[Featured][recentbylabel2]
Notification
Wondering what style of flower bouquets you'll choose for your big day?
Done