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

5 royal outfits for a civil marriage


Royal civil weddings, eh? Why on earth would anyone be thinking about those right now? Odd. But as we are, let's talk outfits. Several European royals have had a civil and religious wedding on the same day in which case there's no change for the bride. They can keep their big frocks to themselves right now. We're looking at outfits made purely for a civil marriage. Other brides have said 'I do' in front of a registrar in a different outfit from the one worn to the church for their religious wedding or blessing afterwards. Among them is Claire Lademacher whose civil wedding to Prince Felix of Luxembourg took place on September 17th 2013. In honour of that, and the possibility we might just be doing civil weddings in the UK again sometime soon, here's a look at five recent times we've seen royal brides dressed for a civil marriage.


Princess Claire of Luxembourg
Civil Ceremony September 17th 2013


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And the bride wore white. No surprises there then. Claire Margareta Lademacher's civil marriage to Prince Felix, second in line to the throne of Luxembourg, took place in Konigtein near Frankfurt on September 17th 2013. Claire, whose civil wedding took place near her home town as is traditional, chose a simple but striking ivory dress with cap sleeves and a peplum waist. Keeping it bridal, she carried a bouquet of cream roses with white flowers and added something blue with aquamarine jewels. The couple's religious wedding took place on September 21st 2013.



Princess Charlene of Monaco
Civil Ceremony July 1st 2011


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Charlene Lynette Wittstock went for all blue when she wed Prince Albert II of Monaco in a civil ceremony in the principality on July 1st 2011. The bride chose a shimmering shade that was dubbed 'Charlene blue' after the wedding. Charlene also helped design the outfit alongside Karl Lagerfeld. It was a surprising look, pairing chiffon trousers with a neat jacket. But it made more sense in the evening when the bride lost the jacket and revealed the trousers were part of a rather cutting edge strapless outfit. This is perhaps the most unusual royal wedding outfit we'll see in a long while. The couple's religious wedding took place on July 2nd 2011.




The Duchess of Cornwall
Civil Ceremony April 9th 2005




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Camilla Rosemary Parker Bowles kept things much more traditional when she said 'I do' to the Prince of Wales in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9th 2005. Camilla chose a chiffon cream dress with applique details at the hem and a cream coat, both by Robinson Valentine. There was a cream hat with feathers, by Philip Treacy, but no flowers for this civil marriage - Camilla kept the bouquet for the blessing at St George's Chapel, Windsor, later that day.




Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
Civil Ceremony May 17th 2001




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Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst was pretty in pink for her civil wedding to Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands on May 17th 2001 in The Hague. Constantijn was the first of the three sons of Beatrix of the Netherlands to wed and his bride got things off to a bright start with a rosy wrap coat and pale mauve wide brimmed hat that made sure no one lost this new princess in the crowd. Laurentien was the only one of the three brides of that royal generation to have a separate outfit for her first ceremony - she was traditional in white for her religious wedding in The Hague on May 19th 2001.




Stephanie of Luxembourg
Civil Ceremony, October 19th 2012



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Let's head back to where we started because the recent royal brides of Luxembourg have been kind in providing civil wedding outfits. Stephanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy chose a cream Chanel suit for her civil marriage at the Town Hall in Luxembourg City on October 19th 2012. The new Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg kept the accessories simple for this part of her wedding celebrations letting the famous jacket and skirt style speak for itself. The couple's religious wedding took place on October 20th 2012.
Photo credit: Grand Cour Ducale, Eric Chanel.

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.

What other royals did on a day of history




Life goes on. All eyes might have been on Prince Philip as he retired from public life with a final solo engagement at Buckingham Palace on August 2nd 2017, but other royals were marching into the future as the curtain fell. On the day that the Duke of Edinburgh retired from public life, there was a handful of royal appearances across the continent. Here's what other royals did on a day for the history books.


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The Princess Royal was in Scotland where she attended the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo cast rehearsal at Redford Barracks. Anne, who is the Tattoo's patron, was all smiles - clearly her retirement card for her dad went down well.



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Princess Sofia of Sweden had a packed day in Bastad. Her morning started with attendance at the Sustainability Tomorrow conference in the city - her charity, Project Playground, is one of its main partners.




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In the evening, the princess was at a charity dinner in the city, getting everyone thinking by choosing baby blue for her outfit with just weeks to go before the arrival of her second child (there was a lot of blue last time round when pregnant with Prince Alexander, check it out here).


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In Spain, King Felipe was hitting the waves as he took part in the 36th Copa del Rey off the coast of Mallorca where he's currently holidaying with Queen Letizia, their daughters Leonor and Sofia, and his wider family.




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Also at the event were Pierre Casiraghi and his wife, Beatrice, who welcomed a baby boy, Stefano, earlier this year.



In Norway, things were much more low key. The Royal Household posted a photo on its Instagram page of the library in Dronningpark where all summer long, the gates are open for people to pop in and read in the sunshine. You need a bit of time off to be able to enjoy that - perfect for a certain prince who was stepping into retirement on a day of history as royal life carried on.

Photo: Edinburgh Tattoo Twitter.

12 royal birthdays for August


Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway celebrates her birthday in August

August is traditionally quiet on the royal front. The summer holidays beckon and as the rest of us head off for a bit of a break, the royals do exactly the same leaving a great big gaping hole where the photos, smiles and appearances usually go. But that's not to say a royal fix will be hard in August because it's also a bumper month for birthdays. Get the cards ready, here are 12 royals who will be celebrating in August.



Prince Louis of Luxmbourg is 31 on August 3rd 2017

Louis Zavier Marie Guillaume was born on August 3rd 1986 in Luxembourg. He is the third son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who were still heirs at the time of Louis' birth. He went to school in Luxembourg and Switzerland. The past year has been a sad one for Louis - his union with Tessy Antony ended with the couple announcing they were parting after 11 years of marriage. The couple has two sons together, Noah and Gabriel.



Charlotte Casiraghi is 31 on August 3rd 2017

Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi was born on August 3rd 1986 in Monaco, the second child and first daughter of Princess Caroline and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. Her father died when she was four and Charlotte went to live in France with her mother and two brothers. Charlotte attends major events in Monaco with her family. She has a son, Raphael, from her relationship with French actor, Gad Elmaleh.



Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson is 74 on August 3rd 2017

Christina Louise Helena was born on August 3rd 1943 at the Haga Palace, near Stockholm, the fourth daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Princess Sybilla. Soon after the birth of her only brother, the future King Carl XVI Gustaf, her father died. Christina married Tord Gosta Magnuson in 1974 and gave up her HRH title as a result.The couple has three sons. The past year has seen Princess Christina being treated for chronic leukaemia.




Princess Beatrice of York is 29 on August 8th 2017

Beatrice Elizabeth Mary was born on August 8th 1988 at the Portland Hospital in London, the first child of Andrew, Duke of York and his then wife, Sarah. She went to school in Berkshire and university in London. In the past year there has been debate about whether she and her sister, Eugenie, should become full time royals but for now Beatrice's appearances are limited to major events like Trooping the Colour as well as a handful of engagements for charities she is involved in.


Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau is 49 on August 11th 2017

Mabel Martine Wisse Smit was born on August 11th 1968 in Pijnacker in the Netherlands to Hendrik Los and his wife, Florence. Her father died when she was young and she took her stepfather's surname when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit in 1984. She married Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands in 2004 after her future husband had given up his rights to the throne following controversy about their relationship - the Dutch Prime Minister said that the couple had given incomplete information about Mabel's relationship with a drugs dealer, Klaas Bruinsma. Mabel and Johan Friso had two daughters. The prince died in 2013, eighteen months after a ski-ing accident which had left him in a coma. Princess Mabel has worked in the fields of humanitarianism for many years.



Princess Anne, The Princess Royal is 67 on August 15th 2017

Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on August 15th 1950 at Clarence House, London, the second child and first daughter of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Her mother became Queen in 1952 and Anne was second in line to the throne for eight years before the birth of her brother, Andrew. She won the European Eventing Championship in 1971 and competed in the 1976 Olympics. She married Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973 and they had two children, Peter and Zara. Following their divorce, Anne married Timothy Laurence. The Princess Royal carries out hundreds of public engagements every year and is also known for her work with Save the Children. She now has three granddaughters.



Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is 44 on August 19th 2017

Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby was born on August 19th 1973 in Kristiansand, Norway to Sven Hoiby and his wife, Marit. Her parents divorced when she was young and she grew up in Kristiansand. She had a son, Marius, in 1997 and she was a controversial royal fiancee when her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon Magnus was announced in 2000.  They married in August 2001 and have two children together, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus. The Crown Princess is now a popular member of her country's Royal Family and has a high profile with public engagements and her work to improve literacy and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS.







Prince Gabriel of Belgium is 14 on August 20th 2017

Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie was born on August 20th 2003 in Anderlecht, Belgium, the second child and first son of the then heir to the throne, Philippe, and his wife, Mathilde. Gabriel's father became King of the Belgians in July 2013 and he is now second in line to the throne. He attends school in Belgium and is taking on an increasing number of public appearances with his family.


Princess Maria Laura of Belgium is 29 on August 26th 2017

Maria Laura Zita Beatrix Gerhard of Belgium, Archducess of Austria-Este was born on August 26th 1988 in Woluwe-St-Lambert in Belgium. She is the second child and first daughter of Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband. Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este. She wasn't a Princess of Belgium at birth, acquiring that title and succession rights in 1991 with a change in the law. Her grandfather, Albert, became King of the Belgians in 1993 and abdicated in favour of her uncle, Philippe, in 2013. Maria Laura makes very few public appearances and is currently studying.



Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is 73 on August 26th 2017

Richard Alexander Walter George was born on August 26th 1944 in Northamptonshire, the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his wife, Alice. He is the youngest of the grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary.He studied architecture at Cambridge and was set for a career in that field when his older brother, William, was killed in an air crash in 1972 making Richard heir to their father. He became Duke of Gloucester on Henry's death in 1974 and has carried out a wide range of public engagements on behalf of the Queen ever since. He married Birgitte van Deurs in 1972 and the couple has three children and six grandchildren.


 


Prince Nikolai of Denmark is 18 on August 28th 2017

Royal grandchild coming of age alert. Yes, you're really int the royal grandparents club when you have a second generation descendant hitting eighteen and that's what will happen to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark this August. Nikolai William Alexander Frederik was born on August 28th 1999 at the University Hospital of Copenhagen. He is the first child of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra. His parents divorced when he was five and they had joint custody of Nikolai and his younger brother, Felix. He is now a student and appears with his family on major royal occasions.

  
  

Anne-Marie of Greece is 71 on August 30th 2017

Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on August 30th 1946 in Copenhagen, the third daughter of the then Crown Prince, Frederik, and his wife, Ingrid. Her father became King of Denmark in 1947 and she grew up in Copenhagen with her sisters, Margrethe and Benedikte. She married King Constantine of Greece in 1964 just months after his accession to the throne. The couple went into exile in 1967 and raised their five children in London. They now have nine grandchildren.

Photo credit: Grand Cour Ducale

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