WEDDING FLOWERS: Sunday Tidbits
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Showing posts with label Sunday Tidbits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday Tidbits. Show all posts

Sunday Tidbits for June 28: Sparkly Follow Ups and More

Last week was one for the sparkle record books, and today's tidbits begin by wrapping up a couple of those glittering occasions:

--I wrapped up the British state visit to Germany over at the Vault with some favorite moments. [Jewel Vault]

--Sometimes we don't even get pictures out the National Day gala in Luxembourg, and sometimes you just have to wait for the real treats. They posed for a family photo, and Luxarazzi also zeroed in on the tiaras in the reception line. Princess Claire is indeed wearing a new parure of red stones and diamonds, and I'm guessing the small bandeau tiara is a bracelet on a frame. Whether it belongs to her or came from the family stash, we don't know, but HUZZAH for new stuff! [Luxarazzi]
Photo: Grand Ducal Court/Christian Aschman

--Days of celebration for the coronation of Tonga's King Tupou VI have begun. [ABC]

--Infanta Elena got all fancied up to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Spanish Riding School in Austria. (This is an Oscar de la Renta dress, and a look repeated from 2010.) [Style.com, Hola]

--Here's a piece on the new film Fabergé: A Life of Its Own, which is in limited theaters beginning tomorrow (June 29). The trailer is below. [Maclean's]

--The Japanese imperial family gathered for a concert celebrating Empress Michiko's 80th birthday, which was in October. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]

--And finally, a little bit of cute: The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as Chaz and Cams are known when in Scotland, went on a four day visit to, well, Scotland. They brought Cams' two rescue dogs to the Dumfries Dog Show, and you know how events pairing royals and dogs always end up. (Delightful, in other words.) [People, Scotsman Picture Desk]

Next up: Traveling to China with Queen Mathilde and her plus one, a Spanish state visit, and more...

Sunday Tidbits for June 21: Baby Updates and Things to See

A weekend without a royal wedding just doesn't feel right. But Sweden did their part to make sure there was no lull in the royal news this week, and they lead your weekly tidbits:

--King Carl Gustaf announced the name and title of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill's new son at a Cabinet meeting this week: HRH Prince Nicolas Paul Gustaf, Duke of Ångermanland. Paul and Gustaf are after the baby's grandfathers (Chris' middle name is also Paul), and Nicolas is an older Bernadotte family name. Chris told Svenska Dagbladet that the couple liked the name, and he was named Nicolas for about a day when he was born before his father changed it. [Svenska Dagbladet]
Prince Nicolas. Photo: Kungahuset.se

--Most of the Swedish royal family (minus Princess Madeleine, obviously, and Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, who are on their honeymoon) attended a Te Deum service to celebrate Prince Nicolas' birth on Thursday. [Expressen]
Photo: Kungahuset.se

--Not even my well-documented weakness for a fine white dress can endear me to the military styling on the top half of Princess Charlene at a cocktail party for the Monte Carlo Television Festival. [Hello]

--Thing to See #1: PBS is airing Tales from the Royal Wardrobe tonight (Sunday), with Dr. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces. At 7 pm CST/8 EST but you know the drill, check your local listings and all that. [PBS]

--Thing to See #2: The V&A in London just opened an exhibit called Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, running through January 31, 2016. And that's why the V&A is my favorite museum in the world. [V&A]

--Thing to See #3: The British Museum in London has just opened a new gallery for the Waddesdon Bequest, a collection of nearly 300 Renaissance treasures from Baron Ferdinand Rothschild MP (1839-1898). Some fascinating jewels in here. [British Museum, with thanks to Joyce]
Video: Some of the treasures in the new gallery

--And finally, I have fallen in love with this antique conch pearl, pearl, and diamond tiara, recently auctioned by Dupuis in Canada. Pink gems get me every time. [MSN and Dupuis, with thanks to Jean]

This week, stick around for the rest of the Ascot fashion parade, a return to the Battle of Waterloo commemorations, and more...

Monday Tidbits for June 15: The Wedding Leftovers Edition (and Baby News!)

How's your royal wedding hangover doing? Mondays after royal weddings are the toughest Mondays of them all, and I want you to know that it's okay to have an extra donut in these times of need. If I could buy you that donut, I would. But I'll have to make do by saying a very big and very sincere thank you to all of you that followed along this weekend. Thank you for reading, and to those who comment, thank you for keeping things fun and civil (even with around 4,000 comments on the open post!). I'm truly grateful that you keep stopping by.
Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

Now, a quick update on Jewel Vault happenings, a.k.a. what the British royal family did over the weekend: Trooping the Colour was covered over there and has been updated with more info/photos since its original posting, and I have also posted on yesterday's polo antics of the Windsors (both brooch-wearing and not).

And now we get to the tidbits. We're wrapping up our royal wedding coverage (pending our upcoming tiara analysis, as promised), and these are some wedding leftovers that didn't make it into the other posts. Just stick them in the microwave, they'll be tasty as ever. Crazy after parties, second bridal dresses, dress doubles, and more:

--It's a boy! Princess Madeleine gave birth to a son today, June 15, at 13:45. That's gotta be some kind of record, giving birth just two days after your last tiara appearance. Congrats to Madeleine and Chris! [Kungahuset]

--The party at the palace went until 5:30 in the morning, featuring performances by Avicii and Icona Pop (plus a dancing and singing Queen Silvia, because if you're going to rock out, you might as well do it in a tiara). Also, Princess Sofia changed dresses and ditched her veil at some point. Here's a gallery with glimpses from outside the palace. [Aftonbladet]

--Check out King CG busting a move, and store that image in your brain for the next time you think about calling him grumpy. [Instagram, h/t TheRoyalsandI]

--Links from the site of the royal court (many are PDF links) with speech texts and music details, if you're interested: English translations of the speeches of the King, Erik Hellqvist (father of the bride), and Prince Carl Philip, plus a copy of the wedding program with all the music and readings (in Swedish and English). [Kungahuset]

--Carl Philip's one wish for their wedding cake? To incorporate Pop Rocks into the space-age creation as a surprise for unsuspecting guests. That's right, Pop Rocks, the candy that fizzes when you eat it. I never knew a wedding cake could be cheeky. [Expressen]

--Some have asked questions about the types of dresses seen below, worn by more than one guest. It is not, in fact, an accident that multiple women would select the same midnight velvet gown with a puffed lattice sleeve. It is a court dress, and more like a uniform.
The woman pictured here is Karolin A. Johansson, Marshal of the Court for the Crown Princess' Household, and the same thing is worn by ladies from the Queen's Household. The dress is a variation on the old Swedish court dress, and it is worn by Ladies-in-Waiting and female attendants in similar posts. You can usually spot a couple ladies wearing these dresses (and often tiaras of their own) at any Swedish gala occasion.

--High marks from many of you for the Hellqvist ladies at the wedding, and I concur. Sofia's sisters wore Viktoria Chan dresses (see Lina's here and Sara's here), while her mother, Marie, and grandmother wore dresses from Milagro De Nahrin. [Instagram]

--It's rare we see someone wear the same thing as a princess at a royal wedding, since those outfits are often bespoke. But if you're going to wear H&M - even Victoria's custom H&M - well, accidental twin appearances might happen. Another guest wore the skirt version of Victoria's dress, but at least it was at the pre-wedding dinner and not the ceremony. [h/t AlexandraElizabeth in the comments]

--And finally, there are some extended family members that we didn't cover, but I must include Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg. She and QEII could have a long chat about fur wrap maintenance. This is some serious old school glam right here:

And that's that! Until tomorrow...

Photos: Kungahuset, SVT, Twitter, and Getty Images as indicated

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

Sunday Tidbits for May 31: Dressing Down and Dressing (Hair) Up

More smart casual wear on the royal grind and a touch of something fancy, but first, a little more wedding info to kick off this week's tidbits:

--More additions for the guest list for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist's wedding: The Danish royal court confirms that Carl Philip's godmother Queen Margrethe will attend along with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, while Buckingham Palace confirms that the Earl and Countess of Wessex will represent Britain.

--It's a Benelux team up: Queen Mathilde was joined by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition. Are you seeing these hairdos?? Mathilde even had a brooch in hers. Team Updo indeed. [Place Royale]

--Queen Letizia finished up her visit to El Salvador in true Miami Vice style. [Hola]

--Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel visited Gotland this week, and I am in LOVE with her outfit. Taking a page from the Letizia Book of Casual Tricks, she went all white with ballerina shoes to combat the walking and a white fedora for some sass. (She also dressed it up a touch with some heels while in the palace.) I haven't liked one of her everyday outfits this much in a looong time. [Expressen, Svenskdam]

--Also joining in on the semi-casual trend: Crown Princess Mary, visiting a new project for one of her patronages this week. [SN]

--On the un-casual end of the spectrum, look at how cute Queen Silvia is in her pink suit, attending The Childhood Day in Stockholm. Crisp and clean and bright. [Getty]

--I tweeted this earlier in the week, but I must pass on this terribly helpful piece yet again: Tips for Running a Stately Home on a Budget. You've got to buy your dinner gongs at an auction, people. Don't waste your money on a retail dinner gong, for heaven's sake. [Tatler]

--This investigation into who owns the most expensive private residence in London is a fascinating sort of whodunit. Or, more accurately, whospentit. [The New Yorker]

--And finally, it's been a busy week at the Jewel Vault, including a glittering State Opening of Parliament and an eye-patchy garden party. [Jewel Vault]

Stay tuned, state and official visit-y types of fun coming your way this week...

Photos: via Twitter and Getty Images as indicated

Sunday Tidbits for May 24: Jewelry Debuts and See-Through Shoes

No less than three royal ladies debuted new jewels this week, and I'm always here for that. Sparkly tidbits await you:

--Queen Máxima was out and about with a napkin on her head, but check out those earrings. HELLO LOVER. These are new pieces for her, and she continues to have one of the best collections of pink gems on the royal block. [Zimbio]

--Speaking of Máx, she and King Willem-Alexander are heading out for a state visit to Canada beginning Wednesday (they'll be in Ottawa, University of Waterloo, Beamsville, and Toronto), and an official visit to the United States the following week (Washington, D.C., Grand Rapids, Chicago). Those links will take you to the official agendas, in Dutch. [Het Koninklijk Huis]

--The Countess of Wessex visited Prague and got a new brooch! [Countess of Wessex Blog]

--The Duchess of Cornwall visited Ireland and got a new brooch! [Jewel Vault]

--That brooch came during an historic and well-received trip with the Prince of Wales to Ireland and Northern Ireland this week. One particularly emotional moment came during a trip to the place where Lord Mountbatten was killed by an IRA bomb, and Charles' speech there is embedded below. [Storify, YouTube]

--There seems to be an epidemic of sculpture openings in the Netherlands this week. Throw some orange in the mix for Princess Beatrix's opening, and she could have played along with the M&M twin show. [Royal Hats Blog]

--We have a confirmed international royal guest for the upcoming Swedish royal wedding: Princess Hisako of Takamado, who also attended Princess Madeleine's wedding. The official guest list has not been released yet, but more royal courts will eventually publish their agendas independently, as the Japanese imperial household has done. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]

--Cutie pie Princess Leonor had her first communion this week, with the royal family in attendance. Queen Letizia sported see-through shoes from Magrit with her Felipe Varela ensemble and a matching transparent vinyl clutch with silver lining. Worked well enough for Cinderella, I suppose. (Transparent vinyl peep toes are the new glass slippers, did you not get that memo?) [Hola]

Tomorrow's a holiday, but I'll be here to bring you some ~*gLamOur*~ anyway, so stay tuned...

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, YouTube

Sunday Tidbits for May 17: Some Dresses, Some Sparklies

Lots coming up on the blog this week: pre-wedding business in Sweden, national stuff in Norway, happenings in Spain, etc. But first, a tidbit or two...

--Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist have a service and reception today for their marriage banns and we'll be looking at that later. For now, they've released some new pictures, and Sofia's wearing a Reiss dress. Happy birthday to Prince CP, by the way - he turned 36 this week!
Foto Mattias Edwall, Kungahuset.se
--The Cannes Film Festival is in full swing, and French actress Clotilde Courau - also known as the Princess of Venice and Piedmont, though she doesn't use the title professionally - always turns up. Her dress is Valentino Couture, and I'm in sheer disbelief that we didn't see it on Crown Princess Mette-Marit first. Probably waiting patiently in that Norwegian closet.

--I'm also intrigued by her jewels, from Bulgari High Jewellery's Giardini Italiani collection. I love mixing stone colors in modern pieces.

--Also in Cannes, minus the evening gown: Prince Félix of Luxembourg. [Luxarazzi]

--Prince Harry continued his cuteness assault in New Zealand following my post earlier this week. Here he is trying his hand at a Maori Haka:


--I am intrigued by the Countess of Wessex's floral dress worn to a ballet performance this week, and am waiting to see it without the jacket. In her down time, she and Lady Louise have been having a blast at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Savannah and Isla Phillips included. [Countess of Wessex Blog, Daily Mail]

--Over at the Jewel Vault this week, we talked about two of the Duchess of Cornwall's famous pearl chokers.

--And finally, here's a little something to drool over: stunning Cartier jewels auctioned at Sotheby's this past week. We'll be talking about some of the tiaras featured at that auction a bit later on. [YouTube]

Photos: via Getty Images and Kungahuset as indicated

Sunday Tidbits for May 10: Commemorations, an Enthronement, and Bonus Cuteness

Lots going on out there! Tomorrow, we'll be attending to princely christening business; meanwhile, ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day are ongoing, and several royals in several countries have been participating in several ways. Just a few of those appearances kick off today's tidbits edition:

--Today's VE Day anniversary service in London is covered at the Jewel Vault, and so is Queen Elizabeth II kicking things off on Friday, together with a unique recording of her memories of that historic day. [Jewel Vault]

--The Countess of Wessex, looking stunning in a green dress from Suzannah, visited the Channel Islands to mark the 70th anniversary of their liberation. Here's a great entry at the Countess of Wessex blog, where eagle-eyed Anna gave me the heads up that Sophie was wearing earrings on loan from her mother-in-law. Her latest loan from the master jewel vault is a pair of ruby and diamond earrings I have previously covered at ye olde Vault blog. That red and green combo isn't any accident, by the way: green is for Guernsey, red for Jersey. [HRH Countess of Wessex Blog]

-- The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg were in Paris for the VE Day anniversary events, and I like this color on Stéphanie. [Luxarazzi]

--In other news, the enthronement of the Sultan of Perak, hereditary ruler of one of the states of Malaysia, happened this week. The Sultan came to the throne last year. Below is a video of one of the ceremonies this week, featuring quite a nice tiara on the Sultan's wife, Tuanku Zara Salim. (You may recall that the Sultan of Johor, another Malaysian state, had a coronation earlier this year.) [YouTube]


--Gotta love it when royal hats join forces: Queen Sonja and Princess Beatrix jointly opened the exhibit Van Gogh+Munch at the Munch Museum in Oslo this week. [Dagbladet]
 See also this NRK video.

--And finally, spring greetings for you from Princess Estelle and Haga Palace! [Kungahuset]
Kate Gabor/Kungahuset.se

Stay tuned this week for Monaco and Harry and more...

Saturday Tidbits: Baby Cambridge Edition (Updated)

Hellloooo! Sunday tidbits comes a day early in the form of an edition devoted entirely to the newest member of the Windsor clan. Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby girl!

--Update: We have a name! Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, to be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. Here's my post on the wedding of a previous British Princess Charlotte.

--Here's how it went down, tweet-style. All this happened while I was asleep, and I woke up to tweets for articles about all the ways lives have gone wrong for those in the "spare" position - TOO SOON, PEOPLE, GAWD - which left me totally confused until I kept scrolling. But total confusion is my normal morning state, so nothing out of the ordinary there.





--By the way, count me among the, like, five or so people in the world today that were surprised it was a girl. Only because when everyone is united in a prediction, I always assume it will be the opposite. But YAY FOR FUTURE TIARA WEARERS!

--Prince Cheeks Part 1 a.k.a. George came to visit his little sister, matching his dad in blues. He didn't really seem to understand all the fuss outside, but who among us truly does?

--His wee wave on video for you:


--Speaking of George: His name was announced two days after he was born, which was one day after he left the hospital and after QEII had stopped by to see him. So that's an FYI for those wondering when we'll get a name for Cambridge No. 4. I would like to officially sign the petition in favor of Princess Consuela Bananahammock.

--And then, lickety-split, it was time to take the new princess home to her palace. Here's a big gallery for you. [Zimbio]

--The Duchess wore a bespoke Jenny Packham silk shift dress with a yellow buttercup print. She also wore Jenny Packham when leaving the hospital with Prince George, so it's now the Official Royal Baby Carrying Label. Obviously Kate looked better than I do on any given day in which I have not given birth to a child just hours before, so that's not fair.

--The new mum didn't wear pink, but The Queen had an engagement today, and she did! She also wore a brooch with a skull and crossbones on it - yes! - which I find entirely too entertaining. You can read the full story behind the brooch and the very good reason she had for wearing it today over at the Jewel Vault. Or you can just decide she was having a Mette-Marit kind of day and leave it at that. YOUR CALL.

--And one more thing before we go:
CHEEEEKKKKSSS!!!!


We'll be back on Monday with a return to the non-Cambridge royal world, including the answer to this question: Which royal went out in public knowingly dressed like a banana? Stay tuned.

Photos: Telegraph video and via Getty Images and Twitter as indicated

Sunday Tidbits for April 26: Three Queens and More...

Let's get right to it, shall we? Your tidbits for the week:

--Events surrounding the centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign have been covered over at the Jewel Vault, from QEII and her gang to Crown Princess Mary. [Jewel Vault]

--Update on the state of Queen Silvia's fashionably injured shoulder: Scarf slings are hot this season, as displayed at the Silvia Home's Inspiration Day. [Expressen, Kungahuset]
Kungahuset.se

--Look who stopped by London just to be cute with some flowers: Princess Beatrix! (Multitasker that she is, she also managed to fit in celebrations of the 140th anniversary of the King Willem Fund between the cuteness.) [Getty]

--This dress on Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie is good...from certain views. [Luxarazzi]

--Three pieces from the fascinating Devonshire Parure are on loan to Tate Britain in London for another month as part of the exhibit Sculpture Victorious: Art in an Age of Invention, 1837-1901. [Chatsworth House, with thanks to Joyce for the tip!]

--This week in Royals Striding with Purpose (that's the title of my next blog), Crown Princess Mary celebrated the jubilee of the Maternity Foundation. [Getty]

--Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit visited a research ship which is frozen waaaay up north in the Arctic Ocean. Their trip included an icy camp out overnight, and gave us the headline (according to my browser's stilted translation) METTE-MARIT FROZEN IN ICE FIELDS: Will probably be taken out by helicopter later today. Much like a fine white wine, you want your M-M chilled to just the right temperature before you remove her. [Se og Hør]


Lots of stuff coming up this week, including some questionable outfits that require your verdict, and also the annual King's Day in the Netherlands (which will probably also yield some questionable outfits that require your verdict, let's be honest).

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Twitter, Kungahuset

Sunday Tidbits for April 19: The Non-Danish Event Edition

It's been a pretty big week for royal news outside of the recent Danish festivities, so I present a totally Dane-free tidbits for your enjoyment! Except for...the times when a reference or two slips in there. You can't expect a girl to go cold turkey.

--Tatiana Santo Domingo and Andrea Casiraghi welcomed their second child! The baby girl, born on April 12, is reportedly named India. [Hello]

--In other princely news, reports say the wedding of Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo will be in two parts: a civil wedding in Monaco at the end of July, and a religious wedding on Lake Maggiore (where her family has a private island) on August 1st. [Hello]

--The invitations for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist's wedding are out! They have an orange border and are tied with an orange ribbon, perhaps a clue to the upcoming color scheme. Aftonbladet published what they claimed was a list of the invitees, which was swiftly declared incorrect by the royal court. It wasn't anything you wouldn't have guessed based on the guest list for Princess Madeleine's wedding, really. Queen Margrethe said she received an invitation in her press conference this week; she's one of Carl Philip's godparents. The invites also confirmed what most were guessing regarding dress codes: tiaras will be worn by the guests that have them at the wedding itself, and the dinner the night before will be black tie (no tiaras). The wedding is on June 13. [Svenskdam, Aftonbladet]

--Brunei had a royal wedding of their own: Prince Abdul Malik, second son of the Sultan, and Dayangku Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah celebrated their wedding earlier this month in a typically lavish and sparkling ceremony. Below is a video from their wedding banquet, where the bride wore purple and a mahooosive ruby tiara that has also been worn by Queen Saleha. [Royalista]

--We missed Grand Duchess Maria Teresa at the Danish birthday dinner, but the Luxembourg couple did release a new set of official photographs to mark Grand Duke Henri's 60th birthday. That's a great outfit on MT, no? [Luxarazzi]
© 2015 Cour grand-ducale / Christian Aschman / tous droits réservés

--And we also missed Queen Sonja, so here she is in New York City, where she opened an exhibition and attended the American-Scandinavian Foundation Gala Dinner. The brooch hanging from her pearl necklace was one of Queen Maud's wedding gifts. [Zimbio]

--Over at the Jewel Vault: another new/new-to-us brooch for QEII!

--And finally... They've released pictures of Prince Harry at work in Australia, and it's good to see that they've followed the basic rules for any Harry publicity: uniforms and cute kids. And while you're in a punch-drunk Harry mood, the Fug Girls present "25 Reasons Harry Should Give You High Hopes for Royal Baby 2.0." [Telegraph, Cosmopolitan]

Photos: Cour grand-ducale and via Getty Images

Sunday Tidbits for April 12: All Your Birthday News, and More

I have a reaaallly long edition of Sunday Tidbits for you today, starting off with all the pertinent details for this week's celebrations of a certain royal birthday. If you don't care about the Danish party, we can't be friends anymore then just scroll down past Margrethe's face for some jewels, a smattering of other royals, and a reading recommendation:

--What's coming up this week for the main celebrations of Queen Margrethe's 75th birthday? Here's your official schedule (Copenhagen times, via Kongehuset):
  • Monday, 13 April
    • Press conference at Fredensborg Palace, 14.30.
  • Wednesday, 15 April
    • Dinner at Christiansborg Palace, 20.00, for officials of Denmark (including visiting royal guests).
  • Thursday, 16 April (Her actual birthday, in case you've lost track in the midst of this party extravaganza.)
    • Morning wake-up at Fredensborg Palace, 9.00.
    • Queen and royal family appear on balconies at Christian VII's Palace, Amalienborg, 12.00.
    • Coach ride from Amalienborg to Copenhagen’s City Hall, 12.30.
    • Official reception at Copenhagen’s City Hall, 13.00, for official Danish representatives, visiting royal guests, and the royal family. The Queen and Prince Consort will appear on the balcony afterwards.
    • Dinner at Fredensborg Palace, 20.00.
--An official guest list has not been released as of this writing, but the presence of several guests has been confirmed via official schedules - this is an ongoing list, others may be present and are just not confirmed yet:
  • Belgium: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde for the 15th.
  • Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa for the 15th. (The 16th is actually the Grand Duke's birthday too, as well as the birthday of the couple's youngest child, Prince Sebastian.)
  • Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will be present - not on their official schedules yet, but the King mentioned it in his state visit speech during last month's state visit to Denmark.
  • Norway: King Harald for the 15th and 16th, with Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit joining on the 16th. (Queen Sonja will be in New York.)
  • Spain: King Felipe and Queen Letizia for the 15th.
  • Sweden: King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia for the 15th and 16th, with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel joining on the 16th.
  • Additionally, I'm sure we will see plenty of members of the extended Danish royal family, including the Greek royal family and the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburgs.
--TV2 and DR1 in Denmark will broadcast events, and live streams should be running; links will probably be floating about at the time.

--As far as the blog schedule goes, yes, we will have an open post, and we'll be departing from our regularly scheduled programming starting Wednesday to cover these events.


--Moving on, Crown Princess Mary marked the 75th anniversary of the German occupation of Denmark, which occurred just a week before Queen Margrethe was born. [Royalista]

--Some sad news: Prince Kardam of Bulgaria, Prince of Turnovo, died this week. The son of the former Tsar of Bulgaria was 52 years old. His health never recovered after a serious car accident in 2008, and he had been in a coma for several years. Very sad, and my sincere condolences to the family. [Hello magazine]

--Monaco's princely family marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Prince Rainier III this week. Albert and Charlene also had another joint engagement, for which Char wore some saucy shades. [Palais Princier Facebook]

Video: The service for Rainier

--Here's your jewel auction update: Christie's is offering the "Maria Christina Royal Devant-de-Corsage Brooch" for sale, a huge diamond stomacher that was a wedding gift from King Alfonso XII of Spain to his bride, Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, in 1879. Additionally, Sotheby's is offering the collection of the late Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, which includes three tiaras. I'll take the lot, please and thank you. [Jewels du Jour, Art Daily, Sotheby's]
The three Roxburghe tiaras

--If only the outfits Queen Letizia has worn lately (see here or here) were half as interesting as this cheeky little glance... [Hola]

--Prince Harry arrived in Australia for a month's assignment with the Australian Defence Force, wore a uniform, charmed the crowds, and decried the scourge of selfies. All in a day's work, really. [News.com.au]

--What happened at the Jewel Vault this week? Luscious diamond demi-parures, among other things.

--And finally, The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (the Fug Girls of Go Fug Yourself fame) was released this week. I was lucky enough to get a copy from those lovely ladies, and I have to tell you, I loved it. Here's the blurb:
“I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they’ll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next.” 
American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it’s Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain’s future king. And when Bex can’t resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.
Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick’s sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he’s fated to become.

Which is how she gets into trouble.

Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she’s sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.
I was so impressed with the balance they managed to hit in this novel. There are nods to the real life romance of William and Kate and enough real life details (with an impressive amount of research thrown in) to make royal watchers smile, but it's still a fictional universe that draws you in, keeps you guessing, and makes you laugh. One of the best books I've read so far this year. Do pick it up! [And here's an Amazon link for ya.]

Stay tuned for the week's fun. Birthday cake for everybody!

Photos: Kongehuset.dk, and via Getty Images as indicated

Sunday Tidbits for April 5: Dizziness and More on Your Easter Sunday

Happy Easter to all you Easter-celebratin' types! Just a few tidbits for your Sunday fun:

--Here's the official joint monogram for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist, designed in part by Carl Philip himself. It's very...swirly. Excessive scrutiny may cause dizziness. [Kungahuset]

--Speaking of dizziness: Here's Prince Harry, flying upside down in a Spitfire. [BBC]

--Dutch Princesses Margriet and Laurentien joined forces with Belgium's Princess Astrid and her daughter-in-law Elisabetta for the awarding of the Princess Margriet Award for Culture this week. [Paris Match, Telegraaf video]

--Says it all right in the title: The Violent, Royal Story of How Tartan Became Your Favorite Plaid. [Jezebel]

--Here's Luxarazzi on the details behind one of the most interesting (and big!) brooches worn in Luxembourg. [Luxarazzi]

--And finally, we had a corgi race, why not one with lambs too? The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary this week, and we will be (and have been already) celebrating over at the Jewel Vault. Stay tuned over there! [Express]

And stay tuned over here too, as we have Easter stuff and more coming your way this week! (The scoop on QEII's Easter gems can already be found at the Vault, as always...)

Photos: Kungahuset, Telegraaf video, via Getty Images

Sunday Tidbits for March 29: All Things Ceremonial, Historical, Etc.

I've got your pomp and circumstance right here, kids. Several historical things went down this week and we have linkage for all that, plus a few other tidbits and a fun announcement...

--A coronation: The Sultan of Johor was officially crowned this week. I haven't written much here about the monarchy in Malaysia, but it is a fascinating system; nine states each have their own monarchy, and an overall king (the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) is chosen from among them every five years. (We did cover the state tiara worn by the queen here in the past, the Gandik Diraja.) Sultan Ibrahim came to the throne of Johor in 2010, but his official coronation wasn't until this week. And it actually was a coronation in the proper sense of the word, complete with crowns and robes. The Sultan of Brunei and his wife were in attendance, as well as some of the other Malaysian monarchs. Below is a video, and here is a blog covering everything in depth. [Malaysian Royalty]


--A reburial: King Richard III was returned to rest in proper somber fashion in Leicester this week, after his skeleton was located in a car park and finally identified, and 530 years after his death. The Countess of Wessex represented the Queen (the Countess of Wessex blog has more on that), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also present (the British Monarchy's Facebook page has a shot of them), here is a look at his tomb, and below is a video of Benedict Cumberbatch reading a poem during the service. [Countess blog, Facebook, ITV, YouTube]


--A change for the Windsors: New rules governing succession to the crown are now in force. Male bias in the line of succession has ended, marriage to Catholics has been approved, and the number of people that need to ask for permission to marry has been reduced. Here's a BBC article, and here's a breakdown from Royal Central on what the changes mean. Oh, and on the day the change went into effect, the Queen wore one of Queen Victoria's brooches. Coincidence? I prefer to think not. [BBC, Royal Central, Jewel Vault]

--A dame: Did Dame Joan Collins wear the perfect thing to pick up her DBE, or did she wear the perfect thing?! (Answer: Yes.) This is also historical, people. [ITV]

--An exhibit: I mentioned a few Sundays ago that ten of Crown Princess Mary's dresses are going on exhibit in Denmark. Well, the exhibit is open, and some of my all-time favorite Mary gowns are on show (see here, or here). Between this and the Daisy exhibit, I've never been more furious that I don't live in Denmark. [Facebook, Royalista]

--A cutie: The Prince of Wales knows that everybody examines what else is in the room when we get a peek inside one of the palaces, so he got everybody to pay attention to his video message for the WWF (the World Wildlife Fund, not the other WWF) (although I would also like to see his message for the World Wrestling Federation) by giving us a glimpse of him holding his grandson Prince George. And it worked! While in the United States last week, he made reference to his environmental efforts and not failing his grandchildren, so it all ties together beyond the cuteness factor. [WWF]

--And finally, an announcement: I have decided to start covering Camilla's jewels at the Jewel Vault blog! Camilla's gems are fab-u-lous and I can't wait to share them with y'all. There's already a post up on her rings, and one on the first of her famous pearl choker collection. [Jewel Vault]

We have much to catch up with next week, including Danes on tour and a ball in Monaco and Kate's last hurrah, so stay tuned...

Photos: via Getty Images, and WWF video

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