Royal Outfit of the Day: May 22

Royal Outfit of the Day: May 22

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Jordan's Queen Rania attended the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Asturias, May 22, 2004.

#111676052 / gettyimages.com

At a wedding filled with female guests wearing their proper royal skirt-n-hat best, Queen Rania's interesting interpretation of the dress code (or non-interpretation, perhaps) made her an instant standout. She swept in wearing a floor length Givenchy skirt in lace and lilac, paired with a simple ivory button down shirt, and she went without a hat. (Princess Muna, her mother-in-law, arrived with her and was also among the guests choosing not to wear a hat.) It seems a surprising choice, but it's really not - at least not when you consider it alongside Rania's other wardrobe choices throughout the years. She puts her own modern spin on what it means to be queen, even when it comes to her outfit choices at a royal wedding.

 The runway version appeared in the Givenchy Spring/Summer 2004 Couture show.

Photos: Getty/TVE1/Vogue.co.uk

Royal Outfit of the Day: March 5

Royal Outfit of the Day: March 5

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Last week, Queen Rania celebrated the 25th anniversary of art organization Darat al Funun.

I found this little gem while browsing Queen Rania's Instagram account. I'm not the closest follower of her fashion (she's not unlike Princess Letizia, going rather utilitarian for the day-to-day stuff and saving the best for special occasions), but this one jumped right out at me. It's an unusual look - the sleeves are doing a thing (exactly what that thing is, I don't really know), the color of the accessories isn't quite right, the zipper detail (I think it's a zipper detail) at the shoulder looks like she forgot to remove the microphone from her last interview - but yet this color is everything. Hard to wear, but she's pulling it off.

Year in Review: 2013's Royal Brides

Year in Review: 2013's Royal Brides

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As we continue to wrap up 2013's sartorial happenings, a look back at the lovely royal (and royal-adjacent, etc.) brides we covered here this year - because a royal wedding gown is always a highlight, no?

• In March, Princess Iman bint Al Hussein of Jordan married Zaid Azmi Mirza in traditional style. 
• In June, Princess Madeleine of Sweden married Christopher O'Neill in a Valentino gown.
• In August, Vicky Andrén married Gustaf Magnuson (the King of Sweden's nephew) in a Lars Wallin dress.
• In August, Kendra Spears married Prince Rahim Aga Khan in Manav Gangwani Couture.
• In August, Tatiana Santo Domingo married Andrea Casiraghi in a Missoni outfit. (Reports say they will hold a religious wedding in January.)
• In September, Claire Lademacher married Prince Félix of Luxembourg first in a dress from Jan Taminiau and then in a gown from Elie Saab (pictured).
• In October, Viktória Cservenyák married Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma in Claes Iversen. (They have since announced that their first baby is due in February!)

You could give me Elie Saab any day of the week and I'd be a happy camper, so obviously Claire comes out ahead for me in the 2013 bridal race. But we had a great variety this year and I'm guessing there's something here for everyone, so tell me:

Which royal wedding ensemble was your favorite this year?

Photos: Petra/Pool/Scanpix/The Ismaili/Palais Princier/Cour grand-ducale/Getty Images

Wedding Wednesday (on a Friday): December Brides

Wedding Wednesday (on a Friday): December Brides

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Let me sneak this in here since we had a Nobel Wednesday - the last in our series of monthly bride reviews! And just a short list to take us out...

 

The Duke of Brabant and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz

December 4, 1999

Our newest king and queen in a year of monarchy switcheroos.

Archduchess Marie Christine of Austria and Count Rodolphe of Limburg-Stirum

December 6, 2008

These two (she's a niece of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg) welcomed a second son this year.

 
Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland and Lilian Craig

December 7, 1976

These two might be my favorites from this list, because awwww.

The Princess Royal and Commander Tim Laurence

December 12, 1992

Appropriate for a small second wedding (for her), yes, but also so very Anne - the exact same case, in fact, as her much larger first wedding, as mentioned in last month's overview.

King Baudouin I of the Belgians and Fabiola de Mora y Aragón

December 15, 1960

If you want a queenly wedding gown, this is it.

The Shah of Iran and Farah Diba

December 21, 1959

This one's got the pomp factor too, but not quite the same gravitas as Fabiola's gown, I think.

King Hussein of Jordan and Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan

December 24, 1972

This was the king's third marriage, and it ended tragically: Alia was killed in a helicopter crash in 1977. Their children include Princess Haya, who we see around here whenever the races are on.

Princess Caroline of Monaco and Stefano Casiraghi

December 29, 1983

Another tragic end here, I'm afraid: Stefano was killed in a speed boat crash in 1990. Their daughter Charlotte should be having a baby of her own soon.

Who's your favorite December bride? 

Photos: Rex/Getty Images/TimeLife/Royal Household/Palais Princier