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

Citrines for November: Luxembourg

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Sparkling in citrines - Stephanie of Luxembourg in a very unusual tiara
(photo By Frankie Fouganthin - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wiki Commons)

November has two birthstones but finding royal jewels featuring either citrine or topaz is a bit of an ask. These two jewels come in stunning colours but they aren't favourites in the jewellery boxes of the ruling houses of Europe right now. However, there is one rather striking tiara featuring citrines which you can't fail not to notice. Welcome to Citrines for November.


Citrines are said to take their colour from the sun and these stones are filled with warmth. Their yellow/ orange hue is unmistakable and it's the first thing you notice about the tiara from Luxembourg that stars this stone.



The citrines, round and oval, are set amongst semi cirlces of pearls in a bandeau tiara. The shape, style and mix of stones is very unusual and somehow works. The fact that there's a matching necklace and earrings helps - mixing this diadem with other diamonds would be difficult. 



It's been worn intermittently by the royal ladies of Luxembourg although its exact provenance isn't known. In recent years, it got a starring role at one of the royal weddings of the decade when Hereditary Duchess Stephanie wore it to the marriage of Princess Madeleine in 2013. It's not a huge favourite with the Luxembourg royals but it still has its moments. And while it's not the easiest piece to wear, it's still an intriguing addition to the royal jewel box of Europe.

There are more pearls for June here.

Royal Wedding Flowers: orchids

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It's known as a luxurious flower and symbolises love so it's perhaps surprising that the orchid doesn't feature in every royal wedding bouquet. This exotic bloom isn't one of the most regular flowers used by royal brides but it's featured in some of the most famous bouquets of recent times. Among them, the bouquet that was carried at a wedding still making history today. Yes, the flowers chosen by the then Princess Elizabeth for her marriage on November 20th 1947 included orchids. As the Queen and Prince Philip prepare to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in just a few days time, here are five times royal brides have chosen orchids for their bouquets.




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Queen Elizabeth II, November 20th 1947

The Queen's wedding bouquet was a spectacular sprawling sprig of flowers that featured orchids among its  blooms. The then Princess Elizabeth went for three types of British orchids in the bouquet made by Martin Longman of Ludgate in London. She chose from five ideas submitted by the florist and ended up with a rather exotic looking royal bouquet that inspired many other brides in its day. It also went AWOL before the photos and another one was made while she honeymooned. Back at Buck House, the newlyweds posed for more pictures with the blooms on show. Well, when you've got three types of orchid (cattleya, odontoglossum and cypripedium) as well as a sprig of myrtle from the bush planted by Queen Victoria at Osborne then why not?



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Princess Margaret, May 6th 1960

Margaret Rose did like to make a point of how she had been born the younger sister and so wasn't really considered as important as Lillibet the Queen. You could read that into this bouquet which is a much smaller affair than that carried by her big sister and contains orchids in their miniature form. You have to peer pretty hard to see them among the stephanotis and lily of the valley that Margaret also chose. There was always an element of theatre with this princess.




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Diana, Princess of Wales, July 29th 1981



Given the amount of flowers she carried down the aisle of St Paul's Cathedral, it's not surprising that Diana got some orchids into her bouquet somewhere along the line. Even the official press release about Diana's flowers noted how big they were. The cascading, Edwardian style bouquet also contained roses (named in honour of Charles' beloved uncle, Lord Mountbatten), ivy, freesias and lily of the valley.




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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, June 19th 2010

Victoria was another royal bride who packed in the petals when it came to her wedding bouquet but given that her nuptials were billed as the biggest regal marriage since Charles and Diana, that's perhaps only to be expected. The future queen of Sweden chose a sweet smelling selection of white flowers for her bouquet with orchids joined by peonies, roses and valley lilies in the flowing confection. 



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Stephanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, October 20th 2012

The bride of the last heir to the throne of his generation to get married was always going to wow at her wedding and Stephanie sparkled so much that we're still getting over it, five years on. Among the many triumphs of her two day wedding celebration was the bouquet carried into the religious service at the Cathedral de Notre Dame in Luxembourg on October 20th. Made by the famous Parisian florist, Maison Lechaume, it consists of white orchids, roses and ivy in a delicate swirling shape. Rather pretty and just the right contrast with the acres of gorgeous lace in her Elie Saab frock. Stephanie was a bride to be reckoned with and her flowers look fragrant, even now.

6 royal birthdays for November

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It's candles for Charles this month as he celebrates his birthday
(photo By Korona Lacasse [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons) 

There might not be as many royal birthdays in November as in other months, but these ones pack a real regal punch. On this list you'll find two heirs as well as a first born grandson of a monarch. Get the cards and cake ready, here are six royal birthdays for November.


  
 
  Charles, the Prince of Wales is 69 on November 14th 2017
Charles Philip Arthur George was born on November 14th 1948 at Buckingham Palace, London. He was the first child of the then Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne, and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and he arrived just days short of his parents first wedding anniversary. His birth, like their marriage,was a high point for a country still recovering from the Second World War. He became heir to the throne on February 6th 1952 on the accession of his mother as Elizabeth II and he has held that role ever since making him the longest serving first in line in British history. 





Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg is 36 on November 11th 2017
Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie was born on November 11th 1981 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg. He was the first child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess, Henri and Maria Teresa, who had married on Valentine's Day that year. He became heir to the throne on his father's accession in 2000 and married Stephanie Lannoy in 2012.


 

Queen Sofia of Spain is 79 on November 2nd 2017
Sofia of Spain has had happier birthdays and that's saying something. She was born a princess of Greece and Denmark on November 2nd 1938 in Athens. She was the first child of Paul, then first in line for the Greek throne, and his wife, Federica, who had married in January that year. Her father became King of Greece in 1947 and in 1962 she married Juan Carlos of Spain who would become his country's king in 1975. She saw her son, Felipe, become King of Spain in June 2014 on the abdication of Juan Carlos and will spend this birthday watching him wrestle with the biggest political crisis to hit his country in decades. Sofia is still much admired in Spain despite her more background role now. 



Peter Phillips is 40 on November 15th 2017
Well, that's something to make the longest reigning monarch in British history feel even more historic. Her eldest grandchild turns forty this month. Peter Mark Andrew Phillips. first grandchild of the Queen, was born on November 15th 1977 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. He was the first child of Princess Anne and her first husband, Mark Phillips. At birth he was fifth in line to the throne and his parents' decision to not raise him with a title caused huge debate at the time. He was educated at Gordunstun and the University of Exeter before taking jobs in sports sponsorship and management. He married Autumn Kelly in 2008 and the couple has two daughters.




  
  
David, Earl of Snowdon will be 56 on November 3rd 2017
David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones was born on November 3rd 1961 at Clarence House, London, He was the first child of the Queen's only sister, Princess Margaret, and her then husband, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon. At birth, the new Viscount Linley was fifth in line to the throne. He spent a lot of time with his royal cousins growing up and would go on to develop a career in furniture making and antiques. He married Serena Stanhope in 1993 and the couple has two children. Earlier this year he became Earl of Snowdon on the death of his father.



Lady Louise Windsor will be 14 on November 8th 2017
Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary was born on November 8th 2003 at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, the first child of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. She was born prematurely after her mother was rushed to hospital. Like her November cousin, Peter Phillips, there was debate about her title at birth but her parents announced she would be known as Lady Louise Windsor. She makes appearances at major royal events like Trooping the Colour. Lady Louise is eleventh in line to the throne.

Royal Wedding Dresses: Stephanie of Luxembourg

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Stephanie of Luxembourg in Elie Saab on her wedding day, October 20th 2012
(photo Grand Cour Ducale)

When you're the bride at what's being billed as the last big royal wedding of a generation then there's quite a lot of pressure on the dress. There was a huge amount of interest in the marriage of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Stephanie de Lannoy on October 20th 2012, partly because of the stellar royal guest list and partly because the groom was the last heir to a throne of his generation to say 'I do'. When Stephanie stepped onto the red carpet leading to Luxembourg Cathedral, she certainly wowed in a wedding dress that did royal and modern all at the same time.




The gown, in palest cream, was by Lebanese designer, Elie Saab, and is heavily lace dominated. From the start of the scoop neck to the tip of the train, every part of this dress is covered in lace and it's rather lovely for it. It's made of silk crepe and satin organza with Chantilly lace and Calais lace.




The fitted bodice has three quarter length sleeves and a cinched waist with belt while the skirt flares out gently into a full length dream of a dress with the lace embellishments giving it more shape and structure.






Stephanie showed she was a royal bride who really thinks ahead - much of the wedding ceremony would see guests looking at her back and she made sure it was interesting. The bodice featured a dip on the back created in lace which was just visible beneath the cascading veil.





All royal wedding dresses need a train and Stephanie's was a whole 13 feet long, filling the aisle of the Cathedral as she walked towards her groom. Along with the rest of the dress, it was scattered with over 50,000 pearls and 80,000 crystals.






Stephanie's veil, held in place by a comb in her updo which was topped off with her family tiara, covered the train completely, adding to the ethereal feel of this dress.



All in all, Stephanie scored a huge hit with this royal wedding dress. It was totally regal while filled with all the modern style Elie Saab is known for. She really was a beautiful bride and her dress makes any top ten of 21st century royal wedding gowns.

Royal Wedding Tiaras: Stephanie of Luxembourg

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A family tiara for Stephanie of Luxembourg on her wedding day
(photo By Denis Probst - Own work, archive Denis Probst, CC BY-SA 3.0 lu, Link)

The royal family that Stephanie de Lannoy married into on October 20th 2012 has one of the best collections of tiaras around. But on her big day, the new Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg chose a tiara much closer to home - her family diadem, worn by her sisters on their own wedding days. This royal bride followed her own tradition with a tiara filled with sentimental value.






That's not to say that her sparkler isn't really rather lovely. It's made of platinum and diamonds with the stones shaped into leaves that scroll in an arch towards a centre point which is topped with an inverted pear shaped gem. There are 270 diamonds in this diadem and although it's delicate and demure, it packs its own weight in gem power.




The Lannoy family can trace its history back to the 13th century nobility of Hainault but it acquired this sparkling example of aristocratic standing about 100 years ago when the tiara was created by the Belgian jeweller Altenloh of Brussels. In this generation, Stephanie's sisters and sisters-in-law wore the piece for their weddings. Stephanie was also mourning her mother on the day she got married - Alix de Lannoy had died that August, just weeks before the wedding of her youngest child.



Stephanie's tiara might not be as grand or glittering as some of those worn by royal brides at recent weddings but its sentimental attachment and the way it honours her family make it a real stand out diadem choice. It also suits this bride down to the ground and given that she has decades to enjoy the Luxembourg tiara collection there was no need to rush into its gem studded vaults just yet. There is something romantic and touching about this tiara choice and it look spectacular too. A sparkling success all round for Stephanie.

Royal Wedding Gala Gowns:Stephanie of Luxembourg

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Five years ago this week, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy in a wedding (or two) to remember. The last heir of his generation to say 'I do' did it not once, but twice, as he and his bride exchanged vows in a civil ceremony on October 19th and then again in a religious service on October 20th. In between that they held a gala dinner to celebrate their nuptials with royal guests from across Europe filling the Ducal Palace in Luxembourg on the night of the 19th for a glittering celebration. Which means that not only did royal bride, Stephanie, get two wedding dresses she also got a gala gown to go in her marriage wardrobe sandwich. As the happy couple celebrate their wood anniversary (yep, five years is really owning it with the gifts), let's get all sparkly and look back at a gala night to remember...


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After a triumph of a cream Chanel earlier in the day, Stephanie got us all ready for the big frock the following day by choosing a gown by her wedding dress designer. The bride was to wear Elie Saab for her religious marriage and she chose him to make her gala look as well.



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The dress, in gun metal grey, is a fabulous mix of regal and romance. Stephanie showed she was more than ready for her royal close up by picking a gown with all the interest in the neckline - most of the photos of it were taken as she sat down for dinner so the top had to be the star of the show. The pretty lace dress gives way to a sheer, ruched panel at the neck while there's also a pretty dipped, draped back to keep the interest going.



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This is pretty much pure fairytale princess stuff, with a fitted waist giving way to a gently flared skirt that skims into a mini train (it's a royal wedding, no one is getting away with cocktail here). The colour is strong enough to stand out against the opulence of the Ducal Palace where the gala dinner was given while soft enough to be bridal. There's plenty of glitter on the intricate lace overlay. Oh, and Stephanie added one of her new family's diamond tiaras to the look just to make sure the sparkle quota was filled.



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This was a stand out look for Stephanie and helped complete one of the most memorable royal bridal ensembles of the 21st century. Between the subtle charm of her Chanel at the civil wedding and the full on fabulousness of her Elie Saab dress for the religious marriage, this chic gala gown adds just the right note of glamour to produce a trio that any royal bride would be happy to wear. Five years on, Stephanie of Luxembourg's regal wedding wardrobe still stands the test of time.

Royal Wedding Outfits: Stephanie of Luxembourg

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What's better than a royal wedding dress? Why, two royal wedding dresses of course. While more than one recent royal bride has gone through both a religious and civil ceremony to marry, not all of them get to do the double dress whammy. But Stephanie de Lannoy wasn't going to say 'I do' in just one frock. The future Grand Duchess of Luxembourg gave us two regal wedding looks for her two ceremonies five years ago this week. On the anniversary of her civil marriage to Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, here's a look back at what Stephanie wore to say 'I do' first time round.


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The civil marriage of Stephanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy and Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie de Luxembourg took place at the Hotel de Ville in Luxembourg City on October 19th 2012. The then mayor of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, was in charge of proceedings - he, of course, is now the country's Prime Minister.




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The royal wedding of Stephanie and Guillaume was a huge affair and attracted a lot of global coverage, not least because the groom was the last heir to the throne of his generation to get married. But while the guest list for the religious marriage on October 20th included royalty from just about every corner of Europe and beyond, the civil wedding was for family only and rather low key. Apart from the huge crowds, endless flags and mammoth walkabout that came with it.




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For this first foray into the royal wedding spotlight, Stephanie chose a Chanel suit in dark cream with some rather slinky silver highlights. It is pure Chanel from its tweed texture to skirt and jacket shaping and it's really rather elegant.



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But as this is a wedding, and a royal one at that, there had to be a bit of bling. We all know that Luxembourg's royals can outglitter the best and rest of them without even blinking and Belgian born Stephanie showed she was more than with her husband's family on that, adding a silver bag and shoes  (Chanel, natch, as you can see from the soles) to her first wedding outfit and all without looking like a Christmas tree. They, in turn, welcomed her into the sparkly fold by all choosing outfits in muted metallic shades - yep, even Grand Duchess Maria Teresa kept it low key in burnished gold for her first born's big day. Elegance everywhere.




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It all works rather well together and while all brides are beautiful, Stephanie really did shimmer and shine on the first of her big days. The girl's a trooper, too. You can see her main wedding dress here tomorrow but before then pop back for a reminder of the rather lovely gala gown she wore on the night of October 19th for the glittering dinner sandwiched between her two weddings. Anyone who can entertain royalty just after one marriage and just before another is a duchess on a grand scale. Oh, and she rewore the Chanel at the end of wedding two for a fireworks performance. Stephanie of Luxembourg had being a royal bride down to a tee.

Three royal brides for October

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Stephanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, was an October bride
(photo Grand Cour Ducale)

You don't get that many royal weddings in October. It's getting chilly for a start and this part of the year in modern times is often pencilled in for overseas tours and State Visits while the regal agenda firmly beds in after the summer break. But every now and again we get an early autumn royal bride - here's a trio that said 'I do' in October.






Countess Stephanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy, October 19th and 20th 2012
The marriage of Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Stephanie de Lannoy in October 2012 was billed as the last wedding of an heir to the throne for the best part of a generation. The bride, who speciliased in languages, became engaged to her prince in April 2012 and they married in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Luxembourg on October 19th before a religious marriage at Notre Dame Cathedral the following day attended by royalty from around the world. Five years on, they are turning into the stars of a new royal generation.



Infanta Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santisima Trinidad of Spain, October 4th 1997
Once upon a time, Spain's monarchy was among the most popular in the world and one of its favourite members was the Infanta Cristina. When the second daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain married Olympic bronze medal handball player, Inaki Urdangarin, in Barcelona on October 4th 1997 the bride was just about as popular as a bride gets and the couple were feted as a golden pairing among their generation. They were created Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca  by the bride's father and had four children together. But a lot has changed in the past twenty years. The couple were accused of financial irregularities and ended up on trial. Earlier this year, Cristina was acquitted of fraud but her husband was found guilty of embezzlement and is appealing. But the wedding present of a proud papa is gone - Cristina lost the right to use the title of Duchess of Palma in 2015 before her acquittal. She remains sixth in line to the Spanish throne.



Serena Alleyne Stanhope, October 8th 1993
The Queen's nephew, the new Earl Snowdon, was always a glamourous member of the extended Royal Family and when he married in 1993 it was a glittering affair. His bride, Serena Stanhope, was a distant cousin of Diana, Princess of Wales and wore a dress inspired by the famous creation chosen by her new mother-in-law, Princess Margaret, over two decades earlier. The marriage, at St Margaret's Church, Westminister on October 8th 1993, made front pages around the world and the bride's outfit remains among the most famous of modern royal times.

5 royal outfits for a civil marriage

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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.

Sapphires for September: Luxembourg

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Spot the sapphire - the sparkling Nassau tiara as worn by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg in an official portrait
(photo Grand Cour Ducale)

Sapphires have sparkled in regal jewel collections for centuries and their deep blue colour is as much associated with royalty as any other. The birthstone for September can be found in stunning settings in the jewel boxes of many of the current ruling houses of Europe. Here's Luxembourg's dazzling diadem in sapphires for September.






The sapphire and diamond tiara used by the royal ladies of Luxembourg traces its history back to the middle of the 19th century. The Nassau tiara was first owned by Adelheid-Marie, the second wife of Adolphe of Nassau who became Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890 at the age of 73. By then his Grand Duchess had owned her sapphire tiara for well over two decades.





She would pass it on to her granddaughter, Marie-Adelaide, who became the first woman to take the throne of Luxembourg in its modern form on her accession in 1919. Her reign wasn't a huge success and her perceived support for Germany in World War One led to her abdication in 1919 in favour of her sister, Charlotte, the grandmother of the present Grand Duke, Henri. Grand Duchess Charlotte wore the tiara and it flowed silently and without fuss into the family collection where it's become a favourite in more modern times.




It features one solitary sapphire in the centre of a diamond filled frame. The sparklers are set in a leaf design with a row of diamonds at the top and they climb to a subtle arch above the round sapphire. And because this is a royal tiara there's an extra row of diamonds that can be added at the bottom, for when a bit more regal sparkle is required.

  


Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is fond of this tiara but she's also lent it out to several younger members of Luxembourg's Royal Family with Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie wearing it for an official portrait as well as for part of the accession celebrations for King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 2013.  It's a pretty and rather delicate tiara which gets added regal punch from the stunning blue stone at its centre. A delight of a diadem and all because of its sapphire for September.

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