WEDDING FLOWERS: Luxembourg
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Showing posts with label Luxembourg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luxembourg. Show all posts
Royal Wedding Anniversary of the Day: December 5

Royal Wedding Anniversary of the Day: December 5

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Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz married the Duke of Brabant on December 4, 1999.
These two royal lovebirds celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary yesterday!

More video: Part 2, Part 3
We refreshed our look at Mathilde's Natan wedding gown last year, before Philippe took the throne. So today, in addition to some video, we have a sampling of some of the guests at this wedding.

The cozy December affair brought a number of classy winter wedding ensembles from the royal guests - not about the flash, but about rich materials and hats. With brims and everything. Kind of a nice change every now and then from the more, uh, inventive stuff we see these days.

Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, the King and Queen of the Belgians
Like Queen Paola, for example. That's a queen's outfit, right there. Not a particularly fun color, but elegant to the end. And showing off the true advantage of a wide brim hat, allowing those that missed the hat trend to hide behind (yes, that's the rather hat-allergic Queen Sofia back there).

Princess Astrid of Belgium and husband Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este
The abundance of fabulous materials has me saying something I usually don't get to say: I think Princess Astrid, sister of the groom, might be my best dressed guest. I'm all about that fur draped over that suit and the jaunty contrasting angle on the hat. All about it.

The then-Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Maria Teresa got the memo. She looks cozy and chic.

Queen Silvia of Sweden
Silvia's hat is veering a little close to summer material, I'd say, but she pulls it off.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Queen Fabiola of Belgium
Joséphine-Charlotte makes neutrals into a little something extra with her choice of fabric, and Fabiola makes hats into a little something extra with her addition of a baby blue Big Bird right on top. Fabiola knows we need someone to bring the feathery goodness, otherwise it just wouldn't be a royal wedding. (Update: Hours after this was posted, it was announced that Fabiola passed away today at the age of 86.)

You know who also would never let us down on the feather front?
The Queen of Denmark
Ah, Daisy. It takes a proper queen to pull off the smushed up raven headdress. Gotta love her!

Photos: Via Getty Images, as indicated
Royal Visit of the Day: November 12

Royal Visit of the Day: November 12

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Honestly thought Letizia was wearing a necktie for a hot minute here.
The King and Queen of Spain made an introductory visit to Luxembourg yesterday.
She's not! But if any of these ladies were going to pull a Diane Keaton on us, I think Leti could do it best. Instead, she opted to repeat another Felipe Varela dress.
On the Luxembourg side of things, Maria Teresa tapped into my deep love for ombré, and Stéphanie's fancy little updo made for a nice balance with her simple dress. Not a bad showing, but I'll fall for that Varela every time.

Photos: Mathis Wienand via Getty Images

Tiara Watch of the Day: November 4

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There will come a day when Tiara Season is over. Thanks be to the Tiara Gods, today is not that day! Legit jumpy claps when I saw this pop up on the twitters:
Luxembourg busted out their tiaras to host a state visit from Germany! Excellent. But believe it or not, the dresses are winning most of my affection here. (Actually, it's totally believable, isn't it. Those tiaras - the Topaz/Citrine and Pearl Tiara for the Grand Duchess and an amethyst bandeau for the Hereditary Grand Duchess - are present but aren't exactly scene stealers.)
For Stéphanie, a purple lace Diane von Furstenberg gown (per Luxarazzi, which also offers more info on this state visit) with accompanying bonus points for anything purple. For Maria Teresa, a mix-and-match bespoke look from Elie Saab Fall 2012 Couture. The gowns that spawned the one MT wears are among my favorites from his recent couture collections, and I'm feeling very exclamation pointy about seeing the look come to life. Exclamation point!

Photos: MyTheresa, Style.com

Royal Outfit of the Day: October 29

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The Canadian Governor-General and his wife have been on a European visit, including a stop in Belgium that included dinner with the King and Queen. They also called on the King and Queen over in the Netherlands, but we won't speak of Máxima's outfit. We will, however, speak of Mathilde's outfit. We will speak LOUDLY of it, because Mathilde looked gooooooood.
Right?! Maybe all this lace of late has just put me in the mood for something sleek and chic, but I'm all.about.this.dress. She's repeating the look worn for this rather *gLaMoRoUs* portrait, which I didn't realize was a gown:
And she capped the accessories at a simple pair of emerald earrings, which was just the way to go for maximum sleekness, while still adding some interesting color.
Love. That's all.

Oh! And:
The commemorations of World War I continued yesterday in Nieuwpoort, Belgium.
We'll add in one royal gathering (with the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands), just for good measure. Somber yet elegant, just as it should be.

Photo: Belgian Monarchy/FPS Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Michel Gronemberger

Sunday Tidbits for October 26: From Weddings to Mourning and Back

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Happy Sunday to you! Here are some tidbits for your (hopefully) lazy day, and your chat thread for the week:

--Mark your calendars: The Swedish royal court announced that Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist have set a wedding date. The couple will marry on June 13, 2015, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm (the site of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill's 2013 wedding). It's a Saturday. No time has been released yet, but both Victoria and Madeleine had afternoon weddings. [Kungahuset]

--Crown Princess Mary was in Tajikistan this week as part of her role as patron of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Coverage has been a bit scarce, but here are some links with a couple pictures (articles are in Danish): children's hospital visit, being made an honorary professor, visiting a taekwondo center, a banquet on the first day, and the end. [Billed Bladet]

--I didn't realize that Princess Stéphanie, who celebrated her second wedding anniversary this month, has only just done her first solo engagement. Luxarazzi helpfully includes dates of first solo flights from other princesses as a frame of reference, proving that there is no one standard for these types of things. [Luxarazzi]

--In New York City? The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Anna Wintour Costume Center has an interesting new exhibit. Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire explores the elaborate mourning practices of the 19th and early 20th centuries and features mourning gowns worn by both Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra. It runs through February 1, 2015. [Met Museum]

--The purple coat worn by the Countess of Wessex this week needs to be in my closet, please and thank you. [Countess of Wessex Blog]

--Still remembering Oscar de la Renta: I loved this slideshow of his greatest runway hits which doubles as an amusing look at fashion through the decades, plus remembrances from Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour. [NY Mag, Hollywood Reporter, Vogue]

--The adorable Empress Michiko turned 80 this week, and here's a look at her life in hats. I'm starting to think she had some sort of screw installed in her forehead just so she could get those wee saucers in just the right place, every single time. [Royal Hats Blog]

--This video, a behind the scenes look at what goes into creating one look from a Christian Dior Haute Couture collection, is a bit old, but it's been making the rounds this week. It's mesmerizing. [YouTube]

--In case you missed it, the state banquet from this week's British state visit was covered at the Jewel Vault and updated multiple times. Also, QEII is tweeting now. (Well, just the once. Still waiting for her to start live tweeting Downton.) [Jewel Vault]

Photo: Erika Gerdemark, kungahuset.se

Tiara Thursday: The Topaz (or Citrine) and Pearl Tiara

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The Topaz (or Citrine) and Pearl Tiara
Out of the grand ducal collection in Luxembourg comes this bandeau of oval stones in a warm orange-yellow hue separated by arcs of small pearls, all set in yellow gold. Exactly what type of stones those orange numbers are is unknown, with topaz and citrine being the two most popular guesses (Luxarazzi discusses the likelihood of each in their entry on this piece).
Necklace and earrings
Whatever they are, these orange stones also adorn matching earrings and a necklace to form a parure with the tiara; the earrings include a large round orange stone with a large pendant, all with a pearl outline, and the necklace is a twisted gold chain with up to five pendants, each an orange stone on a pearl-embellished clasp.
Maria Teresa, Joséphine-Charlotte, Alexandra
The precise history of this set is unknown, but it's been worn by the grand ducal ladies since at least the 1980s. For several decades it remained sparingly worn; Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte wore it on occasion, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore it when she was the Hereditary Grand Duchess, and Princess Margaretha (daughter of Joséphine-Charlotte) borrowed it on at least one occasion. It seems to be experiencing a tiny resurgence in the past few years, though: Princess Alexandra (daughter of Maria Teresa and Grand Duke Henri) wore the tiara in 2011, Maria Teresa used it during a state visit, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie used it to coordinate with her gold gown and her orange-trimmed sash at Princess Madeleine of Sweden's wedding in 2013.
Stéphanie
This is quite a unique piece. This color of stone is not a popular material in tiaras, and to combine it with pearls is another unusual choice. It's perfectly suited to be a part of the Luxembourg collection, though, as they have plenty of tiaras to pick from - in particular, several smaller options with various colored stones. That variety allows them to save a piece like this for use when it really suits the outfit, which is the perfect showcase for such an intriguing tiara.

This stone combination in a tiara: yes or no?

Photos: Frankie Fouganthin/Wikimedia Commons,Gammarapho, Cour grand-ducale, Place Royale screencap
Sunday Tidbits for October 12: Tiaras on the Horizon, Plus More

Sunday Tidbits for October 12: Tiaras on the Horizon, Plus More

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Welcome back to Sunday Tidbits Vol. 2, the second edition of our new weekly feature! Random links and assorted information coming right up...

--BRACE YOURSELVES: Tiaras are in our future. Now that we're done with the fall parliament opening season, we're heading into fall state visit season. This week, Norway welcomes India for a state visit (and they'll host a gala for parliament, which is a tiara event). In the weeks to come, Britain hosts Singapore, the Dutch will head out to South Korea and Japan, and more. Felipe and Letizia will also be picking back up with their introductory visits (which are not tiara occasions, but still), starting by calling on Willem-Alexander and Máxima this week. Obviously we'll do our best to cover as much of it here as we can.

--Regarding that state visit from Singapore, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are scheduled to take part in the official welcome. (Kate's attendance is obviously dependent on her illness.) But they are not on the schedule for the state banquet, so no tiara. [Express]

--Hello mag asks, "What has the Countess of Wessex done?" Just remembered she left the house with her scrunchie still in, I expect. [Hello]

--Sheikha Mozah was out and about in Valentino and I am going to have to sound the outfit flop alarm. I mean, an innovative alteration from the runway, sure, but...no. [Sheikha Mozah Fashion]

--The Princess of Asturias has a new wax figure, to join the waxworks of her father and some other lady who bears no resemblance to her mother. Here's the thing: Wax figures are TERRIFYING. Always. Why do they make them? Why do people go and see them? These are the real questions. [Hello]

--Christie's will auction the Feuilles de Groseillier brooch, which belonged to Empress Eugénie. Like so many pieces with French crown jewel heritage, it was once part of a larger parure that was broken apart and sold off after the monarchy was done away with. One wonders if the Louvre will be able to acquire it in one way or another, as they have done with similar pieces (such as Empress Eugénie's Pearl and Diamond Tiara and the Duchess of Angoulême's Emerald Tiara). [The Jewellery Editor]

--The Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg have been in Asia. Her outfits aren't anything to write home about, but Stéphanie's curtsey game is strong. [Luxemburger Wort]

--Staying in Japan for a moment: Last week, we discussed the wedding of Princess Noriko. This week, there was a banquet for the newlyweds which included the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. Masako looked happy and the bride wore a little diamond embellishment in her hair, and that's pretty much all you need from an event like this. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]

--From Andrew Prince, creator of costume tiaras used on Downton Abbey, comes a line of bridal tiaras just for you. "Tiaras are the most useless and the most fantastic," he says. "YAAAASSSSS," I reply. [New York Post]

--Queen Silvia repeated a gown in my very favorite color but it still gives me a slight case of Skeptical Estelle Face. Shine plus black embellishments? Hmmm. She and the King were at the Birgit Nilsson Prize Ceremony, and I read that as Brigitte Nielsen first, which would be a whole different thing. [Svensk Damtidning]

--Love this write up from Patricia Treble on the breathtaking poppy installation at the Tower of London. The Queen will visit on Thursday. [MacLean's]

--Speaking of QEII, she is back from her Balmoral break, hanging out with Angelina Jolie and such, and that means the Jewel Vault blog is up and running once more. FYI, y'all.

And finally, here's your reminder that you are welcome to use this post for your off topic and personal musings throughout the week! Enjoy.

Royal Gathering of the Day: September 2

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Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands this weekend, the Dutch King and Queen were joined by the King and Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and the President of Germany and his partner.
What percentage of crossover is there between these three royal closets, do you think? I mean, they share a favorite designer (Natan, worn here certainly by Máxima and Mathilde, and probably by Maria Teresa too) and a favorite milliner (Fabienne Delvigne, again worn by Máx and Mathilde, though it appears MT has branched out for this occasion). Their names even share the same first letter (not relevant, but I'm just saying).
When you start thinking about it, it almost becomes impressive that they managed to rustle up three different looks for this one event. Would have been some kind of epic if they'd done the Natan triplet act properly, though...
 
Photos: Pool via Getty Images, and NOS screencap

Tiara Thursday: The Luxembourg Turquoise Tiara

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First of all: Posting was held back by some technical difficulties yesterday, hence the radio silence. My thanks to all of you that checked in, and we're back as usual today!

The Luxembourg Turquoise Tiara
In 2008, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa appeared in a petite tiara featuring two rows of turquoise stones surrounded by diamonds, a top row of upright pear-shaped stones and a bottom row of oval stones. She was also wearing a pair of earrings and a necklace to go with the tiara. The set caused quite a bit of interest at the time, as it appeared to be something either newly acquired or newly reorganized by the grand ducal family. For once, though, this is a mystery that would be solved.
Maria Teresa (left) and Tessy (right)
As Luxarazzi relays, an article from Point de Vue cleared up the mystery: the set has in fact been around for a long time. It was likely made around the 1830s, but it was only dusted off and given to the court curator to be restored for use by Maria Teresa in 2006 along with another, larger turquoise necklace. How or why these pieces managed to stay hidden away for such a long time remains unknown, but since bringing it back to life, the tiara has been worn by both Maria Teresa and her daughter-in-law Princess Tessy. It's not the easiest tiara to wear, but since turquoise has such impact (being both bright and opaque), it works particularly well in a small form. Turquoise has always drawn strong reactions one way or the other around here, so I'm curious to know...

How do you rate this little gem?

P.S.: I did a fun, quick interview with Luxarazzi for their summer series on royal bloggers. Check it out here!

P.P.S.: Thursday outfit posts will return when the summer slow season is over.

Photos: PPE/SIPA/RTL

Tiara Thursday: Luxembourg's Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara

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Luxembourg's Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara
Worn earlier this week for National Day (but hardly seen behind the hair) was one of several small colored stone tiaras from Luxembourg. This tiara features diamonds and five aquamarines, and it came from the collection of the late Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. It's part of a set which includes the bandeau-style tiara (which I believe can also be used as a bracelet), earrings, and a necklace with pendant, all made of large rectangular aquamarine stones joined by knotted diamond motifs.
Left to right: Joséphine-Charlotte, Margaretha, Maria Teresa. Joséphine-Charlotte wore it in bandeau style, closer to the forehead.
Like most of the tiaras belonging to the grand ducal family, this one has been seen on a few different family members: Joséphine-Charlotte and daughters Princess Margaretha and Princess Marie Astrid, plus daughter-in-law Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. I hope we see it on as many family members as they can manage, as it's grown to be one of my favorite aquamarine tiaras. Aquamarine just works so well in an Art Deco design, for whatever reason, and the diamond ornamentation here is subtle enough to allow the blue to take center stage. As we've seen in other tiaras, rectangular aquamarine stones aren't always the easiest to incorporate into tiara form (looking at you, Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara), but this one's a great example.

Is this an aquamarine favorite for you?

Photos: Hello/Getty Images

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