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

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

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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...

Sunday Tidbits for June 7: All Your Royal Wedding Watching Details, Plus More

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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

Royal Question Mark of the Day: May 26

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It's just........huh? I have so many questions. SO MANY.
The Prince and Princess of Monaco attended 
the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.
What even is this? Why does the skirt have a knee vent? Did it want to be a jumpsuit but chickened out halfway through? Why are there tabs at the top? Is this a paper doll jumpsuit pasted on a three dimensional human? I mean, this shape seems clearly not meant for a world with this many dimensions.
There's just nothing about this that isn't a giant question mark. Unless she was trying to win the prize for the year's most unflattering outfit, in which case I think we can call this a winner.
Outfit by Akris
Even the Dior earrings bring the question marks. A top-to-bottom achievement in huh?, I'd say.


But I won't leave you like that. I offer you this palette cleanser:
Charlotte Casiraghi at this year's Cannes Film Festival, in Gucci.
Theeeerrre we go. All better.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Style.com

Royal Fashion Awards: Monaco's Twin Christening

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Prince Albert and Princess Charlene christened their twins on Sunday in a day filled with sunshine and Dior and royal fashion awards:

The Stars of the Show
Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella
The babies wore Dior, as though it could be any other way: bespoke Baby Dior cotton christening gowns embellished with Calais lace, floral embroidery, pleated detailing, and each baby's own monogram. Matching bonnets were worn on arrival at Monaco Cathedral. That's Jacques with his mother and Gabriella with her father, by the way.
Royal christenings often feature heirloom christening gowns, and while I have no idea if that was an option for this princely event, new gowns were a nice way to handle the logistics of a twin baptism. Plus, the monograms were a posh way to make it easy to distinguish between the two kids. They also had pink and blue pacifiers with their names on them.

Best Dressed
Princess Charlene
The proud mother could make my best dressed based on the wattage of her smile alone, but her outfit was killer too, staying true to her minimalist self while adding a little bit of a retro flair. She was also dressed in Dior couture (the only kind of Mommy and Me dressing I can get behind) in a dress with a three-quarter sleeved short top and a skirt with a slight fullness. The small ribbon of the Order of St. Charles is pinned to her top.
Charlene went the Mette-Marit route, docking her hat waaaay on the back of her head. And though I'm itching to move it forward, this outfit is a winner no matter what.

Biggest in Hat
Princess Caroline
As though compensating for the lack of millinery on her immediate family members, Princess Caroline went straight for the XXL size with her own hat. A striking selection, all the better to draw attention as she cutely fussed over her new niece.

Biggest in Bright
Princess Stephanie
Caroline pulled herself away from the pack with her hat, and Stephanie did it with her bright blue and bold white graphics, making her instantly recognizable on the steps there. It's a much fresher choice than we usually see her make, and I'm actually surprised how much I like it.

Best in Hat
Beatrice Borromeo
Caroline wins on hat size, but when it comes to the best of hats, I think I have to go with the woman who will be next to officially join the Casiraghi clan. She's partially hidden but so far, so chic.

Most Color Coordinated
The Duchess of Castro
And finally, it's not a big Monaco event without Prince Carlo and Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the Duke and Duchess of Castro. Picking up something of a blue theme among many of the other guests, the other royal Camilla added a harlequin spin. And if you're at all familiar with her style, you would expect no less.

Who was your best dressed at this twin christening?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Monaco info screencaps

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

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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

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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

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