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

Sunday Tidbits for October 5: New Feature! Princely Twins, Auctions Galore, and an Imperial Wedding

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Lovely readers, I've decided to try out a new feature for the blog! It's a little something I'm calling Sunday Tidbits, a quick round of links to selected extras: more royal events, plus other articles and whatnots that might be of interest to you. Some news-ish, some not. Stroll through them on your lazy Sunday! Use them to cure a case of the Mondays! Do none of the above! (Hey, I don't know your life.)

Ready? Here we go:

--This has been rumored since they announced the pregnancy, but it appears that Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have confirmed to Hello! magazine that they are expecting twins. Charlene gave an interview to the publication during her recent visit to New York. Congrats to the couple! [@HelloCanada Twitter]

    --Princess Noriko of Takamado, the daughter of Princess Takamado and the late Prince Takamado, who was the Emperor of Japan's cousin, is getting married. She participated in a few ceremonies leading up to the wedding, including one in traditional garb to say farewell to the ancestor gods of the family, and one in the more modern traditional court dress with jewels to bid farewell to the Emperor and Empress. Like all females born to the imperial family, she received a parure when she came of age, this one including pearls and diamonds in a scrolling wave pattern. She won't formally be a part of the imperial family after her marriage, so her tiara days are coming to a close. Here's a video, and here's a blog covering the event. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]
        And here is video from the wedding, held today:

        The fabrics are just gorgeous and her hair, the architecture of her hair, really, is fascinating. They look happy - as happy as they are allowed to look given the tremendous amounts of protocol every public appearance is subjected to, that is.

        --I thought Romania's Crown Princess Margarita looked very elegant in her purple recently. [Royal Hats Blog]

        --Crown Princess Victoria wore purrrrple too, for a cabinet meeting, so I'll sit on my typing fingers about the plain black accessory business. [Svensk Damtidning]

        --Returning to the Grimaldis for a moment, they have a collection of relics from Napoleon and his era, and they're selling off about a thousand pieces. Well sure, because now they have to buy two cribs, you see. (Okay, technically the article says the items, which have been on exhibit, are being sold to "to make room for a museum celebrating its own ruling dynasty".) Anyway, the French state might get involved, and it could be a whole thing. [The Independent]

        --The Swedish version of the Antiques Roadshow unearthed a tiara with a connection to Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway (1836-1913). According to reader Anna, who sent this in, the floral diadem was one Queen Sophia gave as a gift. I do like to see garnets used in tiaras. [SVT video]
          --In other Swedish jewel news, Sotheby's is auctioning Queen Josephine's pearl necklace, a double strand of large natural pearls with pearl and diamond pendants. The necklace was probably given by Empress Joséphine to her daughter-in-law Augusta, Duchess of Leuchtenberg, and then to Augusta's daughter, Queen Josephine. It eventually passed out of the main royal line and was sold. It will now be sold again. Get that wallet out, King CG. [Sotheby's]
          On the left, Josephine wears the necklace in question

          And there you have it! Just a few extra tidbits for the week. Stay tuned Monday as we catch up on happenings in Spain and beyond.

          By the way, this series of posts has another purpose too: as open posts for commenters. For those of you that like to hang out and chat, please use these posts as a place for your off topic musings throughout the week, in the interests of keeping daily posts just a bit more manageable. Enjoy!

          Photos: FNN video, SVT video, Wikimedia Commons, Sotheby's

          Royal Outfit of the Day: May 13

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          Alexandra (then Princess Alexandra and the wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, the Crown Prince's younger brother; now the Countess of Frederiksborg) attended Frederik and Mary's 2004 wedding.
          I adore Alexandra's style - during her marriage, she was the epitome of princess style, never afraid to go big. But this...is an exception to my love. The pink silk duchess satin gown from Henrik Hviid is maybe just a touch too Barbie for my taste, between the particular color of pink and the embellishments (what are those supposed to be, anyway? Close up above) on the bodice. She used a matching bolero-style capelet to cover her shoulders for the ceremony, but as you can see in the video below, it seemed to be a bit of a hassle on the way in.

          Video: Arrivals at the church, including Alexandra at 2:10.
          On the other hand, her jewelry game is basically flawless: the amazing Alexandrine Drop Tiara is on full display, and she wore a massive necklace with matching earrings. (If I recall correctly, the necklace and earrings may have been a loan for the day, since it wasn't a set seen again and wasn't a known royal heirloom.) And you know I'll award all sorts of bonus points for that.

          What say you: too Barbie? Just right?

          Photos: Getty/DR1

          Royal Outfit of the Day: May 12

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          Queen Margrethe attended the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson, May 14, 2004.
          I'm sure there are all sorts of "rules" you can come up with for how the mother of the groom is supposed to dress for a wedding. And I'm guessing precious few of those so-called guidelines include bright pink and giant diamonds. But Margrethe happens to be both the mother of the groom and the reigning queen, and she does what she wants.

          Video, above: The gown underneath in action, entering the banquet
          After helping Mary select a series of pinks for her bridesmaids, she went along with the group in a pink coat with voluminous sleeves and leaves scattered over the bottom of the sleeves and coat. The silk coat covered a silk faille floral gown with three-quarter sleeves with bows, and a train. Her handbag and her shoes were made from the same floral fabric, and the outfit was made by Mogens Eriksen. When it comes to Margrethe ensembles, this is one of my favorites: the coat is a unique way to cover up for the church, and the dress underneath was tremendously flattering. The whole thing is just so Margrethe. It would look ridiculous on just about anyone else, but it's perfect for Daisy.
          Diamonds worn by Margrethe to the wedding: the Crown brilliant set (center) and the Floral Aigrette Tiara (right)
          Her choice of accessories - GIANT DIAMONDS - absolutely can't be beat. She selected a brilliant-cut set of diamonds from the Danish crown jewels, which belong to the state and can be viewed at Rosenborg Castle when not in use. It has been said to be the most valuable set at the Queen's disposal, with diamonds that are both large and historically significant (the setting was created by C.M. Weisshaupt in 1840, with stones that had been the family prior to that, used in other pieces of jewelry since the 1700s). The brilliant set consists of an enormous floral brooch set en tremblant with earrings and a necklace containing floral elements; the earrings include pear-drop diamond pendants and the necklace has seven similar pendants. She also wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara, which is a part of her personal collection but coordinates perfectly with the crown brilliants. The Floral Aigrette was bought for Margrethe's mother, Queen Ingrid, and Ingrid first wore it at Margrethe's own wedding. The brilliant set was also worn by Ingrid at Margrethe and Henrik's 1967 wedding, so the selections here have significance beyond wearing important things for an important event.
          The coat in its current dress form
          Queen Margrethe did repeat this outfit as it was worn in 2004 after the wedding, but eventually she changed it up. Never one to let a good outfit go to waste, she had the pink coat re-engineered into a dress of its own, and she's worn it many times since (including for the official portrait seen above). I'm not so sure that was a successful change, since the volume on the sleeves in their new shorter length is a bit much, but then I probably just miss the glory of the original ensemble. Ah, well. It was perfect while it lasted. 

          Psst: It's a two post day! Keep scrolling. 

          Photos: Steen Evald/Kongehuset.dk/DR1/Getty Images/DKKS, Rosenborg Slot

          Royal Outfit(s) of the Day: April 22

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          The Spanish royal family, celebrating Easter.
          For those familiar with the way the Spanish royals mark Easter, this is nothing new. Apart from being one of the occasions during the year when we get to see Leonor and Sofia it remains, sartorially speaking, an everyday occasion. I like Letizia's outfit here, actually; I do like her take on cropped trousers and heels, though I think the skinny belt on the jacket shown on the mannequin might have helped. Anyway, the average-ness of the thing makes Queen Sofia's egg necklace, an Easter standard, an automatic standout. Maybe I'll whip up one with chocolate eggs for myself next year. Never know when you'll need a snack.

          Click here for a gallery from the day.

          Photos: Felipe Varela/Getty Images/LibertadDigital/Pili Carrera/Nanos

          Royal Outfit of the Day: April 18

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          The Prince and Princess of Wales at a black tie event during their tour of Australia in 1985.
          I really try and use the word "iconic" as sparingly as I can - it's so painfully overdone these days - but I think this is an occasion to drop it, because this is one of the most iconic uses of jewelry in the past few decades of royal history. Emerald jewelry was the choice to complement this green gown from the Emanuels, a one-shouldered, low-waisted silk satin organza dress dotted with sparkles. These were some of Diana's more valuable jewels: the Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Choker (click for a detailed history from the Jewel Vault) which was a lifetime loan from the Queen as a wedding gift, and emerald and diamond earrings which were a 22nd birthday present from Charles.
          Video: The event starts at :45.
          She opted to use the necklace as a bandeau across her forehead, reportedly because she had a sunburn on her neck, and the appearance instantly became memorable. Memorable, yes, but successful...hmm. It's a strange meeting of the 1980s and the 1920s and 30s, when the bandeau was truly in style. Would you classify this appearance as a success?

          Photos: Tim Graham/Getty/Daily Mail/Royal Collection

          Royal Outfit of the Day: March 10

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          Video: Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel visited Paris last week to open a Carl Larsson exhibit. Victoria wore a black coat from By Malene Birger with rhinestone and mirrored embellishments on the sleeves with black trousers and flats, along with a Stella McCartney clutch, Carolina Gynning necklace, and large earrings.
          This coat...I don't know. This bag...I really don't know. Seems like someone's been on a Stella McCartney shopping spree (two clutches and one dress of late, at least). Not a brand that I'd call easy to wear, to say the least...should we be concerned?

          Photos: BestImage/By Malene Birger/Stella McCartney/Carolina Gynning

          Royal Outfit of the Day: February 24

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          Princess Madeleine attended the 2010 wedding of her sister Crown Princess Victoria wearing a forget-me-not blue chiffon gown, reportedly from Linda Nurk, with a crystal embellished bodice and ruffled skirt and removable shrug for use in the church.
          Princess Madeleine and her husband Chris O'Neill welcomed a daughter a few days ago! Let's celebrate with some serious fashion and sparkle, as we do. This gown has to be one of Madeleine's most girly turns, all sparkles and ruffles as far as the eye can see. Having watched more than my fill of figure skating in the past days, I'm thinking you could chop the skirt, add some illusion netting, and fit right in at the rink. But even if that's not your taste, the jewels are something to behold, a special selection for a special occasion. Among the treasures on display are the Connaught Tiara and the processional jewels, or Processional Necklace. The necklace is made of Ceylon sapphires, diamonds, and baroque pearls, and was given to the new Crown Princess Victoria by her husband, the future King Gustaf V, for her procession into Stockholm after their 1881 wedding. It's a family piece that has been worn throughout the generations, and was the perfect accessory for this frothy gown, no?

          Photos: Getty/Scanpix

          Royal Outfit of the Day: February 13

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          Queen Silvia attended the Semper Opera Ball in Dresden, wearing a repeated Jacques Zehnder apricot and gold brocade gown.
          Silvia's worn this dress before, to both Crown Princess Victoria's pre-wedding dinner and the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2011, and it's always classic Silvia elegance. But check the necklace and earrings this time. A jewelry collection large enough to allow her to perfectly match an apricot gown? Respect, Sil. Respect.


          Photos: Getty Images

          Royal Outfit of the Day: February 12

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          Video, above: The Duchess of Cambridge attended a gala at the National Portrait Gallery wearing a repeated dark blue Jenny Packham gown with the diamond Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, on loan from the Queen's collection, and a pair of diamond earrings she's worn several times.
          The last time we saw this dress, many of you cried out for a necklace, and voilà - here ya go! This is an interesting loan from the Queen, one of her wedding presents and a necklace she's continued to wear over the years. (For more on the piece and its history, click here for the Jewel Vault.) My verdict? Dress: Love! Diamonds: YAY! Hair: Let's talk about the diamonds again!
          Here's Kate, the center part of her necklace (all that lovely detail does get a bit lost when in use), and her gown. Click here for another video - diamonds are always worth seeing in action. Pictures for your in depth exploration here, here, or here.

          Photos: ITN/Royal Collection/Jenny Packham

          Royal Outfit of the Day: January 30

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          Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel made a short trip to Germany. On day 1, she wore a repeated black blazer over a satin pleated COS dress in biscuit.
          I'd like to ask what's up with the Wilma Flintstone necklace, and I'd like to know why we need the purse strap across the body (if a princess can't get someone to carry her stuff, what hope is there for the rest of us, eh?). But she's been going on about her business like a jolly Swedish flamingo after her skiing accident, and I just can't complain. (A flamingo with a legit hairdo this time, it must be noted!)

          Psst: Tiara Thursday will be on Friday this week!

          Photos: Getty Images/COS/N-tv

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