WEDDING FLOWERS: Netherlands
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Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Royal Flashback of the Week: April 3

Royal Flashback of the Week: April 3

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Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations in 2010 gave us one of the most fun royal photo ops in recent years, when Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary rounded up the other "heir couples" (as they were at the time) in attendance and went for a jolly little stroll across the cobblestones on their way to the last big event of the multi-day party, a private dinner for Queen Margrethe at Fredensborg Palace (you can see video of this here).
L to R: Princess Máxima and the Prince of Orange, the Crown Princess and Crown Prince of Norway, the Crown Princess of Sweden and Daniel Westling, the Crown Princess and Crown Prince of Denmark
This dinner had a black tie n' tiaras dress code, which I always love because 1) tiaras and 2) gowns that don't have to hold up to an array of orders and whatnot are often a lot more interesting. And sure enough, these ladies were up to the task in gowns that were the perfect thing for a tiara opportunity without all the extra clutter (...well, for the most part).
Mary wore a one shoulder teal Kenth Fredin dress with flattering draping across the body. This was one of her first "proper princess" gowns, a repeat worn to the couple's engagement dinner in 2003, and it's always been a hit. She paired it this time with the Midnight Tiara, earrings, and brooch, and this gown is the best match that set has met yet (in my un-humble and slightly rhyming opinion).
Mette-Marit's Nina Skarra dress was a fresh take on all the things she loves: a fresh petal-like take on her beloved ruffle skirts, and a fresh take on her pastel repertoire with a bright pink belt on that icy blue background. She revamped this gown last year, changing the bodice and adding sleeves and removing the belt, making it more useful as a gala gown to support her sashes and such but making me miss the original take. She wore her standard Diamond Daisy Tiara with this. (Moment of silence for an all-time great tiara hair moment. Amen.)
Máxima wore this spectacular Carolina Herrera blue floral one shoulder gown, which would have been too much in most gala situations, but was just right with a sprinkling of sapphires and the Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara. I've been hoping she'd become a big Herrera customer ever since, but I'm still waiting.
And finally, Victoria, my least favorite of the lot in prison break BCBG Max Azria stripes. She did not wear a tiara, sticking a family heirloom brooch in her hair instead. The sportiness of this dress makes it a hard match to any sort of delicate jewelry, and I can only think the Diamond Bandeau might have done the trick. Anyway, this appearance was so fun, even a tiara lover like me can get over that real quick. I don't have my hopes up too high for a repeat of this little jaunt anytime soon, but if we got one, I'd give it all the jumpy claps.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Tiara Thursday: The Dutch Emerald (and Pearl) Parure Tiara

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The Dutch Emerald (and Pearl) Parure Tiara
The Dutch royal family loves to get creative with their jewels, that's a fact. I don't know if it's because they actually have the most flexible royal collection around or just because they happen to use the full range of flexibility that they have, but they mix and match and switch things up like nobody else, and this tiara is the perfect example. Not only has it changed shape over the years, it has also managed to change colors.
Juliana
Made just before 1900 with emeralds thought to have belonged to Wilhelmina of Prussia (1751-1820), wife of William V of Orange, the design has a central emerald in a swirling knotted diamond base with emeralds on top. It originally had three emerald and diamond finials, which was reduced at one point to the single central pear-shaped topper. Queen Juliana and other family members wore it this way, including upside down (as demonstrated above).
Máxima
Currently, it can once again be worn with three emerald and diamond ornaments on top. The tiara is part of a whole parure with a necklace, brooch, earrings, and more - pieces that can be combined in so many different ways (and with other parts of the family collection, too) that it's hard to keep track of them.
Annemarie
In advance of the wedding of the current King and Queen, the emeralds were swapped out for pearls as a possible wedding tiara for Máxima. She ended up using the Pearl Button Tiara with stars on her big day, but the pearl version stuck around. It did eventually get its day in the sun as a wedding tiara, when Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel wore it to wed the Duke of Parma (son of Princess Irene of the Netherlands) in 2010 (above).
Máxima
This is one of the pieces from the family collection that has been worn by most of the royal ladies at one point in time, including Princess Beatrix, Princess Margriet, Princess Irene, and Princess Laurentien, in addition to those shown here. And my opinion of the piece varies with every outing; those that manage to hide the bottom of the v-shaped base win my affection, and those that don't leave me in fear that it will slide right off their faces. But cheers for flexibility either way, right?

Which would you pick: pearls or emeralds?

Photos: ANP and via Getty Images
Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: April 2

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: April 2

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And for today's installment of things random royals have worn recently...

Queen Máxima has been on a trip to Myanmar as part of her role as a U.N. advocate for inclusive finance, and she wore something a little familiar...the brown and blue version of the pink Dolce & Gabbana dress we've seen on Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Marie-Chantal! Give me the light pink any day, though.

Queen Mathilde attended an exhibit featuring Dries van Noten's work, so she wore a Dries van Noten outfit. Anything else would have been just rude, you see. (Queen Robocop's knee is on the mend, but she uses a wheelchair when lots of walking/standing are required.)
I liked the floral print underneath, but possibly the most interesting part of this outfit was the mix of patterns with the coordinating striped jacket. She also put in an appearance in another of her sheath dresses, which she does (and should) own in a million variations because they're just right for her.

Also riding the royal blue train lately was Sofia Hellqvist:
I like this. I think I like this? Yes, I like this. A slouchy casual air, but still some sparkle. I grow ever more excited to see what she picks for the big day ahead.

Photos: via Getty Images and Twitter as indicated
Royal Visit of the Day: March 23

Royal Visit of the Day: March 23

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I think Willem-Alexander has found his signature THE KING HAS ARRIVED pose.
Following their cheery Danish state visit last week, the Dutch King and Queen made a two day stop in Germany for an official visit before heading home. With arrival on her own home turf so close she could smell it, Máxima returned to her main man Natan for a couple more outfits.
The first one was possibly a contest to see how many different colors and fabrics could fit in one ensemble. I hope the prize was a good one.
Day two was all about the accessories, a sea of red as far as the eye can see with only a pair of snazzy glasses for viewing the eclipse to break it up. And also a bug on her shoulder, can't forget that.
The accessories and their overdose of red were distracting me from what was really kind of a lovely dress underneath. You can't go wrong with a basic red dress, and this one has an extra wave of fabric to add some interest.

Basic with distractions continued to be the theme as the Dutch couple arrived home and headed off to a concert engagement. No rest for the wicked, or something like that, eh?
I suppose it's possible that Máx felt at risk for falling in a canal or something and needed to bring her floaties along just in case. I mean, it was an exhausting few days. Safety first.
But once again, matters were drastically improved when the basics underneath were allowed to stand on their own.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Sunday Tidbits for March 22: Future Plans, Other News, and Puppies

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Bonus dog tidbits at the end for you. But first, some items to put on your royal watching calendar (you have one, right? Of course you do):

 --We have official details on the wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Miss Sofia Hellqvist! The festivities kick off on Friday, June 12, with a private dinner for guests. The wedding itself will be on Saturday, June 13 at 4:30 p.m. CET in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm followed by a dinner and dance. The newlyweds will follow their ceremony with a carriage ride through Stockholm. This time indicates a full white tie wedding with tiaras for all. Can you see me doing my happy dance?! [Kungahuset]
Erika Gerdemark, kungahuset.se

--And while we're planning big shindigs, the guest list for Queen Margrethe's April birthday celebrations is shaping up. The Swedish royal family have added the event to their calendars with King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, and Prince Daniel traveling to Denmark for the fun. And in his state banquet speech this week, King Willem-Alexander confirmed that he and Queen Máxima will also be present.

--Ooh, this year's summer exhibition at Buckingham Palace looks delicious: A Royal Welcome focuses on official visits to the palace (state visits, garden parties, etc.), including the opportunity for visitors to enter through the grand entrance and see the place set up as it would be for a state banquet, plus a selection of the Queen's gowns and JEWELS. Obviously, I expect full reports from any attendees. [Telegraph]

--They also have an exhibit that will be of interest to all of our floral-oriented folks: Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden is at the Queen's Gallery from now until October. [Telegraph]

--Princess Beatrix and Princess Mabel teamed up this week for the presentation of the first Prince Friso Engineering Award. [Paris Match]

--Over at the Jewel Vault, the Queen got another new brooch, and I covered a very frequently requested jewel (and one of my favorites from her collection).

--Backtrack for a second to that Norway/Latvia state banquet and Crown Princess Mette-Marit's dress, which got sadly washed out in the photos. A little more info: It's by Norwegian designer Leila Hafzi, known for sustainable and ethical practices, and includes a chiffon overlay and a lace underlay. She uses lace made by a project in Bangladesh that helps provide a source of income for the women involved in the craft. In other words, completely up M-M's alley. [Instagram]

--As promised, some dog treats (that's not quite right...) for you: Mette-Marit brought her dog, Muffins Kråkebolle, with her to a Red Cross event at a nursing home this week. [VG; also see this video from MSN]
MSN

--And finally, corgis racing at the Barkingham Palace Gold Cup (I mean, stop it) have determined that Baby Cambridge will be a girl named Alexandra. So that's all sorted, then. [YouTube]


We have lots coming up in the next week, including catch ups with Victoria and Mathilde, the ongoing adventures of Wax and Max, and Felipe and Letizia's first outgoing state visit. Stay tuned!

State Visit and Tiara Watch of the Day (Part 2!): March 19

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The state visit fun continues, and we shall forgo our usual tiara feature in favor of another lengthy state visit recap! (Gotta feast while you can, right? One never knows when the famine will return.)

First up, day two of the Danish/Dutch state visit, featuring King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima out and about with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
Máxima is a tailored Indiana Jones and Mary is a von Trapp on the lam and they are ready for an ADVENTURE and is it too much to ask that they take me with them??? I'm too busy plotting a movie staring these two as renegade explorers on a high stakes quest to bother complaining about the lack of color on hand here.
Máx conquered the wild Danish frontier in a Claes Iversen camel coat with LK Bennett shoes and a Fabienne Delvigne fedora. Mary rode alongside in a fedora of her own with a gray cape/poncho/thing which I need in the worst way and her tall taupe Valentino boots which I also need in the worst way. The gentlemen were also present. They wore suits.

Hang on, got an idea for that movie plot: Máxima Jones and The Quest for the Return Dinner Tiaras.
Yeah, no tiaras for us at last night's event. But Máxima continued to hit up that Dutch/Danish connection with another Claes Iversen design, the best one of the trip (and I say that as someone who doesn't particularly care for orange). She added a nice big diamond collet necklace, because this is MAX we're talking about, but the dress sparkled on its own.
Máx's outfit is an easy thumbs up, but I can't say the same for Mary's repeated empire waist ruffled black thing. The big gold Portuguese earrings are the only thing I'm enthusiastic about here, so I give it a meh overall.
Other things I'm not particularly feeling: Princess Marie's ensemble. The geometric sparklies are reading very dated to me on the top here. (For a video with Marie in full plus other attendees like Princess Benedikte and Princess Elisabeth, click here.)
Queen Margrethe is also not rousing my enthusiasm - that color is...not a favorite - but HOLD UP is Henrik really wearing a purple tux jacket or is that the light? Doesn't matter, he WINS. Game over.

Across the sea, another state visit was in progress - and this one did take care of our tiara needs. Travel with me to Norway...
president.lv
...where the President of Latvia just arrived yesterday for a state visit. Mette-Marit at the welcome ceremony is turning me into one of those people that gets twitchy about dress vs. coat length with her Valentino ruffle overload. Also, Sonja's hat is...interesting.
Mette-Marit's Valentino coat and dress
The evening state banquet delivered our tiara watch for the day. The Latvian president somewhat awkwardly sported his Norwegian order (there's a reason the riband isn't usually worn with black tie, and this is it right here), and the royal family wore their Latvian orders, and they all basically look the same unless you squint.
This is another of Queen Sonja's frequent repeats, and it is...also interesting. Gotta do something with your fabric scraps, I suppose. Anyway, she wore the big version of Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara. More importantly, Mette-Marit wore a new white dress with the Amethyst Necklace Tiara and the necklace (click here for more)!!
It's like she knew there weren't going to be any tiaras in Denmark, and she threw us a bone by leaving Ye Olde Diamond Daisy Tiara at home for a change. Bless.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Billed Bladet video, Latvia President, Valentino

State Visit and Tiara Watch of the Day: March 18

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HELLOOOOOO! We're heeeere!
With a flurry of kisses and other assorted warm greetings, the Dutch state visit to Denmark is off and running, and it's giving me such warm fuzzies, I'm throwing Wednesday's post up for a late Tuesday treat. This is a long one, might take you to Wednesday to read it anyway.
Queen Margrethe, looking jaunty with a feather in her cap, brought the whole fam damily out to greet her godson at the airport: Prince Henrik, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, and Princess Benedikte and Prince Richard. The gentlemen wore suits...but wait, we even have some additional comments on that, looks like some of the Danish party opted for orange ties to greet their Orange visitors and King Willem-Alexander went for light blue, the color of Denmark's Order of the Elephant. Points for all that.
Máxima opted for a spacious coat in bedazzled gray with a split sleeve that I thought Empress Michiko had trademarked. It won't go down as a personal favorite for me, but it is clever in one respect: it's a design by Claes Iversen, a Danish-born designer operating out of the Netherlands. Points for that, I say again.
Obviously, the other stand out for me from the arrivals was the purple touches - a bit in Marie's hat, but primarily on Mary. A repeated pill box hat and purple gloves, a tribute to the queen of coordinated colored gloves. POINTS FOR PURPLE.
Meanwhile, back in Máx land, underneath her big coat she was wearing a sapphire and diamond brooch (plus sapphire and diamond earrings). Which was pretty much just one big preview for the day's main event, the state banquet. TIARA TIME! Ignore the bored looks in this screencap, this stuff is exciting, dang it.
Our two queens were a pleasant inverse of each other, a light blue gown for Margrethe with her darker blue Order of the Netherlands Lion sash, and a darker blue gown (a very familiar one) for Máxima with her newly-awarded light blue Order of the Elephant. Each queen brought something special to this special state visit in her own way. (Pro tip before I dig in here: If we've covered the tiara in depth in the past - and we have, with all of these - the name will be linked, always!)
Queen Margrethe repeats gowns so often, a new one (which this is) is a rare treat. And of course she wore her Pearl Poire Tiara, because it was King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia's wedding gift to his daughter Louise, who was marrying Prince Frederik of the Netherlands.
A Dutch connection on one of her most important jewel options was certainly a predictable choice, but no less significant. (Important note, after several questions about this: No, she is not missing any pearls in her tiara. The pearls are pendants within the arches and they move a fair amount as Queen Margrethe does. Some of them are just swinging slightly behind the framework in any given photo.)
Queen Máxima wore the Jan Taminiau gown that she wore underneath a cape for her husband's inauguration, which is really a treat as I thought that magnificent ensemble might be retired for good (you know, because of history and mic dropping and whatnot).
I love it just as much now as I did then, and her sapphire and diamond accessories are still the perfect touch.
Interestingly, while she had the Dutch Sapphire Tiara slightly altered for the inauguration to lower the center section for a more even top line, it's now reverted to the taller top. Flexibility! Glorious.
In the face of all that specialness, you'll have to forgive me for being a wee bit let down by Mary's choices. This is the gown we just saw at the New Year's Court gala, and she's used only her wedding tiara (and not even with its pearls) with her aquamarine girandole earrings.  
My unattainable standards aside, this is another gown I'm glad to see without its cape, and I'm glad to see both her and Frederik in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
In another New Year's Court repeated gown (this one from 2014), we have Princess Marie in her diamond floral tiara, because what else?
Both she and Joachim were given a lower Dutch order (a house order), the Order of the Crown, as were Princess Benedikte and Prince Richard.
This is only a fleeting glance of the couple (better look in this gallery), but you can see Ben's a girl after my own heart, coordinating her orange with a lavender gown and sporting her own big gun tiara, the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara.

Well, that's me off to delight in my tiara coma with a sigh and oh so many jumpy claps. Stay tuned as the state visit rolls on...

Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, Billed-Bladet video, TV2 video, Michael Stub - Her Og Nu via Getty

Sunday Tidbits for March 15: Horses, of Course (And More)

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Heading up this week's tidbits, two kinds of horses, plus some Dutch/Danish cross over as we approach King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima's state visit to Queen Margrethe's territory this week:

--First things first, Friday's Afghanistan Service of Commemoration in London has been covered in full at the Jewel Vault, so feel free to wander over there to discuss. (We won't be repeating coverage of the event here.) [Jewel Vault]

--Crown Princess Mary traveled to London to present the Champions for Change Award to Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau for her efforts to end child marriage with the Girls Not Brides organization. A well-deserved honor. [YouTube, ParisMatch]


--Máxima, you vibrant tropical fish, you. What are you wearing here? (A deeply unflattering top from COS and a peanut necklace, that's what.) I trust you'll be on your best sartorial behavior for the big state visit. [YouTube, ModeKoninginMaxima, Facebook]


--Princess Estelle got a special treat after Crown Princess Victoria's name day celebrations: a hand made rocking horse and wooden sword from the Life Squadron of the Life Guards, which includes items from old Guards equipment. [Livskvadron Facebook]
Kungahuset.se

--In the world of real life horses, one last update to this year's Cheltenham Races roster: Princess Anne helicoptered in after the Afghanistan service for the sole purpose of giving Camilla some competition in the fur hat stakes, and by the looks of it, she means business:
Also, Zara Phillips is just DONE with our hat critiques, going out in a frenzied feathery burst of glory:

--And finally, the tastiest headline of the week: Guillaume and Stéphanie Receive a Pretzel. [Luxarazzi]

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: March 11

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Hello and welcome to another edition of "Hmm, What Else is Going On?" I will be your host, and this is my random selection of outfits for chitchat:

Here's Queen Mathilde, with King Philippe, paying a visit to the Vatican and Pope Francis on Monday and exercising her privilège du blanc for the first time. Queen Robocop used a combination of crutches and a wheelchair to get around due to her knee injury, as she has been doing of late, but still managed to look incredibly elegant. Respect. I'm such a sucker for simple designs in white.
I love that she chose a veil - because when don't I love a veil? - but this one was rather in your face. And I mean that literally, because it was obstructing one side of her face in several photos. Maybe she's just really getting into her Robocop groove, and can only show one side of her face at a time.

Here's Queen Máxima kicking off the Week of Money for schools on Monday. She really likes this swing coat, and I really like it when it's open, at least. Anyway, the beige base left space for her statement jewelry:
Which is...alive? Possibly? That necklace clearly has ulterior motives. I'm scared. Moving on...

Here's Mary opening Grønningen's 100th anniversary exhibition this weekend, and her skirt is also alive, amoeba-style. Actually it's a paisley pattern, and it's from Joseph.
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I mean, what can you say? Typically elegant. Totally Mary.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Farfetch
Royal Outfits of the Day: March 6

Royal Outfits of the Day: March 6

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If you had asked me to guess which of our royal ladies would be sporting a leather top and a bedazzled animal print skirt...
I would not have picked Mathilde, that's for sure. I suppose she is one of the ones capable of taking these materials (which on description alone sound like a reject from the Pretty Woman wardrobe department) and making them queenly, so there's that. (Here's a gallery with photos from this and other appearances.)

While we're catching up on our Benelux queens, Máxima opened the Máxima Channel yesterday (namesake aquatic transportation routes: just another perk of being royal) wearing a patterned Natan dress with beige accessories.
Not too shabby, I'd say. Of course, this is the front view, which is the safe side. From the back, one must beware the ninja hat pins, ready at a moment's notice to cut you down or maybe knit you an emergency scarf, I'm not really sure. (Here's a gallery.)

Photos: @Monarchie_Be, Remko De Waal/AFP via Getty Images

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