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

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe’s Birthday, Day Events

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A morning wake up call with song (and canons!) marked the start of Queen Margrethe’s actual birthday, and the busiest day of birthday festivities. Our visiting royals are now down to the fellow Nordic monarchs, with the addition of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Crown Prince Haakon, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Margrethe's morning wake up
Some quality balcony time with the whole family and their guests was followed by a carriage ride through Copenhagen for the Queen and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who were standing in for Prince Henrik, still sick with the flu. With hats in place, they convened at Copenhagen’s Town Hall for a round of interpretive dance (because hey, why not) and a reception. Meanwhile, we convene for our next round of royal fashion awards…


Best of All, Birthday or Not
Queen Margrethe
Actual, audible awws from me when Daisy stepped out on the balcony, in this fresh color, flattering cut, and her whopper of a diamond daisy brooch, made from her grandmother’s stones for her mother and subsequently given to her. She’s the best dressed of them all, and that’s not just a birthday given.


Best in Accessory Additions
Crown Princess Mary
Mary reused a gorgeous navy Oscar de la Renta coat dress with an embellished neckline, and I loved that she went with gray accessories instead of trying to coat herself in navy from head to toe. I also loved her hat, which looked quite familiar and for good reason: Zara Phillips has worn the same one, and the Countess of Wessex has worn a similar model. It’s by Jane Taylor.


Biggest in Accessory Additions
Princess Marie
I speak not, obviously of her hat – which still did not manage to stay on the good side of the wind gods despite its wee stature – but of her brooch. Everyone wore commemorative birthday medals, but Marie added an enormous bird on the other side. I'm loving that choice with this outfit, actually, just wishing that pesky medal wasn't competing. (But I suppose politeness has to win every now and then, le sigh.)


Best in Sisters
Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie
Yeah, I’m running out of ways to say they’re typical as always, these two. They both had fab ruby earrings, and Benedikte wore her famous koosh ball hat, and that's all I got.


Most Dubious in Hats, Part 1
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
Is this a prop from The Tudors, or what? This has to be a prop of some sort. Yeah, from the same Gothic horror set that gives us those skull earrings, perhaps.
Otherwise, M-M in white, check and check.


Most Continued Sartorial Dedication
Queen Silvia
And how did Queen Sil accommodate her arm injury today? A purple cape. A PURPLE CAPE. Omigod. She's going to force me to declare her my favorite royal of EVER by the time this is done, isn't she.


Most Dubious in Hats, Part 2
Crown Princess Victoria
Points for a Georg Jensen daisy brooch, okay, but that hat. Hmm. I thought it was just a novelty, a little sentimental touch, when she imitated an old hat of her mother’s at Princess Leonore’s christening. But now there’s a second version in white. It's not terrible or anything, but...this is the hat you bulk buy, V? Really?
Also shown: Victoria's Chanel dress, runway version

And that's that!

But it's not really that, because there is one more birthday event left to come: a dinner at Fredensborg Palace. The open post is still up and running with all your live link info and a place to chat about that if you like.

But as far as this post is concerned...

Who was your best dressed at the day events?


Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, DR1 video, Lyst, Jane Taylor Millinery, Style.com
Royal Wedding Flashback of the Week, Part 1: April 7

Royal Wedding Flashback of the Week, Part 1: April 7

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The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary this week, not that I need an excuse for a celebration. We've discussed Camilla's ensemble in depth in the past (see here or here). The guests, on the other hand, are still in need of our attention. And we've got enough of them to split this into two posts, so that's what I'm gonna do.

Our first hat-filled priority: selected foreign royalty and the beginnings of the extended Windsor clan.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway
What better way to get us started than a hat that comes complete with its own tiny limb sticking right out the side, ready to punch when needed? (Watch out, Haakon.) If there's a time for a hat with froof to spare, that time is a British royal wedding, and Mette-Marit knows what's up.

Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
I want to call Laurentien's black and white a fun take on a Chanel-esque classic, but I can never decide if it's too flippy or just flippy enough.

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
Greece's ex-royals, friends and relatives both, can always be counted on for an appearance. This is a seriously lovely suit for Anne-Marie, no? The lace trim is perfection.

Princess Alexandra of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent
Now we're on to the extended branches of the British royal family, and we have a supremely Edwardian Princess Alexandra (in my favorite color, bless) and an exuberant Princess Michael. I probably would have gone with one flower embellishment or the other on that jacket, but she's clearly digging her choice of accessories.

Viscount and Viscountess Linley, Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto
We've got one with a floral arrangement for the skull in another shade of my favorite color and another whose style I am a sucker for in any color, so this group gets a happy pass from me.

The Duchesses of Kent and Gloucester (and others)
Here in this group, which also includes the Countess of Wessex (more on her in Part 2) and a full-length view of Queen Anne-Marie, we've got a double duchess treat: the Duchess of Kent, in a lovely spring floral, and the Duchess of Gloucester, in a light blue outfit that I believe is still in use today. Which is sort of the perfect summary of her style, really, classics and basics built to stand the test of time. And why not, really?

Coming up in Part 2: Windsors, the completed set! To be continued...

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated
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

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!

Royal Coats of the Week: March 13

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COATS. Loads of them. Let's take a gander (and you might want to pop back to yesterday's Cheltenham post, which had a late update with day 3 attendees, while we're in coat mode):

Yesterday was Crown Princess Victoria's name day, and Princess Estelle joined her in the courtyard for the festivities.
TWO PURPLE COATS! A duo after my own heart and also my jumpy claps. (Estelle's coat is new from Swedish brand Livly, by the way.)

Well, I'm done, that's all I need right there, but we'll soldier on for your sake, okay?
Where there be coats, there be the Duchess of Cambridge, obviously. For a visit to the set of Downton Abbey, a new cream maternity coat from JoJo Maman Bebe. And you can pretty much just copy/paste whatever I said for her last winter white coat here, because I like them all.
Racking up the appearances before her maternity leave, she was also out in Margate on Wednesday (and she'll be out today and some next week, and I'm sure we'll be getting to all of that in due time) (DUE time, guys) (heh) (I'm so glad it's Friday, forgive me):
YAY for the return of the Hobbs animal print coat from her last maternity adventure. I like a simple coat in a divine white, but I also like a statement coat - especially when one is prone to basics in the accessory department.

We haven't featured much of Mette-Marit's current events lately, because most of them have been of a quite practical nature, sartorially speaking. Like so:
Here she is attending Kindergarten Day in Oslo this week. This is all fine and good for an outdoor coffee klatch with your wee friends, I get enough of the practical dressing in my actual life if you know what I mean, so I'll give it a pass. But she was just spotted in a rather fetching red trench, so maybe things are looking up.

And this has been your weekly coat report.

Photos: Kungahuset.se and via Getty Images as indicated
Royal Flashback of the Day: March 2

Royal Flashback of the Day: March 2

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As noted yesterday, this month should bring us some treats to discuss (we'll be checking in with the Spanish state visit tomorrow). Typical me, though, I'm already looking forward to some of this year's big royal events, primarily Queen Margrethe's 75th birthday celebrations in April and the Swedish royal wedding in June. I predict that my excitement will lead to random outfit flashbacks involving previous similar events in the weeks to come, so you've been warned. Starting...now!

For Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations, a gala concert was held on the first night of the big royal gathering. Today's flashback features two of the gowns from that night on two of our lovely crown princesses:
Unfortunately, a volcano in Iceland decided to erupt just as the celebrations were getting underway, wreaking havoc on the travel plans of many of the scheduled royal guests. Crown Prince Haakon was among those delayed (he was coming off a solo visit to the Middle East), but Mette-Marit made it in time and Crown Prince Frederik pulled double date duty to escort M-M and Mary.
Mette-Marit's dress hits everything she typically goes for, no? A little bit of ruffle, a little bit of floral. A thoroughly standard appearance with one exception: we got to see the Amethyst Necklace Tiara instead of her standard Diamond Daisy Tiara! Only because the Diamond Daisy would make a later appearance and not because she actually chose this one first, but still.
Mary brought out her big gun, the Danish Ruby Parure, and this was its first public appearance after she had the shape modified to her tastes. She wore the ruby earrings with pearl pendants, the brooch, and the ruby bracelet as well. All of which served as a perfect complement to her sleek white Jesper Høvring gown, with the shoulder strategically placed to accommodate her Order of the Elephant riband. This was a winner for me, and I think it's time we see this gown again. Please?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Sunday Tidbits for March 1: Visits Galore, and Things to See Near You

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We are heading into prime spring state visit territory, and tiaras are coming our way. Until then, a few tidbits packed with visits current and future and some exhibits you might like to catch:

--The King and Queen of Norway completed a state visit to Australia this week. Queen Sonja opened an exhibit of her art while there, which is pretty awesome. [Hello!, Royal House of Norway]

--The Duke of Cambridge's current trip to Japan and China is going well. I love a royal gamely sporting traditional garb, if only because (in this particular case) it's one less appearance of the infamous blue suit. [Kensington Palace Storify]

--He also popped in for lunch with the Emperor and Empress of Japan. [BBC]

--For those in Canada: A state visit from the King and Queen of the Netherlands has been announced, and it will occur May 27-29. No real details on locations yet, but keep an eye out. [Governor General of Canada]

--For those in Denmark: A selection of Crown Princess Mary's dresses will be included in an exhibit called Danish Fashion Now at Brandts in Odense from March 27th to September 13th. [Brandts, h/t to StyleofMary]

--For those in the U.K.: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty opens March 14th and runs through August 2nd at the V&A in London. [V&A]

--The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway and family joined the Swedish royal family for the ski championships in Sweden. [Zimbio]

--Queen Elizabeth II debuted a new brooch this week when the King and Queen of Tonga came to visit, one given to her last November. [Jewel Vault]

--And finally, one last birthday girl for February: Princess Estelle! She turned three years old on Monday and new photos were released for the occasion. Her adorable coat comes from Lars of Scandinavia. [Kungahuset]
Kate Gabor / kungahuset.se
Sunday Tidbits for February 8: Blunders, Birthdays, and Brunches

Sunday Tidbits for February 8: Blunders, Birthdays, and Brunches

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Allow me to begin this Sunday free-for-all with a big fat royal facepalm:

--Following the death of Queen Fabiola of Belgium, thank you notes from the household of King Albert II and Queen Paola accidentally thanked people for their condolences on the death of Queen Paola. Who is, you know, still alive. So they sent out apologies for the mistake...and managed to refer to King (Koning) Fabiola, instead of Queen (Koningin). On the plus side, I now feel a little bit better about my own lack of proofreading skills. [NY Post, Le Soir]

--While others were working on their spelling, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were hosting diplomats and Queen Mathilde was making sure that you'll never miss her in the photo. [@Monarchie_Be Twitter]

--Johan Martin Ferner was laid to rest this week, with the Norwegian royal family in attendance. [VG]

--Two big birthdays at the Danish royal court this week: Princess Marie turned 39, and here's a gallery in celebration... [Royalista]

--...and Crown Princess Mary turned 43. Some new poses from the photoshoot for the couple's 10th wedding anniversary were released as official pictures: [Daily Mail]

--If you enjoy mega diamonds, you won't want to miss Luxarazzi's report on the Napoleon Diamond Necklace. Marjorie Merriweather Post and her jewelry collecting habit have featured here in a couple posts: Russian nuptial traditions, and the Marie Louise Diadem. [Luxarazzi]

--The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited the Art Worker's Guild and tried their hand at a few crafts. This is them giggling over Camilla's attempt at gold tool embossing. I must agree with the Fug Girls (who also chose a priceless photo from this event), Chaz's pattern coordination is on point here. [Hello, Go Fug Yourself]

--Also, Camilla marked "the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi at a brunch showcasing New Zealand food and drinks." Between the crafts and the brunch, Cams is totally winning the royal engagement game this week. [Royalista]

--And finally, I am duly informing you of the following Princess Alexandra of Kent sighting: She attended a memorial for Sir Jocelyn Stevens, with her brother, the Duke of Kent, at her side. [Getty]

Photos: via Getty Images and Twitter as indicated
Royal Remembrance of the Week: January 28

Royal Remembrance of the Week: January 28

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Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, a day which is also honored as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day was marked with a service at Auschwitz in Poland and in events around the world, and royals from many countries joined in the commemorations. This is not the lighter stuff that we usually (and purposefully) stick to around here; this is really nothing to do with the sartorial side of things. But sometimes it's important just to take a moment and remember.

Among the royal contingent paying their respects in Poland were the King and Queen of the Netherlands and the King and Queen of the Belgians. Willem-Alexander wore a kippah (yarmulke), which was a touching gesture.
The Crown Princes of Denmark and Norway were also in attendance, as was the Crown Princess of Sweden and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
Below, Guillaume and Stéphanie laid a wreath at the camp.

Holocaust memorial events were also held around the world, some drawing royal attendance.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall attended a memorial in London, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit joined in the events in Oslo.
Many others not shown here also participated in various events at home, including the King and Queen of Sweden, Prince Daniel, and the King of Spain. The attendance of this particular set of people is not the point of these events, of course, but I can't help but find it lovely to see so many in our frame of reference united, from whatever location, to commemorate and to remember this important moment in history.

If you would like to watch the entire ceremony from Auschwitz, you may do so below.


Photos: Getty Images as indicated

Royal Wedding of the Week: January 27

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Princess Astrid of Norway, daughter of King Olav V and sister of the current king, married Johan Martin Ferner on January 12, 1961. As I mentioned in Sunday's post, Mr. Ferner passed away on January 24th, not long after the couple marked 54 years of marriage. Today, a look back at their Norwegian winter wedding.
Princess Astrid's older sister Princess Ragnhild caused her share of controversy in 1953 by marrying a commoner, and Astrid then doubled up by marrying a commoner who also happened to be divorced. The couple shared a social circle and bonded over their love of sailing (Ferner was an Olympic medalist in the sport) but they had to wait to make things official. When they finally did, they got married in Asker with a recently retired bishop presiding, as there were many in the church that refused to marry a divorced person.
It was a cold and snowy winter wedding, and the bride arrived and left with a short fur coat to keep her warm. The dress underneath featured a skirt with wide bands of silver embroidered lace and a lace top with long sleeves. A fingertip veil in tulle was topped with a small crown headpiece that appears to have been made from the same style lace. The bride also wore a pair of pearl earrings and a triple strand pearl necklace.

The dress seems very much of its time, and is lacking in many of the grand features that usually set a royal wedding gown apart, like a big train or a long veil. This was a more practical choice, and Princess Astrid later took advantage of that practicality by removing the long sleeves and reusing it as a gala dress. (An exhibit in 2011 showed the dress in its final design alongside the wedding gowns of Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Märtha Louise.)
The groom's entrance into the family may have come with some fuss over his first marriage, but soon enough the controversy faded away. In the end, Johan Martin Ferner was not a well known member of the Norwegian royal family by choice. He focused on running his family's business, a department store in Oslo, while his wife carried on with her royal duties. He seems to have been the model of discretion, a quality in today's world that's well worth a little initial controversy.


Photos: Ray Bellisario/Popperfoto via Getty Images, NRK video, Kongehuset

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