WEDDING FLOWERS: Other Royals
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Showing posts with label Other Royals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Royals. Show all posts

Sunday Tidbits for May 10: Commemorations, an Enthronement, and Bonus Cuteness

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Lots going on out there! Tomorrow, we'll be attending to princely christening business; meanwhile, ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day are ongoing, and several royals in several countries have been participating in several ways. Just a few of those appearances kick off today's tidbits edition:

--Today's VE Day anniversary service in London is covered at the Jewel Vault, and so is Queen Elizabeth II kicking things off on Friday, together with a unique recording of her memories of that historic day. [Jewel Vault]

--The Countess of Wessex, looking stunning in a green dress from Suzannah, visited the Channel Islands to mark the 70th anniversary of their liberation. Here's a great entry at the Countess of Wessex blog, where eagle-eyed Anna gave me the heads up that Sophie was wearing earrings on loan from her mother-in-law. Her latest loan from the master jewel vault is a pair of ruby and diamond earrings I have previously covered at ye olde Vault blog. That red and green combo isn't any accident, by the way: green is for Guernsey, red for Jersey. [HRH Countess of Wessex Blog]

-- The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg were in Paris for the VE Day anniversary events, and I like this color on Stéphanie. [Luxarazzi]

--In other news, the enthronement of the Sultan of Perak, hereditary ruler of one of the states of Malaysia, happened this week. The Sultan came to the throne last year. Below is a video of one of the ceremonies this week, featuring quite a nice tiara on the Sultan's wife, Tuanku Zara Salim. (You may recall that the Sultan of Johor, another Malaysian state, had a coronation earlier this year.) [YouTube]


--Gotta love it when royal hats join forces: Queen Sonja and Princess Beatrix jointly opened the exhibit Van Gogh+Munch at the Munch Museum in Oslo this week. [Dagbladet]
 See also this NRK video.

--And finally, spring greetings for you from Princess Estelle and Haga Palace! [Kungahuset]
Kate Gabor/Kungahuset.se

Stay tuned this week for Monaco and Harry and more...

Royal Closet Raid of the Day: April 20

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I was disappointed we didn't get to see any of Queen Margrethe's nieces and nephews at her birthday bash last week, so I'm making up for it closet raid style, that thing we do where we pick the look we love so much we'd like it for our very own. Today's honoree (sure, we'll call it that): Princess Marie-Chantal!
With Crown Prince Pavlos at Princess Madeleine of Sweden's wedding, 2013
You know I love me some OTT Big Time Princessing, but I have love for those that can do it on a more casual scale, too. This whole look is perfectly put together without trying too hard. The white of the dress and the diamonds with the navy and blue sash of the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia feels crisp and fresh, and the jewels (one of my favorite fringe tiaras, with small diamond earrings and a long, thin necklace) are just the right amount of added interest.
The dress is a surprisingly simple number from Valentino Couture, the Fall 2011 collection. Marie-Chantal had it made in white, and Qatar's Sheikha Mozah had it made in navy:
I'll stick with Marie-Chantal's version, though, accessories included. My runners up include that Dolce & Gabbana number also owned by Crown Princess Victoria, and the Oscar de la Renta worn the night before this appearance. I'll be dreaming of an M-C-sized shopping spree tonight...sigh.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Style.com

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

Sunday Tidbits for March 29: All Things Ceremonial, Historical, Etc.

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I've got your pomp and circumstance right here, kids. Several historical things went down this week and we have linkage for all that, plus a few other tidbits and a fun announcement...

--A coronation: The Sultan of Johor was officially crowned this week. I haven't written much here about the monarchy in Malaysia, but it is a fascinating system; nine states each have their own monarchy, and an overall king (the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) is chosen from among them every five years. (We did cover the state tiara worn by the queen here in the past, the Gandik Diraja.) Sultan Ibrahim came to the throne of Johor in 2010, but his official coronation wasn't until this week. And it actually was a coronation in the proper sense of the word, complete with crowns and robes. The Sultan of Brunei and his wife were in attendance, as well as some of the other Malaysian monarchs. Below is a video, and here is a blog covering everything in depth. [Malaysian Royalty]


--A reburial: King Richard III was returned to rest in proper somber fashion in Leicester this week, after his skeleton was located in a car park and finally identified, and 530 years after his death. The Countess of Wessex represented the Queen (the Countess of Wessex blog has more on that), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also present (the British Monarchy's Facebook page has a shot of them), here is a look at his tomb, and below is a video of Benedict Cumberbatch reading a poem during the service. [Countess blog, Facebook, ITV, YouTube]


--A change for the Windsors: New rules governing succession to the crown are now in force. Male bias in the line of succession has ended, marriage to Catholics has been approved, and the number of people that need to ask for permission to marry has been reduced. Here's a BBC article, and here's a breakdown from Royal Central on what the changes mean. Oh, and on the day the change went into effect, the Queen wore one of Queen Victoria's brooches. Coincidence? I prefer to think not. [BBC, Royal Central, Jewel Vault]

--A dame: Did Dame Joan Collins wear the perfect thing to pick up her DBE, or did she wear the perfect thing?! (Answer: Yes.) This is also historical, people. [ITV]

--An exhibit: I mentioned a few Sundays ago that ten of Crown Princess Mary's dresses are going on exhibit in Denmark. Well, the exhibit is open, and some of my all-time favorite Mary gowns are on show (see here, or here). Between this and the Daisy exhibit, I've never been more furious that I don't live in Denmark. [Facebook, Royalista]

--A cutie: The Prince of Wales knows that everybody examines what else is in the room when we get a peek inside one of the palaces, so he got everybody to pay attention to his video message for the WWF (the World Wildlife Fund, not the other WWF) (although I would also like to see his message for the World Wrestling Federation) by giving us a glimpse of him holding his grandson Prince George. And it worked! While in the United States last week, he made reference to his environmental efforts and not failing his grandchildren, so it all ties together beyond the cuteness factor. [WWF]

--And finally, an announcement: I have decided to start covering Camilla's jewels at the Jewel Vault blog! Camilla's gems are fab-u-lous and I can't wait to share them with y'all. There's already a post up on her rings, and one on the first of her famous pearl choker collection. [Jewel Vault]

We have much to catch up with next week, including Danes on tour and a ball in Monaco and Kate's last hurrah, so stay tuned...

Photos: via Getty Images, and WWF video

Royal Visit of the Day: March 16

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Last week, Jordan's King Abdullah and Queen Rania paid a visit to their Moroccan friends, King Mohammed and Princess Lalla Salma. Their productive working trip is our superficial check in on the sartorial stylings of two stunning consorts.
Princess Lalla Salma greeted her friend in a stark white Ralph Lauren ensemble with a close fit jacket and trousers which is futuristic and retro at the same time (you say Star Trek, I say 1950s dentist). I like it, actually, but only because it's allowing her face and piles of glorious red hair to run the show. Queen Rania arrived in a Nina Ricci coat that should look familiar to you, since the Countess of Wessex sported the same one for her birthday feature in Harper's Bazaar earlier this year. Sophie wore it over a printed dress and many of you wished for the coat alone, so the sartorial genie has seen fit to grant your request. I like both coat interpretations, but Rania is winning the shoe game by a landslide.
 
Day 2 dawned with a very standard set up on the fashion front. Basic white dress: check. Basic suit in a great color: check. Moving on.
An official dinner was held, and thank heavens we got an opportunity to see one of Lalla Salma's amazing caftans. Another traditional fabric nod goes to Princess Sarvath El Hassan (above, left), who was one of the other royals in attendance (a group photo, along with other shots from the trip, can be seen here). As for Rania, she wore the most unusual outfit of her trip, a bedazzled bishop sleeve blouse from Andrew Gn with a full-length skirt.
Left to Right: Queen Rania's Nina Ricci coat, Princess Lalla Salma's Ralph Lauren Spring 2014 RTW ensemble, Queen Rania's top and styling from Andrew Gn Pre-Fall 2014
Much like Lalla Salma's white welcome outfit, if Rania's dinner outfit works, it's because it's on Rania in particular. These outfits play to each lady's unique style, at the very least. I do appreciate individuality if nothing else.

Photos: Royal Hashemite Court/Queen Rania Instagram, Moda Operandi, Style.com

Tiara Thursday (on a Friday): Empress Farah's Turquoise Tiara

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The Duchess of Gloucester's outing of the Teck Turquoise Tiara this week has put me in a turquoise mood, so let's chat about a tiara that's grown to be rather a favorite of mine. This one was worn by Farah Pahlavi, the third wife and Empress (or Shahbanou) to the last Shah of Iran.
Empress Farah's Turquoise Tiara
It's only fitting that a great turquoise tiara would by a Persian shahbanou; mining of turquoise and decorating with the stone is part of Iran's history, and Persian turquoise is famed for its quality. More than one turquoise tiara is tied to the dynasty, but this is my favorite of the known options, like a colorful version of the Antique Pearl Tiara from the Netherlands. The base contains a central round turquoise stone with oval turquoises to the sides in a diamond framework, and a top of nine upright turquoise stones in a graduating height arrangement. A pair of pendant earrings were worn with the tiara, and there was also a turquoise necklace to pair with it.
Farah
This tiara was made for Farah's personal use, unlike the Noor-ol-Ain Tiara or her Seven Emerald Tiara, which were created as part of the crown jewels and remained with the state when the monarchy was abolished. However, the Empress did not take this tiara with her when she left the country, and today she does not wear tiaras to the royal events she attends. But when it was in use, she wore it to perfection (the high center point made it an especially good fit for the tall updos she sported back then), and it's a shame we don't get to see it today. But of course I would say that, since I think it might be my favorite of the Iranian tiaras.

Where does this rank on your list of favorite Iranian tiaras?

Photos: Wikimedia Commons

Sunday Tidbits for February 22: Birthday Girls, History Girls, and More

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In this week's tidbits, we've got some current events and some way way back events and everything in between...

--Princess Leonore of Sweden (daughter of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill) turned 1 this week! New pictures were released by the Swedish court to mark the occasion. [Kungahuset]
Brigitte Grenfeldt / Kungahuset.se

--And we have two more birthday girls over in Luxembourg: Princess Stéphanie turned 31 and Princess Alexandra turned 24. [Wort, Royalista]

--From the Royals We Hardly Ever Cover category: The King and Queen of Tonga were received by the Pope at the Vatican this week. [Vatican Radio, RomeReports]


--The first part of the BBC documentary Reinventing the Royals, which was slightly postponed after apparent legal intervention from the royals, is available for viewing at the BBC site (geo-restricted) or on YouTube. [Radio Times, BBC Live Player, YouTube]

--Crown Princess Mary visited Ethiopia as part of her work on women's rights and health. Here's an article in English, and photo gallery 1 and gallery 2 from the trip. [Sydney Morning Herald, BT]


--Interesting: Facial recognition software indicates that a painting thought to depict Jane Seymour may in fact be Anne Boleyn. [Artnet News]

--The Hairpin takes the history of celebrity stylists waaaaay back, profiling Rose Bertin, stylist to Marie Antoinette and others in her court. [The Hairpin]

--A Russian tycoon has donated items formerly belonging to the Yusupov family (you may recall them from our discussion of their long lost rock crystal tiara) back to the Russian national archive. The pieces include a Faberge egg and a pocket watch made for the last tsar's coronation. [Daily Mail]

--Heads up, America: Chaz and Cams are on their way! The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will visit Washington, D.C. and Louisville, Kentucky from March 17th-20th. Their visit will include a meeting at the White House with President Obama and Vice President Biden, and a visit to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. You can read more about the visit at their official site. [Clarence House]

--And finally, don't ever tell me being a royal isn't all glamour, all the time: Here's the Prince of Wales celebrating the 150th anniversary of the London sewer system this week. [BBC Video]

Stay tuned for next week, we'll be checking out the fruits of fashion week and more!

Tiara Thursday: Queen Marie José's Beauharnais Pearl Tiara

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Today's tiara is unusual for a variety of reasons.
Queen Marie José's Beauharnais Pearl Tiara
First, of course, is the design. Pearl tiaras are often more diamond heavy than pearl heavy, but the design of this coronet-like piece relies on small pearls to outline the engraved gold base and the triangular and fan motifs above it, with small diamonds just as accents. It was made around 1829 in Paris, making it one of the older tiaras still in existence today - but adding another point in the unusual column, it looks mostly the same today as it did back then. Many diadems dating back that far have been remodeled heavily over time, but this one has only been modified to add an extension piece at the back.
Stéphanie
The tiara belonged to the adopted daughter of Napoleon, Stéphanie de Beauharnais (1789-1860). Stéphanie married the Grand Duke of Baden, and she was pictured wearing the tiara (above). The tiara made its way to the Belgian royal family, who are related to Stéphanie courtesy of her granddaughter Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders (1845-1912), and it eventually ended up in the possession of Princess Marie José of Belgium (1906-2001), daughter of King Albert I and granddaughter of the aforementioned Countess of Flanders. (It should be noted that some references to this tiara tie it back to Empress Joséphine, Napoleon's first wife, who died prior to the reported approximate creation date of the piece, and some paths of ownership tie it to Empress Charlotte of Mexico, born a Belgian princess, at some point.)
Marie José
The tiara's main modification came in 1924, when the band was extended at the back so that Princess Marie José could wear it in the fashionable style across the forehead to her first court ball. In 1930, the princess married the future King Umberto II of Italy. The tiara stayed in Queen Marie José's possession until her death in 2001, when it passed to her daughter, Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy. It was auctioned at Christie's in 2007 (as were other pieces from the late queen's jewel collection, including the Empress Joséphine Tiara), and it sold for $85,190. Adding another layer to the rarity of the tiara's tale, it did not disapper into a private collection but was bought by the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. They purchased the tiara because of its link to the history of Mannheim Palace, which was the home of Stéphanie de Beauharnais. It is now part of the museum collection at the impressive Baroque palace.

As pearl tiaras go: Yay or Nay?

Photos: Christie's, Wikimedia

Sunday Tidbits for February 15: Diamonds and Wine and Other Stuff

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And to balance out the extravagance, we'll start today's tidbits with an Anne Update:

--The Princess Royal spent some time in uniform this week, which is how you know that all is right in the world. She handled a Buckingham Palace investiture, including bestowing a damehood on fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, and made a naval visit. In uniform with her signature sport shades and a hard hat = the ultimate Anne experience. [BBC, Royal Navy Facebook]

--Also, here's a little peek at that infamous 'do of hers, while attending a reception this week:

--Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein is celebrating his 70th birthday, and Luxarazzi is posting long interviews (which they have very kindly translated into English) with him and his family members. It's a nice glimpse into the lives and personalities of this low profile reigning family. [Luxarazzi]

--A 100 carat "perfect" diamond, touted as the largest perfect emerald cut ever to be auctioned, will be sold at Sotheby's in New York in April. The pre-sale estimate? A cool $19-$25 million. [ITV, Observer]

--Queen Letizia once again sported her combo of red ex-crop top dress and rainbow earrings on a visit to a winery with her husband. Add that to the list of royal engagements I'd gladly take on. [Hola]

--And finally, have some more wine, why not: Here's a video of Prince Felix of Luxembourg showing off the wines at the vineyard he and Princess Claire run in France, Château des Crostes. [Video in French. Azur TV, via Luxarazzi]

Photos: Getty Images, Twitter, and Instagram as noted

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