Royal Birthday of the Week: May 5

Royal Birthday of the Week: May 5

Comment   

View image | gettyimages.com

Sweden's King Carl Gustaf celebrated his 69th birthday last week as he usually does with music and military outside the palace, and he was quite dashing in his uniform (as was Prince Carl Philip). This year, because he's a grandpa and it's a classic grandparent move, he let his two squirmy granddaughters run the show. "Let" might not be precisely the right word. I trust he won't mind if we focus our attentions elsewhere too.

Click here for a video, or here for a gallery.

Princess Estelle couldn't resist displaying a few of her famous dance moves, but she was totally calm in comparison to her cousin Princess Leonore, who used up all her patience charming the pontiff earlier in the week and was good and DONE with sitting still, thankyouverymuch.

View image | gettyimages.com

Kids will be kids, right? And coats will be coats, by which I mean they will be in beige and in mass at any royal gathering, guaranteed. A trio of Swedish brands for Sofia Hellqvist, Crown Princess Victoria, and Princess Estelle, while Princess Madeleine wore a beige version of the Seraphine coat worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in blue a few months ago. (Madeleine was also in Seraphine for her Vatican visit, a jacket she paired with a dress from another Kate favorite brand, ASOS.)

Coats from left to right: Sofia's from Tiger of Sweden, Madeleine's from Seraphine, Victoria's from Filippa K, and Estelle's from Livly

I can accept this sea of blergh as a background for Estelle's splash of blue and primarily for Queen Silvia's repeated purple cape. Anything to showcase a purple cape.

Since it's a day for grandfather/granddaughter outings:

Click here for an album

Over in Norway, Princess Ingrid Alexandra christened the lifeboat Elias for the Norwegian Society of Sea Rescue with some support from her grandfather, King Harald. Throw in a fancy braid and some pretty purple flowers for them both, and you've got yourself a recipe for aww.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, SVT video screencaps, Tiger of Sweden, Seraphine, Filippa K, Livly, and Redningsselskapet via Creative Commons

Royal Outfits of the Day: January 20

Royal Outfits of the Day: January 20

Comment   

Yesterday was a red day, today is a blue day. I love it when royals accidentally color coordinate with each other. Yes, I'm very easily amused.

Enjoying & exploring the beautiful & dynamic Bay Area w/TRH CrownPrincess Victoria, Prince Daniel & Princess Estelle. pic.twitter.com/mcLRzxJUO9
— Björn Lyrvall (@bjornly) January 19, 2015

For more pictures, click here or here.

Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, and Princess Estelle started their visit to the Bay Area. Estelle wasn't expected to be a big part of the visit, but she did participate in the casual first part, including a visit to the Church of Sweden San Francisco. They presented a united family front in a series of blues, from Victoria's bright dress to Daniel's light tie and Estelle's printed dress and cardigan. Coordinated, but stopping just short of overdoing it, I think.

And in a land far, far away, someone else unknowingly played along with the Swedish matching game:

View image | gettyimages.com

Duchess of Cambridge had an event in Kensington yesterday.

I'm in favor of all Estelle-approved color schemes, and she's smartly left the hair bows to the professionals, by which I mean toddlers.

View image | gettyimages.com

Kate's take includes maternity pieces from Seraphine, a light blue cashmere blend coat (with more Pocket Flaps to Nowhere, though these make a little more sense at the seam and in the same color and fabric) and a printed crêpe de chine dress underneath.

Classics, very flattering, and I wouldn't mind a non-maternity version of that coat for myself. Or just the maternity version, and I'll call it my Thanksgiving coat. I could make it work.

Photos: @bjornly, WPA Pool via Getty Images, Seraphine