WEDDING FLOWERS: State Visit
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Showing posts with label State Visit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label State Visit. Show all posts
Royal State Visit of the Day: June 4

Royal State Visit of the Day: June 4

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The King and Queen of Spain have finally embarked on their delayed first state visit abroad to France, and it has been a festival of new outfits. And it's all...fine. Appropriate! Check mark, passing grade. I mean, there's nothing much here that's flipping my skirt up, but perhaps you'll have better luck...

Does déjà vu equate to a French tribute? Because that's what I've got here. A new Felipe Varela outfit, but the same blergh-y feel as the thing she wore for their introductory visit to France.

Also from day 1, this repeated Carolina Herrera skirt is better in action. If I were Letizia, I'd demand people only photograph me while descending grand staircases.

Following in the footsteps of Queen Silvia's approach to the French-set totally boring state banquet dress code, I shall give Letizia her due credit for dressing as fancy as possible, right up to the hairdo and the new earrings. A slightly sparkly and heavily embellished Felipe Varela was a step above what anyone else sported. The men wore suits.

I don't really understand this combo, this coat with this color of suit underneath. Well, I don't understand orange-y reds and sleeveless suits to start with, so I'm left clinging to the coat.

This, on the other hand, is a safari for which I would gladly sign up.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Royal State Visit and Tiara Watch of the Week: June 2

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I like to imagine the Swedish royal family limbering up their bobby pins and stretching in their high heels with one last tiara event before the big wedding, courtesy of the incoming state visit from the President of India. It's important to warm up for your athletic events.

But first: The President arrived in Sweden on Sunday and was greeted by the King and Queen, Crown Princess and Prince Daniel, and Prince Carl Philip with Sofia Hellqvist (making her state visit debut).
Big hat alert! Victoria looks so great with a big brim, and I'm so glad to be free of forehead-bolters for the day, I'm gonna forget everything else.
Kungahuset.se
If you were in the mood for a smaller hat, Queen Silvia's got you covered with one of her standard monochromatic ensembles. And if you were in the mood for a Mette-Marit-style state visit ensemble (you know, a plain outfit plus a not-a-hat ornament), well, Sofia's your girl. Her little pouf of a head decoration can't even be seen from the front.

~*Hit Pause On Your State Visit Musings*~
Day 2 for Victoria started out not in state visit mode but in crown princely BFF mode, welcoming next door neighbors Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit for the EAT Stockholm Food Forum. Happy summery prints abound!
Mette-Marit's dress from Isolda (with a stylized chili print!), Victoria's from Oscar de la Renta
The only thing about this that bums me out is the sad little angular blazer Mette-Marit threw on top of this floaty feminine dress. Awkward dress to pick if you want to cover it up, and an awkward clash of styles.
~*And Now Let The State Visit Musings Continue*~

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Joining up with the state visit group, Victoria threw a structured white jacket into the mix, and I think I like it even more than the cardigan. This Oscar de la Renta dress on Victoria and that white outfit from Sunday's post are giving me a renewed verve for her day style, and I hope it starts a streak.

At the end of day 2 came the tiaras.
Sofia floated in to her first state banquet on a cloud of black embellishment and ruffles (talk about taking a cue from Mette-Marit) and though she showed she's ready for more with her big emerald and diamond earrings from Ebba Brahe Jewellery, there were to be no gems from the family vault for the soon-to-be princess. Not just yet.

The tiara squad featured Silvia in her predictable Pronger and Victoria repeating her green sequined Elie Saab from the Nobel ceremony in 2012, with the Cut Steel Tiara. The golden tones of the Cut Steel plus the glittering green Vegas Kermit gown is not a combination of which I am fond, friends.
Kungahuset.se
UNLESS...unless we're not warming up for the wedding but are rather getting a few things out of our system before the big day, making way for something more interesting come June 13th. If that's the case, then carry on, Swedes, carry on.

Royal Visit Catch Up of the Day: June 1

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima wrapped up their state visit to Canada last week and have now headed to the United States for an official visit.

Click here for a video
We covered day 1 of the Canadian fun last week, and day 2 continued with another lace and big hat combo in olive, which is sort of drab, but really anything's an improvement on the arrival outfit. I will say this is the first time I've thought that Máx might have reached her hat size limit. Lots of angles where she's taking hat head to new heights...by entirely eliminating her face.

Photo: Governor-General of Canada/Sgt Ronald Duchesne, Rideau Hall
The evening concert hosted by Their Majesties featured a repeat of the red Valentino gown Máx wore to Prinsjesdag last year, which feels so plain without a sash to break up the red sea. Not even a tsunami of a side part can save this one.
This is one bad perm away from the 1980s. But she is wearing something intriguing in the jewel department: pieces from the Ears of Wheat Tiara, detached and worn barrette-style. The Ears of Wheat Tiara is one of the rare diadems that Máx hasn't worn from the family collection. At least not yet.

Day three - just in time for the trip's end - finally brought the best day outfit of the journey. This repeated white Natan frock with another big hat proves that a slight decrease in brim size can make all the difference.
And bonus points for earring style. Always bonus points for that.

Sunday night, they started their next visit in Washington, D.C. with a dinner at the residence of the Dutch ambassador. Máxima wore the absolute worst spider brooch EVER and it is TRAUMATIZING.
Video here, photos here.
 NOPE NOPE NOPE. That is all.

 
Photos: NOS video, gg.ca, via Twitter and Getty Images as indicated

Royal State Visit and Tiara Watch of the Day: May 28

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The King and Queen of the Netherlands have begun their state visit to Canada, and...well, friends, the unthinkable has happened. The Queen of Muchness has out-much-ed herself.
Most people overdo it with the loud stuff, the brights and the sparkle. Not Queen Máxima. She managed to overdo it with a sedate material in a sedate color: navy lace, and way too much of it. Why bother with the "coat" in the first place, I ask you?
In theory, I like the idea of a splash of hot pink with navy lace. In practice, the superfluous lace coat messes and muddies the whole thing up. In theory, this hat is great and just the sort of huge thing Máx can pull off (and she has indeed pulled this same hat off in the past, wonderfully). In practice, the pointless peignoir has already added so much fuss and bulk to the outfit, the hat just drags it down even more.
Hat pin weapon level: ARMED AND READY. Click here for a video.
Ah, well. At least we have the tiaras. The tiara. Singular. The Ruby Peacock Tiara, a nice choice for a black tie state banquet where we're just happy to see any tiara whatsoever.
See? Look how excited everyone is to see the tiara. Tiaras spread joy. It's also possible she just did a shimmy off camera for everyone, because how could you not in this dress?

QUESTION: Approximately what percentage of the clothes in Máxima's closet are tailor-made for shaking it, would you say?
After the darkness of the day outfit, I'm thrilled to see her back in brights - and it is not going unnoticed here that she's got a full day color scheme going, with the pink accents in the day (with ruby and diamond earrings) and the full out pink and ruby scheme at night. This is more like the Máx I love to love. More of this as the visit continues on, please.

Programming note: No Tiara Thursday today. Instead, we have this tiara in action and some tiara fun coming up tomorrow!

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, NOS screencaps

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

Double Tiara Watch of the Day: March 5

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Your regularly scheduled Tiara Thursday post will be up tomorrow, but for today: The tiara-wearing streak rolls on!

The Swedish state visit to Finland continued yesterday, starting with another pair of serviceable suits...
...and rolling on with a white tie return banquet. (Click here for some photos, here for a video.) White tie return dinners (and the tiaras that come with them) are something we don't see so often these days, as things grow ever more informal, so this was a nice touch.
Queen Silvia took care of the crowding caused by her sparkly neckline at the previous dinner by moving all her extra glitter to the sleeve area on her dark velvet gown. She topped that with the Nine Prong Tiara, a.k.a. The Pronger, a.k.a. Sil's Party Antlers, a.k.a. Fireworks, But For Your Head. I'm not in love with this appearance either, but I am impressed that Silvia brought her #2 and #3 tiaras for the occasion (the Braganza Tiara being #1). Whether she's making a statement about the importance of the trip or just trying to make up for the lack of a tiara occasion on their last state visit, it doesn't matter. Just more big tiaras. (Even if they are the Pronger.)

Over in Britain, the state visit from Mexico continued with the traditional banquet at the Guildhall, given by the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation. And as usual, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were on hand to contribute to the tiara power. (Just the Duchess with the tiara contribution, though. Not the Duke. Though that would be a sight to see.)
And it looks like the Duchess brought out her turquoise set, the Teck Turquoise Tiara and its accompanying jewels, which is a fantastic change from her regular Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara. I do adore this tiara, and I love that she's taken the opportunity to pin the two brooches on the front of her dress, stomacher-style. (By the way, the Duke is wearing the sash of Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle, while the President is again wearing the Order of the Bath.)
Credit where credit is due, the banquet has tiara power with or without the Duchess, courtesy of the Lord Mayor's wife, Gilly Yarrow (seen above, far left). Her tiara, a nice diamond scrolling number, is one she's worn previously. So that's a triple tiara watch for the day, I guess. Not too shabby.

And finally, a non-tiara note:
A state visit that includes a trip to Downton Abbey (for first lady Angélica Rivera and the Countess of Wessex) is my kind of state visit.

Now, is somebody going to do us a kindness and wear a tiara out tonight so we can keep this streak rolling, or what?

Photos: Vesa Moilanen/AFP via Getty Images / IS TV video / Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images / @BritishMonarchy

Tiara Watch of the Day: March 4

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State Visit Month, I love you. Yesterday gave us two more state banquets to drool over: the state visit from Mexico to the United Kingdom (which has been covered in full over at the Jewel Vault, so please head thataway for discussion) and this one we're about to talk about right now.
Kungahuset.se
Sweden's own King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia headed out for a state visit party at the neighbors' place, a.k.a. Finland. They were received by the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, and his wife, the always well-turned-out Jenni Haukio (above). Liked the color of Silvia's suit, liked CG in uniform, everybody looks swell, etc. Let's get to the tiaras. (Okay, just tiara. Not plural, because we can't have everything I guess.)
Let's hear it for the Leuchtenberg! The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara with accompanying necklace and earrings, that is. Any time Silvia brings out her blue big gun, it's cause for celebration.
However...(you knew this was coming...) I'm mad at this dress. I don't mind that Sil is doing a little color combining - I like that a lot, actually, because why wait for a blue dress to bust out these baubles? - but the spangles on this most figure skater-y of dresses combined with the collar* are seriously inhibiting my love of the Leuchtenberg necklace. That's too much going on up top. For shame, red dress, for shame.

*Your Order Report: The King and Queen are both wearing the collar of Finland's Order of the White Rose. The President has on the collar from Sweden's Order of the Seraphim, while his wife has the sash of the Order of the Polar Star, a lower Swedish order also often given to members of fellow royal families that aren't either a monarch/consort or an heir. These are the primary ones on display; each is also wearing home order(s) as is typical.

Photos: Kungahuset.se and via Getty Images as indicated
Tiara Watch of the Day: March 3

Tiara Watch of the Day: March 3

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On Sunday, the King and Queen of Spain welcomed the President of Colombia and his wife for their state visit to Spain.
For the welcome ceremony, Letizia wore a repeated dress from Spanish label Oky^Coky which has the look of separates (but isn't) with a Felipe Varela black coat and Magrit beige heels. I do like the mix of textures here and the softness added by the blouse portion, but this is a state visit, and this isn't what we're here for.
There we go! Monday night gave us what we needed, a gala dinner complete with tiara (the Spanish Floral Tiara, worn with her wedding earrings which were a gift from King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, her fleur de lys brooch, and the riband and star from Colombia's Order of Boyaca). Queen Letizia's Varela dress is another repeat, originally worn for the Dutch inauguration in 2013:
I was definitely a fan of this ensemble at its original appearance, with a jaunty hat (so many of you couldn't handle the angle, but I liked it) and the color worked quite nicely with the light blue of her Spanish sash. The dress is still lovely as ever and she looks fantastic - but I can't help but note that I am starting to see a pattern emerge from her recent tiara appearances.
Take a look at the 2014 Mexican state visit, or her Carolina Herrera black gown from last October's state visit (which I loved, but still). You take a sheer neckline, a slim silhouette, add in some lace or other doodads, throw the Spanish Floral Tiara on top, and VOILA! You've got yourself a Letizia tiara appearance. Anyone else feeling my déjà vu here?
But there is a positive side to all these similar appearances: Letizia has apparently switched her favorite tiara from the Prussian Diamond Tiara (worn for her wedding, and for the majority of her subsequent tiara appearances) to the floral tiara, and that's a change I can get behind. She can wear that bauble all she likes, right up until she decides she should give it to me instead, ahem.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Tiara Watch (Yay) and Tiara Watch (Nay): December 3

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Sometimes those of us on permanent tiara watch don't get what we want. Case in point: The King and Queen of Sweden began a state visit to France yesterday, and hopes of proper state banquet splendor were (somewhat) high. After all, the British state visit to France this summer was black tie and the Queen was all tiara'd up. But alas, it was not to be; the dress code was plain suit and tie and a knee-length outfit for Silvia. The Queen, however, did not leave us hanging.
She sported as much of the Cameo Parure as she could, basically: necklace, earrings, bracelet, and brooch in her hair. She's also got Carl Gustaf's order/portrait miniature on too, and her version is bedecked with some pretty serious diamond sparkle. The Cameo set has Napoleonic roots, dating back to Empress Joséphine, so it was an appropriate choice. But I still like to think it was a bit of a protest from a jewel-loving queen. Atta girl, Sil.

And sometimes, on tiara watch we do get what we want! Over in Britain, the annual Diplomatic Reception was held last night. This is a tiara event, very formal indeed, but it's one that we don't often get a glimpse of. Some were anticipating the Duchess of Cambridge in a tiara and though she wasn't present, the Duchess of Cornwall shined in something besides her usual tiara and that's a delight on its own. Resplendent, I think, is just the word for this lovely look, kindly shared on Twitter:
This is the Cubitt-Shand Tiara, which comes from Camilla's own family. Camilla wore it for her first wedding and her daughter Laura wore it for her wedding (below). I don't usually go for asymmetry in my tiaras, but the slight variation in this design completely works with its intricate floral motif. I love it.
We know that the Duchess of Cornwall has worn this tiara to this diplomatic event in the past, but we don't always get to see, as I said. Any sighting is an A+ Tiara Watch to me!

Photos: Elysee.fr video, Marc Piasecki via Getty Images, @royalfocus1, Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images

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