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

Sunday Tidbits for June 21: Baby Updates and Things to See

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A weekend without a royal wedding just doesn't feel right. But Sweden did their part to make sure there was no lull in the royal news this week, and they lead your weekly tidbits:

--King Carl Gustaf announced the name and title of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill's new son at a Cabinet meeting this week: HRH Prince Nicolas Paul Gustaf, Duke of Ångermanland. Paul and Gustaf are after the baby's grandfathers (Chris' middle name is also Paul), and Nicolas is an older Bernadotte family name. Chris told Svenska Dagbladet that the couple liked the name, and he was named Nicolas for about a day when he was born before his father changed it. [Svenska Dagbladet]
Prince Nicolas. Photo: Kungahuset.se

--Most of the Swedish royal family (minus Princess Madeleine, obviously, and Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, who are on their honeymoon) attended a Te Deum service to celebrate Prince Nicolas' birth on Thursday. [Expressen]
Photo: Kungahuset.se

--Not even my well-documented weakness for a fine white dress can endear me to the military styling on the top half of Princess Charlene at a cocktail party for the Monte Carlo Television Festival. [Hello]

--Thing to See #1: PBS is airing Tales from the Royal Wardrobe tonight (Sunday), with Dr. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces. At 7 pm CST/8 EST but you know the drill, check your local listings and all that. [PBS]

--Thing to See #2: The V&A in London just opened an exhibit called Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, running through January 31, 2016. And that's why the V&A is my favorite museum in the world. [V&A]

--Thing to See #3: The British Museum in London has just opened a new gallery for the Waddesdon Bequest, a collection of nearly 300 Renaissance treasures from Baron Ferdinand Rothschild MP (1839-1898). Some fascinating jewels in here. [British Museum, with thanks to Joyce]
Video: Some of the treasures in the new gallery

--And finally, I have fallen in love with this antique conch pearl, pearl, and diamond tiara, recently auctioned by Dupuis in Canada. Pink gems get me every time. [MSN and Dupuis, with thanks to Jean]

This week, stick around for the rest of the Ascot fashion parade, a return to the Battle of Waterloo commemorations, and more...

Tiara Thursday: Princess Sofia's Emerald and Diamond Tiara

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There were plenty of rumors flying around that Sofia Hellqvist would get a new tiara for her wedding to Prince Carl Philip of Sweden. Those types of rumors are not uncommon before a big event, but it is uncommon that they turned out to be true. Sofia joined the ranks of brides in colorful tiaras as she walked down the aisle wearing a diamond and emerald tiara never before seen on the Swedish royal scene. Designed in the Art Deco style, it includes a series of graduated diamond palmette motifs topped by a set of graduated pear-shaped emeralds.
Princess Sofia's Emerald and Diamond Tiara
The royal court stated that the tiara was a gift from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to Princess Sofia. Unfortunately, no other information was given, and further questions about the tiara’s history - was it newly made for Sofia? An older piece purchased by the King and Queen? - remain unanswered. There has been much speculation, but opinions still differ. (Additionally, many wondered if the emeralds could be removed from the top and possibly replaced by other stones; from what we can see of the back, it doesn’t look like it is set up that way right now.)
A new tiara for a royal bride is an unusual thing these days, but this acquisition made a lot of sense in the context of the Swedish royal family’s tiara collection. In addition to the tiaras that belong to the family foundation and are available to borrow, most of the ladies in the family have tiaras of their own, whether they were eighteenth birthday gifts, inheritances, or pieces given to or designated for them otherwise. Sofia now has the same. And even though the court's statement indicates that it belongs to Sofia and not the family foundation, this is now the only emerald tiara in the family – something that was a notable omission for such a large collection.
Needless to say, I’m very curious to see how Sofia wears the tiara in the years to come. I’m also interested to see if any additional emerald pieces will be worn with it. The family has an emerald demi-parure, which seems to be a piece only selectively loaned out, but Queen Silvia also has a few sets of modern emerald jewels that would make a nice pairing (such as this one). As always, we also remain hopeful that more information about the tiara will come to light some day.

As a bridal tiara: yay or nay?

Photos: via Getty Images and SVT

Monday Tidbits for June 15: The Wedding Leftovers Edition (and Baby News!)

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How's your royal wedding hangover doing? Mondays after royal weddings are the toughest Mondays of them all, and I want you to know that it's okay to have an extra donut in these times of need. If I could buy you that donut, I would. But I'll have to make do by saying a very big and very sincere thank you to all of you that followed along this weekend. Thank you for reading, and to those who comment, thank you for keeping things fun and civil (even with around 4,000 comments on the open post!). I'm truly grateful that you keep stopping by.
Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

Now, a quick update on Jewel Vault happenings, a.k.a. what the British royal family did over the weekend: Trooping the Colour was covered over there and has been updated with more info/photos since its original posting, and I have also posted on yesterday's polo antics of the Windsors (both brooch-wearing and not).

And now we get to the tidbits. We're wrapping up our royal wedding coverage (pending our upcoming tiara analysis, as promised), and these are some wedding leftovers that didn't make it into the other posts. Just stick them in the microwave, they'll be tasty as ever. Crazy after parties, second bridal dresses, dress doubles, and more:

--It's a boy! Princess Madeleine gave birth to a son today, June 15, at 13:45. That's gotta be some kind of record, giving birth just two days after your last tiara appearance. Congrats to Madeleine and Chris! [Kungahuset]

--The party at the palace went until 5:30 in the morning, featuring performances by Avicii and Icona Pop (plus a dancing and singing Queen Silvia, because if you're going to rock out, you might as well do it in a tiara). Also, Princess Sofia changed dresses and ditched her veil at some point. Here's a gallery with glimpses from outside the palace. [Aftonbladet]

--Check out King CG busting a move, and store that image in your brain for the next time you think about calling him grumpy. [Instagram, h/t TheRoyalsandI]

--Links from the site of the royal court (many are PDF links) with speech texts and music details, if you're interested: English translations of the speeches of the King, Erik Hellqvist (father of the bride), and Prince Carl Philip, plus a copy of the wedding program with all the music and readings (in Swedish and English). [Kungahuset]

--Carl Philip's one wish for their wedding cake? To incorporate Pop Rocks into the space-age creation as a surprise for unsuspecting guests. That's right, Pop Rocks, the candy that fizzes when you eat it. I never knew a wedding cake could be cheeky. [Expressen]

--Some have asked questions about the types of dresses seen below, worn by more than one guest. It is not, in fact, an accident that multiple women would select the same midnight velvet gown with a puffed lattice sleeve. It is a court dress, and more like a uniform.
The woman pictured here is Karolin A. Johansson, Marshal of the Court for the Crown Princess' Household, and the same thing is worn by ladies from the Queen's Household. The dress is a variation on the old Swedish court dress, and it is worn by Ladies-in-Waiting and female attendants in similar posts. You can usually spot a couple ladies wearing these dresses (and often tiaras of their own) at any Swedish gala occasion.

--High marks from many of you for the Hellqvist ladies at the wedding, and I concur. Sofia's sisters wore Viktoria Chan dresses (see Lina's here and Sara's here), while her mother, Marie, and grandmother wore dresses from Milagro De Nahrin. [Instagram]

--It's rare we see someone wear the same thing as a princess at a royal wedding, since those outfits are often bespoke. But if you're going to wear H&M - even Victoria's custom H&M - well, accidental twin appearances might happen. Another guest wore the skirt version of Victoria's dress, but at least it was at the pre-wedding dinner and not the ceremony. [h/t AlexandraElizabeth in the comments]

--And finally, there are some extended family members that we didn't cover, but I must include Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg. She and QEII could have a long chat about fur wrap maintenance. This is some serious old school glam right here:

And that's that! Until tomorrow...

Photos: Kungahuset, SVT, Twitter, and Getty Images as indicated

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Swedish Royal Family

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The Swedish royal family has a history of turning up the sartorial volume significantly when it comes to big events. Did they succeed at their prince’s wedding? Well…yes and no. Let’s give out some awards and discuss:

(Hint: Click the tiara names to go to their individual entries!)

Best in Predictable
Queen Silvia
I predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, most of us predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, she wore the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara. And HUZZAH for that, because it is and remains a sparkly wall of diamonds with gorgeous blue at the top, and you can’t go wrong with that.
She added it to a dress in light lilac silk satin with embroidery of lace, sequins, and stones, all of which was a little bit on the shiny side for me. (Silvia in anything embellished and shiny: also predictable.)
With Sofia's parents. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet with insignia from the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of Vasa, and the Order of the Sword. His medals are Gustav V's Jubilee Medal II, Gustav VI Adolf's Commemorative Medal, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Vasa.

Best in Surprises
Crown Princess Victoria
I asked for some tiara switcheroos, and BEHOLD: the Connaught Tiara, worn for the first time by Victoria. I wanted to see that one on the bride, but I’ll settle for it on anyone!
With Sofia's sisters. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
Victoria wore a custom dress from the H&M Conscious Collection – also a surprise because, well, H&M at a royal wedding?! Victoria’s a big supporter of the company but even at that, this one surprised me.
Was it a good surprise? It’s growing on me, I’ll say that. It has the grand scale we’ve come to expect, even if it does appear to be covered in tire tracks. Both Victoria and Prince Daniel were wearing the Order of the Seraphim, and Daniel also wore the Order of the Polar Star.

Best of the Family
Princess Madeleine
I could give this to Madeleine just for getting all dolled up when she’s about to pop, but this isn’t a sympathy best; this is a WOW under any circumstances. This soft apricot pink Elie Saab was smoothly adapted for her maternity needs and her diamonds had all the necessary sparkle. As expected, she stuck with her Modern Fringe Tiara, which I'm guessing is the one she finds most comfortable. She added the Vasa Earrings, huge diamond numbers that date all the way back to the Vasa dynasty, and which are probably anything but comfortable.
Madeleine wore the Order of the Seraphim and Chris O’Neill wore the Order of the Polar Star. They brought Princess Leonore with them, and she topped today’s heirloom baby clothing stakes by wearing a dress that goes all the way back to King Gustaf VI Adolf, her great-great-grandfather. (Leonore seemed fascinated by the tiaras during the ceremony. I think this kid and I would get along.)

Best in Honeybadgers
The Haga Princesses
Princess Christina (in the mulberry dress) and Princess Désirée (in hot pink)
Listen, I think I’m a bit in love with the Haga Princesses, a.k.a. the four sisters of the King. Princess Margaretha is the best dressed here, in her fabulous Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara, but the rest of them could clearly care less what we think, and I just can’t help but love ‘em a bit for that attitude. Honeybadgers don’t care, man! Princess Christina doesn’t care that I’m tired of her picking the Six Button Tiara over and over again. Princess Désirée doesn’t care that she’s sporting the Cut Steel Tiara with what is basically a hot pink caftan.
Princess Birgitta (in the trousers) and Princess Margaretha
And Princess Birgitta REALLY doesn’t care that she’s not, in fact, headed to a beach soirée around her Mallorca home. She’s gonna wear her palazzo pants with a fur tossed on top as the only concession to her northern location, and she doesn't care what you think! I mean, this is basically a jumpsuit with the Baden Fringe Tiara. Don’t you have to love it, just a little bit, at least?? Come on. The absurdity, it’s delicious.

Coming up later: the international guests. Until then…

Who was your best dressed Swedish royal family member?

Photos: via Getty Images and SVT video, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Bride, Groom, and Bridesmaids

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There are a lot of things you could say about the wedding of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist (now H.R.H. Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland), but you couldn’t say that they didn’t stay true to themselves or – take cover, horrible cliché coming your way – that they weren’t absolutely over the moon on their wedding day.

From pop music to a new tiara, this was their wedding, done their way, and I can’t hate on that. Besides, I now know that the couple are ardent fans of the classic film, Sister Act 2 (I will accept no other possible explanation for the arrangement of “The Hymn of Joy/Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” that followed them out of the chapel), so I am obliged to LOVE THEM.


Let’s start with the groom. Prince Carl Philip wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of the Swedish Amphibious Corps, where he holds the rank of major. He also wore the sash and star of the Order of the Seraphim, with the cross of the Order of the Polar Star around his neck.

Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

His medals include King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Jubilee Commemorative Medals I and II, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel’s commemorative wedding medal, the gold Fredsbaskrarnas Service Medal, and the Swedish Defence University commemorative medal.


Led by Princess Estelle, the bridesmaids were Tiara Larsson, Anaïs Sommerlath, and Chloé Sommerlath. They wore dresses by Ida Sjöstedt in pure silk and Italian silk organza. (And don’t forget the hair bows. Never, ever, forget the bows.)

Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

Like the bride, the bridesmaids carried bouquets of cream and coral garden roses. Sofia’s bouquet and hairdo also included sprigs of myrtle from the bush brought to Sweden by Princess Margaret of Connaught, who married the future Gustaf VI Adolf in 1905. Sprigs of myrtle from that plant have been used by Swedish royal brides since 1935, and a cutting from the same bush was taken to Denmark by Princess Ingrid of Sweden.


The myrtle turned out to be the part of Sofia’s wedding ensemble that was the most closely tied to family tradition, as she wore neither a family tiara nor the family veil. As was speculated and tentatively confirmed several times over, Princess Sofia chose Swedish designer Ida Sjöstedt to make her wedding gown. Created in shades of white, the gown has a strapless base of silk crepe with a flowing train and a long-sleeved Italian silk organza overlay with applied lace made by José María Ruiz.


The lace created flattering lines down the front of the dress and train and was concentrated on the sleeves and the wide neckline. Hand-embroidered cotton lace also adorned her sheer tulle veil.


I’m sure this one will draw comparisons to any number of other royal wedding gowns, and any number of non-royal wedding gowns also. It’s basically a running list of classical bridal traditions put to work, with really only the train length marking it as the dress of a royal bride (well, and the tiara, but we’ll get to that in a minute).


Sofia’s made some very safe sartorial choices of late, and I suppose you could say this is the safest of them all. I wouldn’t call it memorable, as royal wedding gowns go, but despite that, it was lovely on her and she looked comfortable in it. And it allowed the most intriguing part of her ensemble to take center stage…


Sofia got a NEW TIARA! A present to her from the King and Queen, according to the Royal Court, it has a diamond base of palmette or honeysuckle motifs and is topped by emeralds or other green stones. I was hoping to see her in a tiara from the family collection, but this is also a lovely gesture. Most of the Swedish princesses have a tiara to call their own in addition to the family tiaras available to them, and it only seems right that the newest Swedish princess should have that luxury too. It’s not too big, it’s not too small, it is very sparkly, and it’s a beautiful way to welcome a new family member. (Obviously, we’ll be giving it the full Tiara Thursday treatment later on.)


Coming up in a bit, we’ll talk about other members of the Swedish royal family and all of their guests. For now:

What did you think of Princess Sofia’s wedding gown?

Photos: via Getty Images, Kungahuset.se, SVT video screencaps, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Pre-Wedding Dinner

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The party is starting! Ready your jumpy claps!

This evening, wedding guests gathered for a short boat ride on the way to the venue for the pre-wedding dinner. Only a couple of the international royal guests were present, but the headline family members certainly did give us some things to discuss...

Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist
I wondered if Sofia would continue the trend of wearing Elie Saab for her pre-wedding event, as her soon-to-be-sisters-in-law both did. And I was close: she wore Zuhair Murad, a.k.a. almost Elie Saab! (Also the groom was present. He wore a tux.)
Many of us have been hoping we’d see more of Zuhair Murad on the royal red carpet, and I think this couture dress certainly delivers. Just enough sparkle, and with a train (which looked like it was detachable) added to the back to give it a little extra royal oomph.
And the blue is divine on her, no? I love it. What a great start to the event!

The King and Queen
{SCREECH} Well, that escalated quickly. Let’s just say that something had to come in third place on the list of Silvia's best mother of the bride and/or groom pre-wedding outfits (it's a very specific list)...call it the sacrificial lamb?

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel
Okay, this is better! Victoria’s sparkly, slinky number is perfect for this and also for her next Great Gatsby-themed party (I figure there’s no point to living in a palace if you’re not going to throw the occasional Gatsby party, right?).
Crown Princess Victoria wore Jenny Packham, the original model from a bridal collection (the Packham bridal collections always have dresses that are great more uses than bridal, though). She also had a brooch in back in her updo, and you know I luv her for that.

Victoria, Daniel, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
With many royal guests arriving tomorrow, it was a lovely surprise to see Victoria and Daniel bring part of the Norwegian contingent: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and Ari Behn. Crown Prince Haakon joined the party by car a bit later. Mette-Marit repeated the Giambattista Valli dress she wore to Queen Margrethe’s birthday dinner earlier this year.

Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn
Apparently seeing that his wife was intent on a tasteful beige dress, Ari Behn decided someone had to shake things up and tossed a sash around his waist. Sure, man, why not?

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill
Also skipping the boat ride in favor of arriving by car, Princess Madeleine breezed by in a basic but sort of ethereal maternity dress.

Lastly, a couple aunts and an extra international royal couple, just for good measure:

Princess Birgitta, doing her Birgitta thing.

Princess Margaretha, doing her Margaretha thing. (What more can you say?)

Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria...doing their thing. A very sequin-y floral thing, which is a curious combo.

All in all, not a bad start to a wedding weekend. This entry may be updated later on, and feel free to add more in the comments!

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Expressen video

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