WEDDING FLOWERS: The Royal 2017
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Showing posts with label The Royal 2017. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Royal 2017. Show all posts

Royal Platinum Wedding: the mother of the bride

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All eyes might be on the bride on her big day but there's one other person feeling the style pressure. The mother of the bride. Not only is she seeing her little girl begin a whole new chapter of her life, she's got to have a hat that could stop traffic or no one is going home truly happy. That was never going to be a problem at the Queen's wedding on November 20th 1947. We all know how her mum loved a hat. And on the day her dynasty made more history, this Queen Elizabeth was more than ready for her close up.


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The mother of the bride was, of course, another queen called Elizabeth - better known to us as the Queen Mother but at the time, Her Majesty The Queen. Consort to King George VI, she was about as well loved as a royal gets - her role in boosting wartime morale is now legendary and it had made her a truly popular figure. And she made every one love her just a little bit more by attending her daughter's wedding dressed like a dream.



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The task of dressing a queen for her daughter's marriage went to Norman Hartnell who was also crating the bride's gown. And the bridesmaids. And the frock for the bride's granny (more on that tomorrow). Hartnell had been dressing the Windsor women since the 1930s and had become a firm favourite of Queen Elizabeth just before World War Two started. Their bond had lasted ever since so it was no surprise that when the then Princess Elizabeth announced her engagement, her mother commissioned Hartnell to make the bride's gown and her own outfit.




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The result was a golden peachy pink full length gown with a fitted waist, slim skirt and half sleeves. It has a soft V shaped neck which isn't just flattering, it leaves plenty of room for all the diamonds that the mother of the bride brought out to play. All mothers of the bride need a hat and the one chosen for this historic wedding is ever so slightly fabulous. It's not only huge and has feathers, it's has an open crown to give it a proper gala feel.


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 Seeing your first daughter marry is always going to be a major moment. When you are the Queen of England and hosting the biggest royal gathering in decades while overseeing a wedding that has become a beacon of hope for millions still recovering from war, it goes into a different realm. If anyone was going to rise to the challenge it was this queen called Elizabeth - a mother of the bride like no other with the outfit to match.

Royal Remembrance: the Cenotaph

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It is a tradition approaching its 100th anniversary and although it took a different form this year, it was none the less moving or poignant for it. The Queen led the nation in remembering those who lost their lives in conflict on Remembrance Sunday. But for the first time she oversaw proceedings from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office while her heir, the Prince of Wales laid her wreath. It was a heartfelt tribute and a moment of history.

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The ceremony at the Cenotaph began, as always, just before 11am on Remembrance Sunday. But while the air was cold and the morning milky, as it is so often for this special event, the royal procession on to Whitehall looked very different. Prince Charles led out the Windsors while his mother, father and wife watched from above.




On a separate balcony was the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Alexandra of Kent.




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The Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Duke of York took their places while politicians including the Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, also joined to watch and remember.



The two minutes' silence was followed by a moment of history. The Queen always lays her wreath on behalf of the nation but this year she stood by to watch the Prince of Wales carry out that duty for her.  It's only the seventh time in her record breaking reign that Elizabeth II hasn't laid a wreath at the Cenotaph. Instead, she was witness to her heir and his sons placing tributes to remember and commemorate.



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It was none the less moving for that. The event has clearly always meant a great deal to the Queen and she was seen to wipe her eyes during the ceremony. After the formal ceremonial was done, she led her family back inside while the Prince of Wales went on to attend the Welsh Guards Remembrance Parade where he laid another wreath.




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The formal tribute at the Cenotaph, which has been a focus for remembrance since 1919, is a tradition begun by the Queen's grandfather, George V. It has been carried out by all four monarchs of the House of Windsor and now, in an historic moment, by the man who will be the dynasty's next king. But despite the symbolism and the attention on change, the meaning of the event remained the same. George V led his people in rembering those lost and his descendants still do the same today.

The Queen leads Royal Remembrance

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The Queen has led the Royal Family as it begins the solemn events that surround her country's annual commemoration of those who gave their lives for it in conflict. On the eve of Remembrance Sunday, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were joined by other members of their family at the Festival of Remembrance. The poppies fell and the poignant process of remembering began.



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Among those attending the annual festival, organised by the Royal British Legion, were the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra of Kent. They joined the Queen in the Royal Box at the Royal Albert Hall for the annual event which is usually held the night before the national act of commemoration on Remembrance Sunday. The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry didn't attend as they were at rugby matches.





This year's festival included performances by Lesley Garrett, Emili Sande and Alfie Boe and it was compered by Huw Edwards. As is traditional, members of the Armed Services came together in the centre of the Royal Albert Hall for a service of remembrance which ended, as always, with the moving sight of thousands of red poppy petals falling on them in memory of those who have died while fighting for their country.




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The Festival of Remembrance began in 1923 when it was called ''In Memory 1914-1918, A Cenotaph in Sound' and it was held in support of the British Legion. The event, which included a performance of John Foulds' new work ''A World Requiem: a Cenotaph in Sound'' was attended by the then Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII, beginning a long royal association with the event. The performance was first broadcast on the BBC in 1927 and the Queen first attended in 1952, the year of her accession. She now nearly always leads her family at this special event which are a focal point to start remembrance events for so many. On Remembrance Sunday itself, the Queen will watch the service from a balcony overlooking Whitehall while the Prince of Wales lays her wreath on behalf of the nation.

Royal Baby Number 3: the maternity wardrobe starts here

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Stand by, Cambridge baby number three is really making a mark. We've known that Kate is pregnant again since September but in the last twenty four hours, that baby bump has had a proper debut. And today was another landmark in the eagerly watched great expectations of Kate, part three. For today, the duchess debuted maternity wear.


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OK, OK, a pregnant woman is allowed to wear a shift dress without the maternity klaxon sounding but let's enjoy the fact that Kate is blooming right now. She's well into her second trimester now (remember, it's St Mary's, Paddington in April 2018) and baby Cambridge number three is starting to make their presence felt.



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The dress is by Goat and was worn with black tights and shoes. The clutch bag was black as well which might seem odd for a dress verging on the brown but it's all very autumnal and we're all looking at the tummy anyway.


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The Duchess of Cambridge was attending the Place2Be School Leaders' Forum at UBS London on November 8th when the shift to shifts took place. Kate is patron of Place2Be, a children's mental health charity which provides in school training and support for emotional wellbeing. Kate has been its patron since 2013 and regularly attends events for the organisation.


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This is the second engagement in two days for the duchess after last night's appearance at a gala dinner for the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, another charity which counts Kate as its patron. But while baby bump has been getting lots of attention over the last few hours, it was the eldest of her children that got mum talking at this latest appearance. During her speech to the forum, Kate revealed that she is now a school run mum - she famously had to miss George's first day of classes because of the Hyperemesis Gravidarum which affected her at the start of this third pregnancy, as it has with both her other great expectations.






Speaking to the forum (there's a clip above), Kate said that now she was part of the school world she realised that it takes a ''community'' to raise a child and added that ''whether we are school leaders, teachers, support staff or parents - we're all in this together''.  The Duchess of Cambridge also reinforced her support for the work of Place2Be as she commented that ''getting support to children at the very earliest stage helps improve their outcomes in later life''.



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The Duchess of Cambridge has, of course, been extremely vocal in her support for work towards improving mental health over a number of years. This latest speech ties in with many of the causes close to her heart. The issue will no doubt consider to play a part in Kate's agenda over the coming months and baby Cambridge number three begins to take centre stage.

Photo credit: Kensington Palace Instagram

Royal Baby Number 3: here comes the bump

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It's always a special moment in any pregnancy, the time that baby starts to make their presence well and truly known. A baby bump is a very personal thing but also a very public sign that new life is on the way. We already knew that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were expecting baby number three (that is, unless, you've been under a rock since September) and while the smallest hint of a curvy tum had been seen on Kate's previous public appearances since the announcement, a gala dinner in London provided an opportunity for everyone to go maternity mad. Yep, here comes the bump.


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The Duchess of Cambridge was attending a gala benefit for one of her most beloved charities. the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families. The event, held at the Orangery at Kensington Palace, celebrated the work of the organisation which is campaigning for changes in the way that children's mental health issues are handled.



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Kate has been a high profile supporter of the Anna Freud Centre for a number of years. The charity is very focused on early intervention for children and families when mental health issues become apparent and during the gala event, the Duchess of Cambridge heard about the latest developments in this work.




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Kate was looking very well as she enters well and truly into the second trimester of her third pregnancy. As with her previous two great expectations, the Duchess of Cambridge had to stop her public engagements during the first months of her pregnancy after she again experienced Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The news of baby Cambridge number three was announced in early September and confirmed in October. The new fifth in line to the throne is due in April 2018.



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And it was baby who was getting plenty of attention last night, even if we are still months away from meeting them. The Duchess of Cambridge, in black, was showing off a real burgeoning bump for the first time and that's got to make everyone smile. Babies are always happy news so let's celebrate the arrival of the Cambridge bump.

Sofia, the strength of the Spanish monarchy

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It's probably fair to say that Sofia, Queen of Spain has had happier birthdays. As she celebrates turning 79, no doubt with friends and family around her, she's not just contemplating another year done and another to come. Her royal house is facing one of its toughest tests to date with many months of tumult ahead. In the midst of this, Sofia remains the strength of the Spanish monarchy.


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That can be seen in the comments left on the official Twitter account. In the weeks since the disputed independence referendum in Catalonia and King Felipe VI's controversial speech in which he didn't mention the almost 900 injuries incurred as Guardia Civil tried to close polling stations on October 1st, the replies to the tweets sent by @CasaReal have been less than flattering. With one exception. The message shared as Queen Sofia presented an award was followed by comments about how well she carries out her role. While the Spanish monarchy attracts the ire of those angry with the whole establishment, Sofia is singled out as an exception and an example. She remains the bedrock of her family's fortune.





But then Sofia is used to toughness. Despite some glittering highs (remember when the Spanish royals were the most popular in Europe with ratings that made everyone else as green as emeralds?), the sea has been far from smooth for this former Olympic sailor. Take her birthday exactly a decade ago. On November 2nd 2007, the Queen of Spain appeared to have it all. Her royal house was popular, all three of her children were married and she had eight grandchildren around her including a six month old infanta who shared her name. And yet the smiles hid cracks that had already taken hold. Just days later it was announced that the eldest child of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, the Infanta Elena, was separating from her husband, Jaime de Marichalar, after 12 years of marriage. In the decade that followed, her younger daughter, Infanta Cristina, faced court action while the monarchy's popularity ratings tumbled. The unexpected abdication of King Juan Carlos in June 2014 has been followed by three years of ups and downs with 2017 ending on a low.



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But each decade of this royal life, which began on November 2nd 1937 in Greece, has had more ups and downs that most. The first ten years of Sofia's life saw her family head into exile from Greece only to return in 1946. Seventy years ago, as Sofia turned 9, her father, King Paul, was beginning a reign that would be bumpy to say the least. By the time she turned 29 in 1967, her brother had taken the throne as King Constantine and was just weeks away from going into exile after a coup earlier that same year. Sofia was by then married to Juan Carlos and living in Madrid in a Spain ruled by the dictator, Francisco Franco. In 1977, as she turned 39, Sofia was Queen of Spain and the country was completing the path to democracy. Just weeks earlier elections had led to the re-establishment of the Generalitat in Catalonia, paving the way for the region to become autonomous. Now, forty years later, the region is at the heart of the Spanish monarchy's agenda once again.



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There's no doubt that behind the scenes. Sofia will be as much of a support to her son as she has been to the father, brother and husband who were all kings before him. Sofia is in some ways the last of a generation, the final consort to boast such royal links, the last queen to have been raised so regally and lived so dramatically. And yet it is her ability to reach out to others that have made her such a success. Her passion for issues like research into Alzheimers has been noted around the world (she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in that area) while her constant smile and gentle grace have won her fans far and wide. Now, as she heads into the final year of her seventies, she must help reinvent royalty all over again as she stands behind a son who is facing criticism on many fronts and who is Head of State of a country facing a political crisis not seen in Europe for many years. But Felipe has a secret weapon and one that has steered the royal ship through choppier waters before. Sofia is and perhaps always will be the strength of the Spanish monarchy.

5 things we know about Prince Gabriel's christening

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There's one month to go until the newest royal in Europe stars in the first big official event of his young life. Prince Gabriel of Sweden will be christened on December 1st 2017 and the Swedish Royal Household has already let us know plenty about the day. As with Gabriel's cousins, there is a special page all about the baptism. And just to make us all smile, it now boasts a brand new, super cute photo of the second son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. So let's look ahead to December and get all excited as we count down five things we now know about the christening of Gabriel Carl Walther of Sweden.



1. The officiants

The Swedish Royal Household today announced that the christening will be conducted by Archbishop Emeritus Anders Wejryd who was in charge at the marriage of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel back in 2010. Assisting will be Bishop Johan Dalman and Chaplain Michael Bjerkhagen who were both involved in the baptism of Gabriel's big brother, Prince Alexander, in September 2016.

2. The location

As already announced, the baptism will take place at Drottningholm Palace Church, a pretty special location for his family. For it was here that big brother, Alexander, was christened. In fact, it's been a busy time for baptisms here in recent years as both of Princess Madeleine's children were christened here - Leonore in 2014 and Nicolas in 2015. And the whole Swedish Royal Family will no doubt be back in 2018 as Madeleine's third baby is due in March next year.


3. The timetable

Prince Gabriel will be christened at 12 noon local time on Friday 1st December with guests arriving from 11am that day. During the service, the baby prince will also receive the Order of the Seraphim from his proud granddad, King Carl XVI Gustaf. The whole baptism is a relatively short ceremony as the reception following the service is due to start at Drottningholm Palace at 1pm and in between expect some photos of Carl Philip, Sofia and their two boys outside the Chapel.

4. The traditions

Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna will only just have turned three months old when he's christened (he was born on August 31st 2017 at Danderyd Hospital) but he's got centuries of royal traditions to deal with as he makes his official debut. The baby prince will wear the royal christening gown first used for his great grandfather, Prince Gustav Adolf, in 1906 and worn by royal babies since. Gabriel's name and the date of his christening will be embroidered in the cap that was added to the baptism set in 1935. He will be baptised at the same font - a true work of art made in the late 17th century and added to by Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden in 1728. The water will come from a spring in Oland - a tradition started by his grandparents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. And as his mum and dad meet and greet their guests, little Gabriel will terrify the life out of them by balancing precariously in a golden cradle made for King Karl XV in 1826.

5. The godparents

Got you there....we still don't know who will stand sponsor to baby Gabriel on his big day but five is the usual number of godparents for a Swedish royal baby and just about everyone expects mama in waiting Madeleine to be on the list as Victoria did the honours for Prince Alexander. Princess Sofia's sister, Lina, is another of Alex's godmothers so the smart money is on their other sibling, Sara, doing the same for Gabriel. Those details will be revealed nearer the date but we already know that Prince Gabriel, that cheeky looking little Duke of Dalarna, has a right royal occasion coming up.

Photo kungahuset.se

Letizia flies solo again as Spain's royals are hit by crisis

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The Queen of Spain will, again, be the sole representative of her royal household at a public event this week as the country is engulfed by crisis. The agenda for the Spanish Royal Family, published every Friday, shows just one appearance in the days ahead with Letizia due to attend an awards ceremony on October 30th 2017. 

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The single engagement will take place in Valencia where Queen Letizia is due to present awards celebrating scientific innovation. She will also give a short speech. King Felipe had originally been set to attend but will miss the ceremony now because of the political crisis threatening Spain.



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It's the second time in just days that Letizia will end up flying solo at engagement after she attended journalism awards in Madrid by herself on Thursday when it was decided that King Felipe couldn't accompany her, as planned, because of the situation in Catalonia. That, of course, came just hours before chaos became crisis. 

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On Friday, the Catalan Parliament voted to declare the region an independent republic. Soon afterwards, the Spanish government in Madrid triggered article 155 of the country's constitution, imposing direct rule on Catalonia which was given autonomy in 1977.  It follows a disputed referendum on independence, called by the Catalan Parliament on October 1st 2017. Spanish police moved in to close polling stations on the day and almost 900 people were injured.




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The next appearance of the King of Spain remains unknown. Felipe caused controversy with his first intervention following the referendum when he gave a rare, televised address calling for the unity of Spain to be preserved and criticising those who had called the referendum. But it was his failure to acknowledge the injuries caused that led to criticism on several fronts. A second speech, at the Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo last week, repeated calls for unity and condemnation of Catalan independence leaders. Since then, Felipe hasn't been seen in public. He was declared persona non grata by Girona this week and comments on the official Casa Real Twitter feed have been less than sympathetic at time. Elsewhere, there is support for the Spanish monarchy as a symbol of unity.




But how that continues remains to be seen. The Spanish Royal Family has faced many critical situations in its modern history but this threatens to be one of the greatest of them all. There is continued tension in Catalonia where many feel the declaration of independence has been thrust on them but where many are celebrating a move they have wanted for years. The world is now watching to see how power is administered in the area after the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, sacked the Catalan leaders and the chief of the local police force. The area's considerable civil service will now be expected to take orders from Madrid while the administration of politics in the area, ahead of new regional elections called for December this year, remains in doubt as many ask how the Spanish government can take control of a strong region hundreds of miles away. In the midst of this is Europe's newest monarch who will be expected by many in his country to be a neutral figurehead, helping to soothe a crisis that threatens the very notion of Spain as we know it now. Felipe will have to be seen, and soon, but his next move could be crucial.

Spain's King stays silent...for now

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King Felipe is expected to stay silent in the coming hours on the crisis engulfing his country. In the last few hours, the parliament of Catalonia has declared independence in a move that it hopes will lead to the establishment of a republic in the region. The government in Madrid, meanwhile, is preparing to take control of Catalonia. Felipe began October knowing that a disputed referendum was set to take place. He can never have imagined it would end with part of his country trying to break away from his crown.





On the afternoon of October 27th 2017, the Catalan Parliament voted by 70 to 10 in favour of declaring independence from Spain following a disputed referendum on October 1st this year. There were two abstentions in the vote. Soon afterwards, the Spanish government approved plans to impose direct rule on Catalonia which has been an autonomous region of the country for four decades. The details of that are being worked out now but they could see Catalonia's leaders, including its president Carles Puigdemont, being removed from office and Madrid taking control of finances and police in the region. Spain is in turmoil but Felipe won't be talking publicly - for now at least.



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It is an extremely difficult situation for the newest monarch in Europe to find himself in. Since the referendum, Felipe has made two speeches including an extraordinary televised address in which he defended the unity of Spain. However, he faced criticism then, and following a second intervention during an appearance at the Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo last week, for not making any comment on the way police tried to stop people voting during the referendum or referencing the fact that almost 900 people were injured during the day of the vote.




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Now there is growing expectation that the King of Spain will make some kind of declaration but, again, it is a difficult situation for him to navigate. His country is in turmoil and politicians from all sides are taking a hammering. It is in times like this that monarchies can be a neutral centrepoint. They can fly - or they can wobble. Felipe's next move will be crucial. The King of Spain is staying silent for now - but keeping quiet may not be an option for very much longer.

Letizia's battle lines are drawn

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You've got to hand it to this queen. Anyone who can look that good on a day when their royal dynasty took a wobble has got some oomph. As her husband's reign headed into uncharted waters of chaos as one part of his kingdom threatened to leave while his former principality declared him persona non grata, Letizia faced them all down single handedly. The Spanish Royal Family has barely been seen in public since the disputed referendum in Catalonia and King Felipe's controversial speech in its wake. But Letizia opened the palace doors and marched out all on her own. Letizia has drawn the battle lines and she clearly means business.


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To be fair, she was among friends. The woman who famously told the news before she started making it herself was at an awards ceremony in Madrid honouring journalists. She needed mates around her. In the hours preceding her appearance, the Catalan government began to debate whether it should declare independence and then announced it would meet early on Friday to make a decision. But around the same time, politicians in Madrid are preparing to trigger article 155 of the Spanish constitution which will impose direct rule on Catalonia. Spain is in chaos and this is quite possible the calm before the storm. Like them or loathe them, it takes a brave royal to come out in that heat. Letizia more than managed it.



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The Queen of Spain was presenting annual awards honouring outstanding achievement in journalism and there was no hiding behind her fringe and hoping no one noticed. Letizia wore deep red, the colour of her country's flag and long associated with the Royal Household, as well as some of the joyas de pasar, the sparkling diamonds that once belonged to Ena who decreed they could only ever be worn by Spanish queens. Of course, because this was Letizia it was all very modern with the red coming in the form of a jumpsuit and the diamonds in the shape of a single, stylish bracelet. It certainly made an impact.


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Friday traditionally marks the day that the Spanish Royal Family publishes its agenda for the coming week but the times they are a changing. There is little doubt that King Felipe could well be occupied with politics in the days ahead but with things moving at such a breakneck speed and with no clearer picture now of what the future holds than anyone had at the start of the day, it is impossible to predict. One thing we do know is that, just as on a chessboard or in tales of old, you need to watch the queen. And Letizia has shown us tonight that you can put as many chips down as you like, she'll match you all the way. Hats off to that queen.

Photo credit: casareal Twitter.




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