WEDDING FLOWERS: Tiaras 2014
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Showing posts with label Tiaras 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiaras 2014. Show all posts

Sunday Tidbits for October 5: New Feature! Princely Twins, Auctions Galore, and an Imperial Wedding

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Lovely readers, I've decided to try out a new feature for the blog! It's a little something I'm calling Sunday Tidbits, a quick round of links to selected extras: more royal events, plus other articles and whatnots that might be of interest to you. Some news-ish, some not. Stroll through them on your lazy Sunday! Use them to cure a case of the Mondays! Do none of the above! (Hey, I don't know your life.)

Ready? Here we go:

--This has been rumored since they announced the pregnancy, but it appears that Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have confirmed to Hello! magazine that they are expecting twins. Charlene gave an interview to the publication during her recent visit to New York. Congrats to the couple! [@HelloCanada Twitter]

    --Princess Noriko of Takamado, the daughter of Princess Takamado and the late Prince Takamado, who was the Emperor of Japan's cousin, is getting married. She participated in a few ceremonies leading up to the wedding, including one in traditional garb to say farewell to the ancestor gods of the family, and one in the more modern traditional court dress with jewels to bid farewell to the Emperor and Empress. Like all females born to the imperial family, she received a parure when she came of age, this one including pearls and diamonds in a scrolling wave pattern. She won't formally be a part of the imperial family after her marriage, so her tiara days are coming to a close. Here's a video, and here's a blog covering the event. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]
        And here is video from the wedding, held today:

        The fabrics are just gorgeous and her hair, the architecture of her hair, really, is fascinating. They look happy - as happy as they are allowed to look given the tremendous amounts of protocol every public appearance is subjected to, that is.

        --I thought Romania's Crown Princess Margarita looked very elegant in her purple recently. [Royal Hats Blog]

        --Crown Princess Victoria wore purrrrple too, for a cabinet meeting, so I'll sit on my typing fingers about the plain black accessory business. [Svensk Damtidning]

        --Returning to the Grimaldis for a moment, they have a collection of relics from Napoleon and his era, and they're selling off about a thousand pieces. Well sure, because now they have to buy two cribs, you see. (Okay, technically the article says the items, which have been on exhibit, are being sold to "to make room for a museum celebrating its own ruling dynasty".) Anyway, the French state might get involved, and it could be a whole thing. [The Independent]

        --The Swedish version of the Antiques Roadshow unearthed a tiara with a connection to Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway (1836-1913). According to reader Anna, who sent this in, the floral diadem was one Queen Sophia gave as a gift. I do like to see garnets used in tiaras. [SVT video]
          --In other Swedish jewel news, Sotheby's is auctioning Queen Josephine's pearl necklace, a double strand of large natural pearls with pearl and diamond pendants. The necklace was probably given by Empress Joséphine to her daughter-in-law Augusta, Duchess of Leuchtenberg, and then to Augusta's daughter, Queen Josephine. It eventually passed out of the main royal line and was sold. It will now be sold again. Get that wallet out, King CG. [Sotheby's]
          On the left, Josephine wears the necklace in question

          And there you have it! Just a few extra tidbits for the week. Stay tuned Monday as we catch up on happenings in Spain and beyond.

          By the way, this series of posts has another purpose too: as open posts for commenters. For those of you that like to hang out and chat, please use these posts as a place for your off topic musings throughout the week, in the interests of keeping daily posts just a bit more manageable. Enjoy!

          Photos: FNN video, SVT video, Wikimedia Commons, Sotheby's

          Royal Reuse of the Day: September 3

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          The theme for Crown Princess Mette-Marit's wardrobe yesterday was "reuse", you see, which is also the theme of my wardrobe every single day, only she does it fancier. Watch and see...
          The President of Estonia arrived in Norway for a state visit yesterday.
          In addition to her Valentino lace coat (reused indeed, and which she also has in red...though I'm not sure that detail fits with today's message), Mette-Marit wore a navy pillbox hat for the official welcome. She perched it on the back of her head, as she is prone to do, but it's a little taller than the usual types she anchors back there. Turns out, there's a good reason for that: it was made to be part of a different hat entirely. She shared the story on her new Instagram account.
          An old hat with a navy crown and wide cream brim was remade into four wee pieces that are more in line with the headgear she prefers today. An interesting choice and an innovative one too, I think. And even though I'm sorry to see her moving further away from the general millinery category of Things With Brims, she does get an A+ for breaking in that Instagram with behind the scenes sartorial details.

          She also shared that her gown for the evening's state banquet had undergone a similar transformation. It used to be this gem:
          And now designer Nina Skarra has transformed it into something new:
          And that something new looks just like something old in her closet (the dress she wore to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding), I can't help but notice. I miss the pink waistband. It was such a fresh touch, that color combination.

          This is all in connection with a reuse day she's supporting. She'll be making a couple visits this week for the same cause, and she's donated some clothing items to be auctioned. She's putting her closet where her mouth is, so to speak, and that's all good stuff. I just wouldn't have minded seeing that hat or this dress reused in, you know, the regular way before they went on the chopping block. Oh well. There's always the next incarnation... (It also strikes me as hilarious that the other two royal ladies present at the banquet might be better examples of reuse principles - how many times have we seen these two dresses?! - but I digress.)

          Anyway, your Tiara Watch before I go: Queen Sonja is wearing the big version of Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara, our fair Crown Princess is wearing her usual Diamond Daisy Tiara, and Princess Astrid is letting her antenna aigrette fly, I think in the flower version, because she is the best.


          Photos: Heiko Junge/AFP via Getty Images, Instagram, Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, and MSN Video

          Royal Outfit of the Day: August 15

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          Here's a dress worn (reworn, actually) by Crown Princess Mary earlier this year, but we didn't really have a chance to discuss it in depth at the time. It's an interesting one - interesting in a good way, I think, but you be the judge.
          The dress was first worn to the Dutch inauguration in 2013 (shown above), and then repeated at a government dinner in 2014.
          Covered in scattered leaves and petals, the Japanese-inspired dress was designed by Charlotte Lynggaard as part of a collection presented to celebrate the 50th anniversary of jewelry company Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen in 2013. Mary wears a lot of Ole Lynggaard pieces, so it's no surprise she was first on the list for their foray into clothing.
          Interesting, right? Particularly as a choice for a royal event entailing a sash (which cuts right through the waist detail) and some sort of head accessory (a wee hat, above, and a tiara for the second appearance, below). The dress is the sort of thing that suffers when too much is added in the accessory department, and I have serious qualms about the sash issue, but I'm sort of in love with the way it moves:
          Video of this year's appearance. (Mary appears at 2:14, wearing her wedding tiara.)
          So how would you style this number? Me, I'm hoping to see it again at a black tie tiara event (let's just dispense with the sash) and with the Midnight Tiara in place. (The Midnight collection was also designed by Charlotte Lynggaard, making it a good match on multiple levels.)

          Photos: Pool/Getty Images and Luxury Insider

          Royal Wedding Gown of the Day: July 7

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          This year's not shaping up to be huge on big royal weddings, but this weekend did give us a nice wedding tidbit: Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, married Elisabetta (Lili) Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein on Saturday in Rome. Prince Amedeo is the eldest child of Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband, Prince Lorenz (Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este), and is therefore the nephew of the current King of the Belgians.
          In proper royal wedding style, the bride walked down the aisle in Valentino Haute Couture. Her dress was made from ivory point d'esprit tulle with rebrodè lace embellishments, and she topped it with a point d'esprit tulle veil, 5 meters long, accented with motifs of Chantilly lace.
          I'm not always the biggest fan of point d'esprit; the scattered dots can sometimes be a little twee, depending on the design. But in this case, I thought it was perfectly deployed, lightening the spirit of the dress so that it didn't weigh the bride down.
          Glittering on top of her veil was Queen Elisabeth's Diamond Bandeau Tiara, borrowed from her new grandmother-in-law Queen Paola, and her pearl and diamond earrings perfectly matched the tiara's Art Deco design. The tiara was also loaned to Queen Mathilde on her wedding day, but I think I like it here better - the position with the veil seems to soften the solid line of the bandeau nicely.

          This wasn't a big official international royal event, but there were quite a few familiar faces among the family and friends invited. Princess Astrid sported some fantastic pearls (focusing on the pearls...I am focusing on the pearls), Queen Mathilde was half-caped and head-bandaged, and Princess Beatrice was elegant if a little bit blergh, to name a few. Click here for a gallery.

          Photos: Elisabetta Villa via Getty Images, VTM video, Maison Valentino
          Royal State Visit of the Day: June 25

          Royal State Visit of the Day: June 25

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          King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are on a state visit to Poland, arriving yesterday.
          State visits are a time for diplomacy...and a time for maximum sparkle wattage. A win-win situation. Queen Magpie wasted no time getting to the point on this Polish state visit, sporting a pair of diamond and ruby earrings in their longest possible form, her Tutti Frutti-style bracelet, and a ruby and diamond brooch on the shoulder of her fantastic pink dress for her arrival.
          It's a lot of big jewelry for the daytime, I'll give you that, but I see how she got there. The length of the earrings balances the width of the hat, the brooch is the perfect scale to emphasize the shoulder detail, and the thick bracelet is a nice balance for the hand that stays ungloved for most of the time. (She removes one of her gloves so that she can shake hands, not because she thinks she's Michael Jackson, by the way.)

          And now comes a rare statement from me: I think the day outfit was a bigger highlight than the tiara appearance in the evening. I KNOW. I have come to the conclusion that, purple though it is, this repeated Benito Fernandez dress and all its varied design details is not my favorite. I suspect it breaks the #1 commandment for gala gowns: Thou Shalt Not Detract From The Jewels.

          Video: The banquet
          Thankfully there's always solace in sparkle, and the Ruby Peacock Tiara will sparkle no matter what you pair it with.


          Photo: Adam Nurkiewicz via Getty Images

          Royal Outfits of the (National) Day: June 24

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          National Day in Luxembourg was celebrated yesterday with a military parade, a Te Deum, and a gala reception drawing multiple members of the grand ducal family.
          National Day began with a tense debate between the two leading ladies over the rights to wear dodgy hot pink outfits. Or so I like to think it did, at least.
          The Hereditary Grand Duchess won out at the military parade, with a Libélula coat that I like on the whole (the Duchess of Cambridge wore the same style in black once upon a time) and a hat that seriously looked like a fuchsia peppermint candy from afar. (Which would have been kind of awesome, to be honest.)

          And the Grand Duchess won out for the Te Deum later, repeating the Armani outfit she wore to Prince Félix's wedding last year. Dodgy based on excessive levels of shine alone, though I will give her that it looks less shiny on video.
          And then the pink was long gone and it was time for tiaras! Maria Teresa repeated the exact same dress and aquamarine tiara we saw from her the last time she got tiara'd up, but you can always count on Stéphanie to bring something new. In this case, her tiara's a bit like the other floral tiaras in the family, but maybe not quite, so it might be something we haven't seen before. (Update: This is a never-before-seen tiara, with a butterfly motif, likely a modern piece.) I often have quibbles with Stéphanie's styling, but she's been on a mission to try new tiaras since she got married and I do love her little magpie soul for that.


          Photos: Wort.lu video, and Anouk Antony/Wort.lu

          Royal Outfit of the Day (with a Bonus Tiara Watch!): June 12

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          Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended the AmfAR Inspiration Gala in New York this week.
          Well, it made the celeb red carpet rounds, and now this dress is making the royal rounds - first on Crown Princess Victoria, now here on her Scandinavian neighbor Mette-Marit. I'm a little disappointed, though...I thought surely if I could count on anyone to deliver a fierce shoe with this dress, it would be my dear M-M, but instead she's delivered Just Another Nude Shoe. Le sigh.
          So, who's next? Mary? She's a fan of the H&M Conscious Collection, maybe she'll go for it.

          After royally repeating in New York, she popped back home to participate in a state visit from Germany. And you know what that means: Tiaras Ahoy! Last night, the gala dinner was held. (Click here for a video, or here's an article with a full length Mette-Marit picture.) Queen Sonja wore Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara, Mette-Marit was in her usual barely-there Diamond Daisy Tiara, and Princess Astrid wore her delightfully wacky Gold Bandeau.
          What we learn here is that Mette-Marit is a big fan of the Pia Tjelta by Ti Mo collection. We've already seen her in two floral dresses from the line. Now, this gala dress is a customized version of the white dress seen at right above (in a tiered full length, with a shorter sleeve) - and she already has the off the rack version of the white dress too. She's got to have an entire closet devoted to white dresses at this point, right? Not that I'm complaining. This Nordic princess wears the pristine color like no other.

          Photos: Kevin Tachman/Getty Images and H&M and MSN Video and by TiMo
          Tiara Watch of the Day: June 10

          Tiara Watch of the Day: June 10

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          Tiaras haven't been out since 2011 in Spain, but they're back with a vengeance for the last state visit of King Juan Carlos' reign.
          The Spanish royal family welcomed the President of Mexico and his spouse for a state visit, including a gala dinner.
          Queen Sofia is wearing the Fleur de Lys Tiara - her most significant piece, the biggest possible tiara show she can put on - for the first time in several years. Huzzah! Most of the jewels she's wearing here (tiara, long collet necklace, bracelets, big earrings) are among those intended to be passed from queen to queen per Queen Victoria Eugenia's will. Heckuva last hurrah there, Sofia. Are jumpy claps not dignified enough for this stately queen? I fear not. Standing ovation then.
          Meanwhile, Letizia gave us a showing of the Spanish Floral Tiara, one of the prettiest floral tiaras around (in my humble opinion). There's nothing really new here - she's repeated the exact look she wore to the abdication dinner in the Netherlands last year, with added Order of the Aztec Eagle sash from Mexico - but seeing tiaras in Spain once again is such a treat, you'll get no objections from me. (More of this, King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Pretty please?)

          Photos: Getty as indicated

          Tiara Watch of the Day: June 4

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          The Dutch royal family hosted a dinner for Prince Albert II of Monaco, who is on a two day visit to the country. 
          Could Máxima have convinced Charlene to wear a tiara to a royal event?? Alas, the biggest burning question we had for this dinner will remain unanswered because Charlene stayed home. But if by any chance you were dying to know what tiara Kermit would pick if Kermit had a tiara to pick - well then, it's your lucky day. Emeralds, darling!
          Máxima's gown is from Lanvin, and retails for $5,845.
          I need a wand, fairy godmother style, so I can magically redistribute some of that shoulder fabric to the lower half of this Lanvin dress where the sizing just isn't quite right, and then some more over there on the side to cover up that terrible zipper detail. But other than that, I'm all for seeking out dresses intended for a particular tiara, and this looks like it was chosen specifically as an excuse to wear the family's emerald tiara (and emerald earrings, necklace, brooch at the waist, and bracelets, of course).
          Also picking a tiara not usually on her roster is Princess Beatrix, who went for the Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara, to which I say YAY! Sure, you can barely see it, but any day with an outing of one of my very favorite sapphire tiaras is still a good day.

          For more: here's one gallery, and here's another.

          Photos: Getty Images/Lyst/Net-a-porter

          Tiara Watches of the Day: May 15

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          Tiaras have been out and about in several countries lately, so let's pause for a quick wrap up:

          In the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted the annual gala reception for the Corps Diplomatique.

          Video: Arrival of the royal family
          As you can see, everyone arrived in day clothes to change at the palace, except for Máxima. It's like she just knew we needed a proper look at her in the Mellerio Rubies and her zesty (ZESTY!) red gown from Benito Fernandez. A small glimpse is a treat when it comes to this event, which often remains behind closed doors. Another look came as the family left, all in their finery this time:

          Video: Departure of the royal family
          Princess Beatrix wore the Pearl Button Tiara, and Princess Margriet wore the family's emerald tiara, in its pearl setting.


          Elsewhere!
          And that concludes our momentary tiara break. Carry on.

          Photos: Swedish Royal Court/Peres YouTube

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