The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Royal Fashion Awards: Garter Day 2013

2013-06-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Monday was Garter Day in Great Britain, the annual meeting of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The Knights and Ladies of the Garter swan about in the most royal outfits of the year and their guests get all hatted up - it's an irresistibly royal occasion.

Best in Escorts

Da Queen

Video: The Queen at Garter Day

What's a girl to do at a second big event without her hubby? Recruit a handsome gent for either side, of course: the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge walked with the Queen in the procession. She rode back in the open carriage with Charles and Camilla. (More details on the outfit and jewels can be found at the Vault.)

Best in Refreshment

The Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Cornwall

Left to Right: the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Gloucester

I was pretty starved for some non-blush, non-beige looks following the Trooping, and couldn't help but find some much-needed refreshment in Camilla's brights and Sophie's darks. (Wasn't quite starved enough to miss mentioning the Duchess of Gloucester's perma-repeat, though.)

Though they didn't give us much in the way of color, there were some interesting looks on Lady Sarah Chatto (in her standard retro schtick...a perma-repeat I don't mind at all, go figure), Viscountess Linley (in some serious skirt volume), and Lady Helen Taylor (in, wow, the best pair of hat antlers I have ever seen) - click here to see via my Twitter friend @gabeyslave, who was lucky enough to be present for the procession and shared some fun insider glimpses!

Best in Capes

The Prince of Wales

L to R: the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Kent. Not pictured but present: the Duke of Gloucester.

I usually end up giving this one to a royal lady (well, they are the only ones with serious earring bling), but I'm going with Charles this year...followed closely by Anne, because old habits die hard. All history aside, these sorts of getups can look silly unless you wear them with confidence, and I think the PR and the PoW do it best of this lot.

Most Missed

Princess Alexandra of Kent

The Duke of Edinburgh was absent, of course - he was released from the hospital, though, so that's looking good - but we have another key royal missing here: Princess Alexandra, the Queen's cousin. She's been suffering from polymyalgia rheumatica and has been cancelling engagements for some time now. I miss her and her effortless royal elegance, especially in her Garter robes.

Who was your favorite Garter Day participant?

Photos: WPA Pool/Getty Images

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: June 9-15

2013-06-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Best in Day (Casual)

Crown Princess Mary

Video: Mary participates in the Free from Bullying Race

Oh, I do enjoy a bit of Casual Mary.

Best in Day (Regular)

Crown Princess Victoria

Letizia welcomes Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan to Spain with the rest of the family; Victoria at a conference and holding an audience; Mette-Marit on an engagement with Queen Sonja

Letizia in brights and Mette-Marit in something that matches are always bonuses, but these simple dresses suit Victoria so perfectly, I'm willing to overlook the aggressively matching blue shoes (pet peeve alert).

Best in Day (Fancy)

Queen Máxima

Máxima making more province visits; Catherine naming a ship

Big hats and big jewels always win. That's just the way it is. (Proper big hats, though, not the ones just attempting to set records for fabric yardage piled on one hat, to be clear.)

Best in Evening

Princess Letizia

Mary at the opening of the House of Foreign Industry; Letizia at a concert and dinner for Naruhito; Mathilde at the opera

I really didn't like Letizia's gown when she wore it at Victoria's wedding back in 2010 - and yet, suddenly, I'm charmed. Why, hmm? Better hair now, a softer look? Maybe I just appreciate a little Swedish wedding throwback after we missed her at Madeleine's party.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/Stella Pictures/Side2/DutchPhotoPress/Scanpix

Royal Fashion Awards: Trooping the Colour 2013

2013-06-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Queen celebrated her official birthday this weekend, participating as she always does with the rest of the royal family at Trooping the Colour, her official birthday parade.

Video: Trooping the Colour summary

Though a larger selection of the royal family was out on the Buckingham Palace balcony earlier, a slightly smaller group came out to view the flypast as they always do, and that's the group we're checking in with today...

Best in Birthday Girls

The Queen

I do love a strong blue, and this is a perfect background for her complex brooch (details over at the Jewel Vault). She was the clear standout on the balcony, and she wins all the things.

Best in Ladies

...A Tie?

Left to Right: The Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, the Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella Windsor

Though there were royal ladies dressed in stronger colors there, the only ones that popped out alongside the Queen were dressed in a terribly pale palette, Princess Anne's festive uniform excepted. ("You, in the polka dots, don't even think about it. Is that red? Are you kidding me?" - Her Maj. Or not.) Despite the love of baby pink that has swept me away the past few weeks, I'm feeling quite lackluster about this bunch. Everyone's pretty standard, right down to Bea and Eug's misses. I'll call it a tie...six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Best in Gents

The Duke of Kent and Viscount Severn

L to R: The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Tim Laurence, the Earl of Wessex, Viscount Severn, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent

We have two subcategories here, I suppose: uniform and non-uniform. Uniform, it's got to go to the Duke of Kent (sorry, Harry), who took the place of the hospitalized Duke of Edinburgh at the Queen's side. The Duke had his own health issues earlier this year - a mild stroke in March, meaning it was best for him to sit by her instead of riding as he usually does anyway - and it was good to see him in a featured spot. Non-uniform, it has to be James, a.k.a. Viscount Severn, the son of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. I know some of you have been waiting for him to be included at these royal events, and here he is! (Bonus points for inventive binocular use. He can see you.)

Who was your Trooping best dressed?

Photos: AP/Getty Images/PacificCoastNews

Tiara Thursday: The Ancona Tiara

2013-06-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

It seems like every time a jewel is auctioned, someone suggests that a royal family with some connection to the gem ought to buy it. You know, to preserve history and prevent things from vanishing into the thin air of private ownership. Thing is, that almost never happens...except in certain cases. Like this one.

The Ancona Tiara

The Ancona Tiara is a pearl and diamond tiara with Italian heritage. The body of the tiara includes groups of three round pearls in diamond trefoil surrounds on a pearl and gold base. The tiara is topped with pearls in two rows, a lower row of round pearls and a top row of upright drop pearls which are slightly irregular in shape - clearly old, baroque pearls. And old this tiara is indeed: it was made for Princess Maria Anna Carolina of Saxony (1799-1832) sometime around her 1817 marriage to Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Princess Lydia of Arenberg

The tiara then dropped along down the Italian royal family tree from parent to child for a while, starting with Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria (1834-1901), the daughter of Leopold II and his second wife (he remarried following Maria Anna Carolina's early death). It ends with Princess Lucia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1908-2001), who married Eugenio, 5th Duke of Genoa. Before he was the Duke of Genoa, he was the Duke of Ancona, and the tiara is known as the Ancona Tiara. Eugenio inherited the Genoa title from his brother, Filiberto; Filiberto's wife, Princess Lydia of Arenberg, also wore this pearl diadem.

From the hands of Lucia and her descendants, the tiara was sold at auction in 1999. But surprisingly, it seems to have remained in the Italian royal fold: it reappeared on the head of the Duchess of Castro - née Camilla Crociani - at the 2004 wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson. She comes from a wealthy family, and it seems they purchased the piece at auction. Camilla's husband, Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, holds a claim to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

The Duchess of Castro

As long as we still get to see it, I'm happy with any owner, frankly: this is a lovely example of a pearl and diamond tiara. Old and valuable, with a well-balanced distribution of pearls. This is not a diamond tiara with a few pearls, this is a pearl tiara, if you know what I mean.

How do you think this rates as a pearl tiara?

Programming note: We won't have a Friday post tomorrow. Tune back in on Monday for a look at Trooping the Colour fashion.

Photos: Getty Images

Wedding Wednesday: June Brides

2013-06-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

June is a ridiculously popular month for weddings for all brides, but especially Swedish royal brides, according to our little retrospective here. Also, June 19th is apparently a great date for a wedding. Let's see what else we can learn from our June royal brides...

The Duke of Windsor and Wallis Warfield (Simpson)

June 3, 1937

I think we'll spend some time with Wallis and Edward later this month.

Princess Désirée of Sweden and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld

June 5, 1964

The first of the June Swedish brides to make the list.

Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth

June 6, 1998

Gotta love a royal wedding where each party boasts a name longer than the alphabet, without even touching the middle names.

The Duke of Kent and Katharine Worsley

June 8, 1961

A sleeper favorite wedding gown, I call this one: not too well-known, but usually a favorite among those that know it.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill

June 8, 2013

Oh hey, these guys again! That's Swedish bride #2 for the list.

Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan and Masako Owada

June 9, 1993

It hasn't been an easy road for these two, but they're celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.

Princess Margrethe of Denmark and Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat

June 10, 1967

Just one of a few June dresses that made your countdown of favorite wedding gowns.

Prince Abdullah of Jordan and Rania al Yassin

June 10, 1993

Twenty years here too, though this is a gown that hasn't weathered those double decades so well, methinks.

Princess Christina of Sweden and Tord Magnuson

June 15, 1974

#3, a wedding a lot like Madeleine's. Only this one had the Connaught Tiara on the bride, which some of you hoped to see this past weekend.

King Hussein of Jordan and Lisa Halaby

June 15, 1978

The fourth of Hussein's four weddings. The American bride wore Dior and is now known as Queen Noor.

Princess Carolina of Bourbon-Parma and Albert Brenninkmeijer

April 21 & June 16, 2012

Another member of your favorite gown countdown here!

Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Alexander Johannsman

May 27, 2010 and June 18, 2011

The second of Princess Benedikte's daughters to wed in June - but I like her sister's gown a bit better.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath

June 19, 1976

#4 out of Sweden,but my least favorite gown of the lot.

The Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones

June 19, 1999

Another June 19 wedding, which might explain why Sophie wore her wedding tiara when she attended...

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling

June 19, 2010

...this other June 19 wedding! Victoria married on the same day as her mother and father, and she's the fifth June Swedish bride here. She's also a member of your favorite royal wedding gown club - the leader of the club, in fact.

Princess Christina of the Netherlands and Jorge Pérez y Guillermo

June 28, 1975

The bride is the youngest of the four daughters of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. Jorge was a Catholic, but Christina avoided the scandal caused by her sister Irene's marriage by renouncing rights to the throne for herself and her descendants prior to converting and announcing her engagement. The couple are now divorced.

Princess Caroline of Monaco and Philippe Junot

June 28 & 29, 1978

The first of her three weddings, and the biggest event of them all.

Princess Margaretha of Sweden and John Ambler

June 30, 1964

Swedish royal bride #6 and our last one! Quite a run, and there are others if you go back in time.

Prince Michael of Kent and Marie-Christine von Reibnitz

June 30, 1978

The couple married civilly in Austria; she is Catholic, so he lost his spot in the line of succession.

And there are, as always, many others out there.

Who's your favorite June bride?

Photos: Getty Images/TimeLife/Scanpix/Polfoto/Kungahuset/Corbis/RVD

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: June 2-8

2013-06-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Best in Non-Wedding

Queen Máxima

A two day visit to Germany and an engagement back home

Almost everyone was pretty low key last week, ahead of the wedding in Sweden. Not a lot of sartorial news to report from most of our regulars (Letizia made a rousing return to her trouser-ed ways, newsflash!), except for one: couldn't be anyone but Queen Máx. She didn't come to the wedding (and I missed her pizzazz, I really did), but she gave us a week of hats + gloves + day jewels + glam sunglasses, and I'll take it.

Best of the Week

Princess Estelle and Her Handlers

Victoria, Daniel, and Estelle opening the Royal Palace at the start of National Day and then celebrating with the rest of the royal family, including a new portrait of Estelle

Sweden stole the wedding show and the rest of the week, and you know I'm talking about Estelle. Come on. First she gets a baby sash, and then she gets a baby national costume and all the best dates and a WEE BOW?! But never fear: others were putting on a show of their own, including an affectionate bridal couple (click here for a full gallery of National Day fun), and Victoria in a great white dress (check out her necklace!), which was not even her only good wedding week appearance and a precursor to her fabulous wedding frock. Go on, Sweden.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/PPE/Aftonbladet/Kungahuset/K.Gabor/Scanpix

Random Wedding Tidbits: Royal Bridal Entrances

2013-06-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ugh, I always get such a hangover when I have to go back to, you know, real life following one of these spectacular royal wedding weekends. Am I going to run into anyone wearing a tiara today? No, I am not. Boo.

So let's ease into reality this week, take it nice and slow, with a little light nostalgia. One of the most memorable moments of Princess Madeleine's wedding was her walk down the aisle, and the emotional reaction of her groom. But royal brides are prone to impressive entrances - that's one of the many things to love about a royal wedding - and Chris isn't the only groom to get all choked up. Today, a tour via video through some fantastic royal entrances, just for fun.

Video: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in 2001, the Prince of Orange and Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson in 2004, and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling in 2010

This lovely compilation shows us the joint entrances of Haakon and Mette-Marit and Willem-Alexander and Máxima, as well as an emotional Frederik waiting for Mary (you can't blame the guy - not only was it his wedding, his bride entered to the epic strains of Handel's "Zadok the Priest", one of the anthems of a British coronation), and Victoria meeting Daniel halfway to the altar.

Video: The Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, 2004

Here's Felipe and the end to his wait for Letizia, who had to make it to the church without getting drenched in the rain.

Video: Prince Joachim of Denmark and Marie Cavallier, 2008

Frederik's not the only emotional Danish groom! His brother Joachim had to pause to hug his sons while bride Marie made her entrance.

Video: Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton, 2011

Another coronation anthem at work: Hubert Parry's "I Was Glad".

Video: Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock, 2011

A long and careful walk down the aisle for Charlene during their outdoor wedding.

Video: The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, 2012

Stéphanie's entrance included a few touching moments with her father before settling in at the altar. He wasn't well enough to walk with her, and so she was escorted through the grand cathedral by her brother.

Do you have a favorite royal bridal entrance?

Bonus points for illustrating with video if it isn't included here!

Event Roundup: Princess Madeleine's Wedding

2013-06-09T10:38:00.000-05:00

All our features for the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill, right here:

Pre-Wedding Features

Wedding Wednesday: The Haga Princesses, Part 1

The wedding gowns of Madeleine's aunts, Princess Birgitta and Princess Désirée...

Wedding Wednesday: The Haga Princesses, Part 2

...and Princess Margaretha and Princess Christina.

Flashback Friday: Madeleine's Recent Gowns

Rumors, hints, and speculation about Madeleine's wedding gown.

Tiara Thursday: The Swedish Aquamarine Bandeau

Madeleine's first tiara.

What's Coming Up

Pre-wedding information.

Place Your Tiara Bets!

Tiara speculation for the bride and guests.

Wedding Events

Royal Trend Watch: Metallics for Madeleine

The pre-wedding dinner.

The Live Wedding Post
Live chat between readers during the wedding, in the comments.

The Bride
Madeleine's Valentino wedding gown, plus details on her jewels and her groom.

The Royal Family
Details on the bride's immediate family and their outfits.

Royal Fashion Awards
The guests: ladies, gentlemen, and tiaras!

Royal Fashion Awards: Princess Madeleine's Wedding

2013-06-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last but not least in our coverage of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill's wedding comes the guests, gowns and tiaras and all. Specific info on tiaras and orders/sashes will be below each category, since those are always popular questions. And before we get started, if you missed the wedding (or just want to watch again), it is streaming at SVT for a limited time. Okay, here we go:

Best in Trains

A Tie

Left to Right: Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

These ladies set the stage for a pastel guest line up, but they get special recognition for bringing it in the form of lovely trains, despite this being a lower key affair. Marie didn't catch my eye in the broadcast, but on further review this is really quite lovely; Märtha Louise is surprisingly understated and also purple; and Mette-Marit has done the layered pastel thing a zillion times, but she gets me every time and resistance is futile. I like them all!

Tiara roundup (click here for a better look, and on the tiara names for a specific post if one exists): Marie - Marie's Diamond Floral Tiara, Märtha Louise - smaller version of Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara, Mette-Marit - Amethyst Necklace Tiara.
Sashes: Marie - Order of the Elephant (Denmark), Märtha Louise and Mette-Marit - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden).

Best in Haga Princesses

Princess Margaretha

L to R: Princesses Christina, Margaretha, Birgitta, and Désirée of Sweden

A mixed bag from the bride's aunts, an extension of our post on the royal family. I pick...Margaretha, I guess, because she let us see the Baden Fringe Tiara, and she wore purple. Last pass just because of purple, honest.

Tiara roundup: Christina - Six Button Tiara, Margaretha - Baden Fringe Tiara, Birgitta - Connaught Tiara, Désirée - Cut Steel Tiara.
Sashes: Order of the Seraphim (Sweden) for all.

Best in Tiara Intrigue

Princess Anna

L to R: the Countess of Wessex, Princess Theodora of Greece, Princess Anna of Bavaria, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg

We had a rousing round of tiara guessing in advance of this wedding, and there were several ladies with interesting choices to make. Sophie did indeed opt for her Five Aquamarine Tiara, though she paired it with a pretty blah dress I'd say. Theodora borrowed her sister Princess Alexia's diamond tiara, though once again I think we need to talk about dress fit. Stéphanie picked another new-to-her tiara from the Luxembourg vault, the Citrine (or Topaz) and Pearl Tiara, and could have made an interesting pair with her shimmery dress, but the execution is...lacking. So I'm giving it to Princess Anna; the ladies from Bavaria were a question mark because the tiara they usually wear was recently sold, but both Anna and her mother-in-law Princess Ursula wore tiaras anyway, unknown (to me) diamond numbers. (And that really is the last purple pass. I really promise this time.)

Oh! And one bonus piece of tiara intrigue: Princess Silvia d'Arenberg showed up wearing...Princess Sibilla's Art Deco Tiara! Apparently the families are close. I'll take any opportunity to see that gorgeous Luxembourg jewel.

Tiara roundup: Yeah, we just did that.
Sashes: Sophie - Royal Victorian Order (Britain), Theodora - Order of Saints Olga and Sophia (Greece), Stéphanie - Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolph of Nassau (Luxembourg).

Best in Tiara Clashes

Princess Kelly

L to R: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Charlene of Monaco

Continuing on in interesting tiara choices...these pairings I found a little questionable. I don't like the Midnight Tiara as much as some of you do, and I was surprised to see Mary wear it here - but even more surprised to see her pair its soft, cool gray tones with this dress (what are we calling that color...neon coral?) and the strong colors of her sash. I like the shape of her gown but could pass on the rest, I'm afraid. I thought the same of Kelly but to a lesser degree, as I love the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Turquoise Tiara and really only object to her sash here. She wins. And then there's Charlene, who paired her tree bark gown with the elusive Invisible Tiara, possibly heisted from my own personal collection. Pfft.

Tiara roundup: See above, again.
Sashes: Mary - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Kelly - Ducal Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Order, Charlene - zilch, though she could have worn the Order of Saint-Charles.

Best of the Rest

Princess Marie-Chantal

L to R: Princess Tatiana of Greece, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Princess Takamado of Japan

Mixed bag time, to round up the ladies! I actually like all of these outfits - they all seem well-suited to their own ages/personal styles. I like good old M-C and her casual couture routine the best, despite the fact that she did walk a little close to the bridal white line.

Tiara roundup: Tatiana - Antique Corsage Tiara, Marie-Chantal - her fringe tiara, Benedikte - Queen Ingrid's Star and Spike Tiara, Hisako - her own tiara.
Sashes: Tatiana and Marie-Chantal - Order of Saints Olga and Sophia (Greece), Benedikte - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Hisako - Order of the Precious Crown (Japan).

Best in Gents

Crown Prince Pavlos

L to R (click to enlarge): Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Prince Joachim of Denmark, Crown Prince Pavlos and Prince Nikolaos and Prince Philippos of Greece, Ari Behn, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, the Earl of Wessex

Non-comprehensive (like the rest of this entry), obviously, but a sampling of the gentlemen will close us out. My favorite is Pavlos. Uniformed? No. Dapper, suave, etc.? Oh, yes. We'll make it a matched pair, one prize for him and one for his lovely wife M-C.

Tiara roundup: That'd be something to see, wouldn't it?
Sashes: Frederik and Haakon - Order of the Seraphim (Sweden), Joachim - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Pavlos and Nikolaos and Philippos - Order of the Redeemer (Greece), Ari - Order of the Crown (Netherlands), Guillaume - Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg), Edward - Order of the Garter (Britain).

Who made your best dressed list?

Photos: Getty Images/Scanpix/PPE/AP/AFP

Princess Madeleine’s Wedding: The Royal Family

2013-06-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Princess Madeleine’s immediate family gave us so much to talk about with their royal wedding attire, they get a post of their own!

The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of an admiral in the Swedish Navy, with the Order of the Seraphim sash and star, the star of the Order of Vasa, and the neck badge of the Order of the Sword, plus chest decorations. He walked the bride down the aisle, before they were met by the groom; he did the same with Crown Princess Victoria, and it caused some controversy since fathers walking their daughters down the aisle is not a standard Swedish tradition. But it seemed right here, with so much of the ceremony in English and nods to the culture of the British-American groom.

Since her husband was accompanying the bride, Queen Silvia arrived on the arm of her son, Prince Carl Philip, who was dashing in the mess dress model 1878 of a captain in the Swedish Amphibious Corps with the Order of the Seraphim and other chest decorations. The Queen’s dress was described by the Royal Court as “a jade-coloured dress with a train. The dress is silk organza with embroidered silk lace and Swarovski stones.” With it, she wore Queen Sofia’s/Sophia's Tiara, known around here as the Nine Prong Tiara, or the Pronger, or Sil’s Favorite Party Antlers. Longtime readers know that I don’t have a lot of love for this diadem, but I’ll say this: it did its job today, and was sparkly and grand as can be.

(Though she is not a member of the royal family and attended as a regular guest, I'll also give a shout out to Carl Philip's girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist, who I thought looked lovely and purposefully understated in her lilac frock and gold jewels.)

Crown Princess Victoria arrived with Prince Daniel, in tails and the Order of the Seraphim just like the rest of the family and gamely carrying pacifiers and purses as needed because he’s a solid dude like that, and wee Princess Estelle! Estelle got her own little chair for the service, though she seemed to prefer climbing on various family members. She also got a class in blowing kisses to the bride from her dad. It’s probably a good thing they didn’t try and outfit her in the baby sash she wore at her christening, because that would have truly done me in.

Honestly, Victoria’s dress alone has practically done me in: I’m in love, y’all. The court describes it as “a greige rosé dress with aubergine accents. The dress is made from hand-dyed double-sided silk organza with layers of hand-dyed tulle in three shades, silk threads, Lurex threads, pearls and Swarovski crystals in amethyst and pale grey opal.” It’s been reported to be the work of couture designer Fadi El Khoury. With the gorgeous detailing and dramatic train, it could have been a scene stealer, but the muted color makes sure it doesn’t take away from the bride.

Victoria also wins mega points for her jewels. My guess, and hope, was that she would wear the laurel wreath tiara of the late Princess Lilian, and she did me one better: she wore both the tiara and the diamond necklace which was a favorite of Lilian’s. The necklace is made from a stomacher that belonged to Queen Josephine, which you can tell because it’s a slightly odd shape for the necklace. But this dress must have been made to showcase it, and it works perfectly. A beautiful way to bring Lilian’s memory along. Definitely one of my favorite looks – probably of the whole year.

How did you rate the royal family’s outfits?

Photos: Pool/Scanpix/Getty Images/Reuters

Princess Madeleine’s Wedding: The Bride

2013-06-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

Princess Madeleine of Sweden married Mr. Christopher O’Neill in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm today, and it was an event packed with gowns and tiaras and adorableness. With more posts to come, we begin with the star of the day: the bride (with appearances, of course, by her dashing groom!).

Video: The bride's entrance

Princess Madeleine’s wedding gown was designed by Valentino, and it was a summer confection in delicate lace. The official description, courtesy of the Royal Court:

“The wedding dress is made from pleated silk organza with appliquéd ivory-coloured Chantilly lace. The upper section of the bodice is lace with a deep-cut back. Narrow vertical pleats open up from the accentuated waist, above the wide skirt, which ends with a four-metre-long train. The veil is also silk organza, and is edged with tulle scatted with point d'esprit dots and small Chantilly lace orange blossom. The Princess's shoes are ivory white organdy with woven point d'esprit dots.”

In shape – with a wide neckline, short sleeves, and emphasized waist – it reminded me of Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding gown, though the material makes it completely different. The 6 meter long veil extended past the train in the back and made a lovely picture sweeping up the aisle.

She walked down the aisle to meet her groom, who was nervously fighting back tears dressed in white tie. Though he has declined a royal title, he did receive a royal order: around his neck, the Swedish Order of the Polar Star, which is a lower honor than the Order of the Seraphim which we're used to seeing the royal family wear. (Fitting, obviously, given his current plans to continue on his own path.)

In advance of the wedding, we wondered if Princess Madeleine would stick to any of the family bridal traditions, including wearing the Cameo Tiara and the family veil. But Madeleine went her own direction and didn’t following either, in a new veil and the Modern Fringe Tiara accented with sprigs of orange blossom. To her diamond tiara, she added large diamond drop earrings from the Bernadotte collection and a diamond bracelet.

She did follow one tradition: she used myrtle from a bush brought to Sweden by Princess Margaret of Connaught following her 1905 wedding. Myrtle was included in her bouquet along with a selection of white garden roses and lilies of the valley.

I don’t know what I was expecting Princess Madeleine to wear, but this gown surprised me. I think I was expecting more, somehow, for whatever reason. I was surprised by her tiara selection, as I thought (and hoped) she would opt for something that we haven’t seen her in so very many times, and a little disappointed by the lack of either traditional veil or tiara, just because I find traditions like these so precious. But it was Madeleine’s look and hers alone, and in hindsight, it’s not surprising she chose to do her own thing. Final verdict: completely lovely and perfect for a summer wedding, though perhaps not something that will stick in my memory.

What did you think of Madeleine’s wedding gown?

Photos: Pool/Scanpix/Getty Images

Princess Madeleine's Wedding: The Open Post, and Watch Live!

2013-06-08T07:16:00.000-05:00

By popular demand, here's an open post for those of you that would like to chat in the comments during the wedding.

The wedding begins at 16:00 Stockholm time. (Click here for a time zone converter.)

Watch the wedding live:

SVT - Swedish

Broadcast starts at 15:00.

Those that can't watch live might want to check SVT after the fact, as they have offered playback in the past.

TV4 - Swedish

ZDF - German

Aftonbladet - Swedish

I believe Bunte and Bild (both German) will also stream.

(Links may be changed as broadcasts begin. For those asking, I do not know of any outlet offering English translation/commentary.)

Me, I plan on tweeting (@orderofsplendor) and will of course be checking in here.

Enjoy!

Royal Trend Watch: Metallics for Madeleine

2013-06-07T18:43:00.000-05:00

The festivities have begun! The King and Queen hosted a pre-wedding dinner this evening for Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill, and I'm already a happy girl because I spy a trend among the ladies: metallics, and really all sorts of things that glitter and shine. You know it doesn't take much to make this magpie happy.

The royal family and the O'Neill family

The bride herself started the trend in a wonderfully metallic Elie Saab, and she's my favorite because I'm terribly predictable like that. Victoria also brought a bit of shine to the occasion with the top of her Jenny Packham gown (which nearly became a cocktail dress thanks to the wind outside, threatening to reveal more than we need to know about quite a few of the ladies present, poor loves). Even the top of Queen Silvia's gown is made to sparkle, though - dare I say it - I'm detecting a hint of eau de figure skater.

Madeleine's Elie Saab, Victoria's Jenny Packham

(Also rocking Elie Saab, though not of the embellished variety, was Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie.)

Plenty of guests got in on the shimmery action in one way or another.

L to R: Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Princess Tatiana of Greece, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, Princess Charlene of Monaco

Two of our Greek princesses went sparkly, M-C in her Oscar de la Renta - I'm more interested in her shoes, to tell you the truth. WANT. - and Tatiana in her sparkle toned down with a top layer. (Perhaps they should have advised the third Greek princess to go shimmery instead of matte, since Princess Theodora...did not do so well. Sometimes going up a size can actually makes you look smaller, true story.) Märtha Louise gave us a shiny take on a basket weave craft project, and Charlene gave us a splash of Elvis in gold. (Does a gown need a vest? I'm just asking.) Char might be on an Elvis roll, actually, given her recent level of shine. Stand by for a big collar and a bejeweled belt tomorrow.

For loads more guests, click here, and here, and also here. (But don't bother searching for two of our regulars, Mary and Mette-Marit - they won't be in attendance until the wedding itself, due to their schedules.)

Are you loving the night's metallics, or something else?

Programming Note: We'll have an open post up before the wedding for those of you that want to chat here during the broadcast.

Oh, and P.S.: Yes, the court made it official today, Valentino has designed the wedding gown.

Photos: Kungahuset/B.Grenfeldt/Style.com/Elie Saab/Getty Images/Scanpix

Princess Madeleine's Wedding: Place Your Tiara Bets!

2013-06-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for one last round of speculation before the wedding of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill on Saturday, and this time our focus is tiaras! Which sparkly gems might we see, hmm?

The Bride

The most important tiara is the bridal one, of course. These are the three top contenders as I see them: the Cameo Tiara, which has tradition on its side, the Connaught Tiara, which she seems to like but has only worn in tiara form on one other occasion, and the Modern Fringe Tiara, which has been her most worn tiara to date. I know many of you are not Cameo fans, but I like it and that's what I'm hoping to see. Besides, it's looking like those Valentino rumors might be true (he and his partner are on the guest list), and I'd like to see how Valentino handles both the statement tiara and the family veil. The Connaught would be interesting, and preferable (in my mind) to the Modern Fringe, just because I'd like to see her in something special for the occasion. Obviously there are plenty of other options in the Swedish vault as well.

The Guests

Below is a list of the likely royal tiara-wearing guests (not comprehensive, obviously). What do you think they'll wear?

Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria. I'm betting on the sapphires for Silvia. Will we see something new on Victoria, Lilian's tiara or something else?
Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Désirée, and Christina. Victoria's wedding saw a partial emptying of the vaults for the family, and I can only hope we'll see that again. Additionally, there are more members of the extended family I won't list out here that are likely to wear diadems of their own.
Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Marie might be the easiest guess here, with her one tiara.
Princesses Marie-Chantal, Tatiana, and Theodora of Greece. This will be interesting - Theodora usually wears the Antique Corsage Tiara, which also happens to be the only tiara we've seen Tatiana in so far.
Princess Takamado of Japan.
Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg. *Fingers crossed for the Belgian Scroll*
Princess Charlene of Monaco. Will we finally see her wear the Ocean Tiara in public?
Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. They shook their tiaras up for Victoria's wedding, I hope they do the same here.
The Countess of Wessex. Sophie's always worn her wedding tiara to tiara-wearing weddings (other tiaras sometimes for pre-wedding events, but not for the actual weddings), but I'd love a better look at the Five Aquamarine Tiara.
Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princesses Ursula and Anna of Bavaria. I'll be particularly interested to see if Ursula and Anna wear tiaras, as the family has recently sold the diamond sunburst tiara we usually see them wear.

If you need something to jog your guessing memory, visit the Jewel Central page. Ready? Place your bets in the comments!

Which tiaras do you think we'll see?

Programming Note: We won't have a Friday post at our usual time, but we'll be up and running for Madeleine's wedding events over the weekend.

Photos: Getty Images/IBL

Royal Fashion Awards: The Coronation Anniversary Service

2013-06-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the British royal family gathered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation with a service at Westminster Abbey. For video, click here (for Part 1) - don't miss the fantastic entrance music - and for more stuff, click here. Ready? Let's chat:

Best in All The Things

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

I'm not entirely sold on the Queen's outfit here, but no matter: this is her party, she can be randomly pleated and flowered if she wants to. And she wins brooch points too for her significant selection - see, as always, the Jewel Vault for full details. The dapper Duke of Edinburgh gets our sole male recognition for the day for simply showing up, since he's been unwell lately.

Best in Pale

The Duchess of Cambridge

Left to Right: The Countess of Wessex, Autumn Phillips, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, Lady Louise Windsor

Apparently there was a pale pink/beige/peach/whatever memo of some sort, because these subdued outfits were all over the place. And since I'm loving pale pink of late, I'm on board. I like the shape of Kate's Jenny Packham number and her diamond earrings and bracelet (more casual diamond usage, please, always), so she wins the prize. The anti-prize must go to Sophie, I'm afraid, whose Bruce Oldfield is not quite doing what she wanted it to do, methinks.

Nearest Miss in Statements

These Three

L to R: Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Zara Phillips

Well, you can always count on a few members of the younger generation going edgy...or should we say trying to go edgy, with varying degrees of success and varying degrees of, you know, actual edge. I like the contrast of Eugenie's hat and simultaneously think it looks like she didn't have the right one in the closet; I like Beatrice's embellishment and also think it's a little heavy for her; I like Zara's fresh color and print but am not sold on the fit. It's a three way tie in the maybe? but no. category.

Best of the Rest

The Duchess of Cornwall

L to R: Princess Michael of Kent, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester

I love the way Camilla lightly echoes the Queen's color palette without copying, and I love her own aquamarine brooch, so she gets plenty of love from me. (Also, I think the Duchess of Gloucester might be trying to teach anyone that mentions repeated outfits on anybody else a lesson - just how many major events will this neck ruffle see?)

Who was your best dressed yesterday?

Photos: Reuters/PacificCoastNews/Getty Images/WPA Pool

Princess Madeleine's Wedding: What's Coming Up

2013-06-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

The wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill is this Saturday! It is officially time to get excited, just in case you weren't already. More information continues to be released, but today we'll have a little what to expect when you're expecting tiaras round up. This will event will have a lower profile than the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel in 2010, as is to be expected.

Itinerary:

Friday, June 7: A private dinner will be held at Stockholm's Grand Hôtel, hosted by the King and Queen.
Saturday, June 8: The wedding is at the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, at 16:00 local time (click here for a handy time zone converter). The wedding banquet at Drottningholm Palace will follow, and the newlyweds will travel by horse drawn carriage and by boat between the two venues.

Dress Code: As with most Scandinavian royal weddings, this is a white tie wedding, meaning the female guests should be in tiaras if they have them. As for the pre-wedding dinner, this is likely a black tie affair, no tiaras.

Where to Watch: Swedish television station SVT will broadcast the wedding; in the past, they have offered streaming video online that is available to international viewers. Click here for their wedding site.

Titles: Following the wedding, Madeleine will retain her titles, but Mr. O'Neill will not receive a title of any sort. He respectfully declined any titles since the royal house policies require that he be "a Swedish citizen and not hold a position of responsibility in business"; he does not intend to pursue Swedish citizenship and does intend to continue his business.

Foreign Royal Guests: In addition to the extended Swedish royal family, a selection of foreign royals will be in attendance. The attendance won't be as heavy as it was for Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, and some monarchies won't send anyone. A guess list has been published by Aftonbladet, click here to see. Some highlights:

Belgium: No Belgian royals will be present.
Britain: The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Denmark: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie. Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, one of Madeleine's godparents, has also confirmed her attendance.
Germany: Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria, Prince Manuel and Princess Anna of Bavaria. Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Greece: Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal, Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana, Princess Theodora, and Prince Philippos.
Japan: Princess Takamado.
Luxembourg: The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess.
Monaco: Princess Charlene.
Netherlands: No Dutch royals will be present.
Norway: Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn.
Spain: No Spanish royals will be present.

Wedding Dress: Also on the guest list are Valentino Garavani and his partner, which is a very strong hint that those rumors of a Valentino bridal gown are true.

As always, feel free to share additional information in the comments!

Monogram: Kungahuset

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: May 26-June 1

2013-06-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Best in Trips

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Attending the Women Deliver 2013 Conference and associated events in Malaysia

Trips for causes near and dear and a bonus appearance by Princess Mabel! So, that's all good. The wardrobe here fits the bill, as this is not a big state visit or anything of that nature.

Best Trend

Queen Máxima

Beginning tours of all Dutch provinces with the King, opening the Fioretti College, at a symposium, and opening the Holland Festival

Yes, I think we're officially seeing a trend to the new Queen Máx: more instances of neat hair, more hats (and not-hats, I guess). If we can just get the trends to sort out the sadly fitting orange trousers...

Best of the Rest

Princess Mathilde, Princess Letizia, Crown Princess Victoria

Mathilde at a reception for the Antartic Treaty Consultative Meeting and at a lunch for jury members for the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition; Letizia at the theater in Barcelona and at Armed Forces Day; Victoria presenting the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, meeting the President of Indonesia with the rest of the royal family, and at a conference

I think we have a little something for everyone here, don't we? These are just the highlights. I'm liking Mathilde's second try at the bright green, this time happily without the matching shoes, and her repeat of that chic white dress (she also had a cheery floral going on elsewhere, which was delightful). Letizia's touch of sparkle (here and at a dinner for the President of Uruguay) and her prim suit were lovely, though the Barcelona appearance is notable because the couple got booed both inside and outside the theater. Unfortunate, but probably not all that surprising given the current climate - click here for video. And Victoria's ladylike beige-y pink continues my current love of the pale shades on her. (I'll throw an extra honorable mention to Queen Silvia at the same event, with a fresh take on a floral jacket.)

And an Honorable Mention to...

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

At the races this weekend, Eugenie indulged my weakness for a full skirt and Beatrice rocked a bold print. I'll pass on the hat - which is not from the back of the late Queen Mum's closet, believe it or not - but I'll take the rest. Princess Haya was also looking very glam, click here for more.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/AP/BilledBladet/Scanpix/DutchPhotoPress/PPE/Scanpix/AllOverPress

Readers' Ultimate Tiaras: Your Emerald Winner!

2013-05-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

It was a close race to start, but one tiara won out over them all...

The Duchess of Angoulême's Emerald Tiara!

The French crown collection has been vindicated following its runner up position in your ruby vote: the Duchess of Angoulême's Emerald Tiara wins, its provenance, design, and history surpassing the fact that we don't actually know what it looks like in use.

Your runners up:

2. Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara, my own personal favorite, and the one that gave our winner the biggest competition.
3. Empress Joséphine's Emerald Tiara. Despite the fact that many of you don't like the top stone, this one did quite well for itself.
4. The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, with emeralds, which has been a favorite in the past - but not so much, this time around.
5. The Harcourt Tiara, lesser-known, but with an intriguing design and shape.

Stay tuned for our next poll!

Photos: Louvre/Royal Collection/Getty Images/Corbis/Christie's

Tiara Thursday: The Swedish Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara

2013-05-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

While we wait to see what tiara Princess Madeleine will chose for her wedding day, let's travel back to her first tiara appearances as a young princess, in her very first tiara: the Aquamarine Bandeau.

The Swedish Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara

A petite tiara if there ever was one, this piece focuses on its large central aquamarine stone, surrounding it with delicate bands of diamonds on either side. It's a low profile, bandeau form, prone to disappearing in a hairstyle today but perhaps originally intended to be worn across the forehead. Supposedly it originates with Queen Louise of Sweden (1889-1965), the second wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf, Lady Louise Mountbatten, and it's not hard to imagine her wearing it in that fashionable style during the 1920s.

Princess Désirée

The tiara really enters our radar with those fashionable Haga Princesses, the sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf, in their tiara-wearing heyday, when they nearly cleaned the vaults out of tiaras suitable for a younger lady. But the tiara didn't make a big impression even then, and wouldn't until it graced Princess Madeleine's head.

Princess Madeleine

The Aquamarine Bandeau was given to Princess Madeleine by her parents, the King and Queen, for her 18th birthday, and can be seen in her earliest tiara appearances. Eventually she moved on, adopting the Modern Fringe Tiara as her current favorite, and the bandeau was seen less and less.

Video: Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 2000, Madeleine's first time attending

Madeleine's use of the tiara makes complete sense to me; this is a tiara to grow from. It is a starter piece, for the years when a princess is so young that the larger tiaras are out of place. This tiara gets a lot of hate and a lot of labels as a classic "Cyclops tiara" for its large central stone, but I've never minded it. For a young princess, it can work. (And in my opinion it's certainly better than the one Crown Princess Victoria received for her 18th birthday...but that's another story for another day.)

How do you think this rates as a "starter" tiara?

Photos: Scanpix/Sjobergbild/Getty Images

Wedding Wednesday: The Haga Princesses, Part 2

2013-05-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

We're picking up where we left off last week, with the weddings of the last of King Carl XVI Gustaf's four sisters, the Haga Princesses.

HRH Princess Margaretha of Sweden and John Ambler

June 30, 1964

Gärdslösa, Sweden

Princess Margaretha was the oldest of the four Haga princesses, but the third to marry - though according to reports, she had an earlier opportunity that wasn't destined to be. Her romance with Scottish aristocrat, pianist, and writer Robin Douglas-Home gathered plenty of press, but a reported proposal was shot down by Margaretha's family, chief among them her mother Princess Sibylla and her grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf. Douglas-Home said the Bernadottes looked down on his non-royal blood, though other perspectives dispute that (a book written by the princess' nanny said the proposal wasn't accepted because Margaretha didn't want to marry him). And indeed, when she did marry, it was to another British man, this time without the aristocratic connection.

Margaretha married businessman John Ambler at the end of June 1964, following her sister Princess Désirée's wedding at the beginning of that same month. In contrast to Désirée's royal wedding at Stockholm's grand cathedral, Margaretha's wedding was small by design, a quaint (by royal standards) Swedish summer wedding held at the Gärdslösa church on the island of Öland. She did not continue her sisters' tradition of wearing the same wedding gown by Märtaskolan, but the couture shop and school plays a roll in her wedding dress as well - Margaretha actually studied dressmaking at the school. She opted for an even simpler silk design, with a straight silhouette, short train, and long sleeves.

The simple dress was practically a requirement, given her chosen accessories. Like Désirée, she wore the lace family wedding veil from Queen Sofia, but instead of a family tiara, she wore the bridal crown belonging to the church she married in, perched atop a myrtle wreath. Bridal crowns are traditional, and occur in various forms in different cultures, but the height and size of this crown makes quite the statement.

As with all of her sisters except Princess Birgitta, Princess Margaretha lost her "royal highness" styling following her marriage to a commoner, and is known as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler. The couple made their home in Britain and had three children; they remained married but were separated for a time at the end, and John Ambler passed away in 2008. Margaretha did have occasional involvement in royal engagements, but we tend to see her mainly at large royal family events.

HRH Princess Christina of Sweden and Tord Magnuson

June 15, 1974

Stockholm, Sweden

Ten years passed before the wedding of the last and youngest Haga sister. Much had changed since the weddings of Princess Christina's older sisters; their mother, Princess Sibylla, passed away in 1972, and their grandfather, King Gustaf Adolf, passed away in 1973, leaving their little brother as king.

Princess Christina married Tord Magnuson in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm (the same location where we'll see her goddaughter Princess Madeleine marry soon). As with her sisters, she wore a gown from Märtaskolan, but hers was the last of its sort to be made there, and it closed not long after. The white silk crepe gown seems easy to date to 1974, with its wrap-style top and v-neck, bell sleeves, and bands accenting the waist and the slim skirt. The gown also included an attached train.

She too wore Queen Sofia's lace veil, but varied from all her sisters in her choice of headgear: she wore the Connaught Tiara. The tiara was one of Princess Sibylla's favorites (so much so that it has been referred to as "Princess Sibylla's tiara"), so its selection could be seen as a tribute, due to her relatively recent passing.

Christina pitched in as first lady to her brother, King Carl Gustaf, in his first years as an unmarried king, and she stuck around. She takes on the largest royal role out of the Haga princesses today, and we do see her at events like the Nobel Prize Awards; she is known as Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson. The couple have three children.

Which of the Haga Princess gowns is your favorite?

Photos: Scanpix/IBL/Getty Images

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: May 20-25

2013-05-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Best in Turbans

Queen Máxima

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sophia Children's Hospital; at the University of Utrecht; meeting with the Deputy-General of the U.N.; paying a one day visit to Luxembourg

Máx sure did have a turban-y week, didn't she? I don't mind turbans on her, really. Only her. I'm more bothered by the stiff construction of her green suit in Luxembourg, which I think is letting her down in major structural ways.

Best in Fresh

Princess Letizia, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Mathilde

Letizia visiting the APROCOR Foundation and holding audiences at Zarzuela Palace; Kate attending a garden party; Mathilde at the King Baudouin International Development Award Ceremony and supporting Philippe at the Brussels 20K run

There's something refreshing in all of these, I think: Letizia's cropped trousers (which I happen to love on the right royal, and she's it - plus, it's a nice break from things like her audience outfit), Kate's sunny yellow (which is an Emilia Wickstead I actually like as much as I usually want to like Wickstead on her), and Mathilde in casual wear for a change.

Best in Pastel

Crown Princess Victoria

Attending the release of Princess Estelle's Prayer Book; celebrating Enskilda Upper Secondary School's 100th anniversary; at the OECD environmental conference; visiting the Italian Cultural Center; attending a World Wildlife Fund meeting

The pastels are where Victoria's really been shining lately, I think. (And maybe it's catching: Crown Princess Mary was snapped wearing Victoria's pretty pink dress from earlier this month.) I will give her a non-pastel tip of the fascinator for the Missoni dress she wore to the Italian Cultural Center - see what she did there, eh?

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/DutchPhotoPress/WPA Pool/AllOverPress/Stella Pictures/IBL/Kungahuset

Readers' Ultimate Tiaras: Pick Your Emerald

2013-05-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

I imagine many of you guessed where we were headed: to another birthstone-themed party! It's May, and it's time to...

Pick your ultimate emerald tiara!

The green member of the "big three" colored gemstones (rubies, emeralds, sapphires) offers you plenty to pick from, from most royal collections. Actually, the royal collections that don't offer an emerald choice have always seemed lacking to me (Sweden, I'm looking at you), that's how much of a staple the emeralds are. Here, just a brief selection of what the green category holds:

These two have always been popular, so we'll just get them out of the way first. That's the Duchess of Angoulême's Emerald Tiara on the left and Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara on the right.

Another permanent fan favorite: Grand Duchess Vladimir's Tiara, which does triple duty as an emerald tiara, pearl tiara, or all-diamond tiara (when worn with no drops). The tiaras at right above offer similar flexibility (from top to bottom): the Gloucester Honeysuckle can have an emerald, diamond or pink topaz at the center, Queen Fabiola's Spanish Wedding Gift Tiara has a green option in addition to rubies and aquamarines (though you may not believe those are emeralds - I'm not convinced myself), and the Dutch emerald tiara can also be outfitted with pearls.

Emeralds come in big gun form: Empress Joséphine's Emerald Tiara (left) is Queen Sonja's stand by for major occasions, the Danish Emerald Parure Tiara (right, above) owns a spot in the crown jewels and some prestigious outings from Queen Margrethe, and the Greek Emerald Parure Tiara (right, below) is often used by Queen Anne-Marie for her important tiara-wearing business.

Luxembourg has at least two options: the Chaumet Emerald Tiara (left), if you like your emeralds egg-sized, or the Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace Tiara (right), if you prefer an option to use as a necklace too.

Green being such a nature-iffic color (technical term), floral and wreath forms aren't uncommon (clockwise from top left): Princess Benedikte's Floral Tiara has one small central emerald (that can be switched out) for those that prefer emeralds in smaller doses, the Mellerio floral tiara formerly owned by the Leuchtenberg family (currently owned by the Albion Art Collection) is a little more balanced, the Boucheron emerald wreath tiara featuring emeralds set in black gold that's been worn by Queen Rania is for those that take their emeralds very seriously indeed, and and the wreath tiara worn by Archduchess Francesca of Austria is a more even distribution.

Emeralds were a popular stone in the Iranian crown jewel collection: Empress Farah's favorite tiara with emeralds as well as colored diamonds (left, top), the tiara worn by Queen Soraya during her wedding festivities (left, bottom), Princess Shahnaz's tiara (center, top), Princess Shams' tiara (center, middle), and Princess Fatemeh's tiara with emeralds surrounding a pink spinel (center, bottom). Queen Saleha from Brunei also has has a large emerald and diamond tiara (right).

The von Donnersmarck emerald tiara (left, top) set auction records when it was sold in 2011. The Harcourt tiara (left, bottom) was also auctioned in the past few years. And finally, at right, an emerald tiara worn by Alexandra Feodorovna.

And there are, as always, many more options out there for your review.

Ready to vote for your favorite?
-Vote for one tiara in the comments. (If you're mentioning multiple tiaras in your comment, indicate which one gets your vote, or I will just count the first one. One comment vote per person, please.)
-I will also count the number of "likes" or up arrows on those comments, so you can vote that way too.
-Non-royal tiaras and tiaras that no longer exist are fair game too.

The blog returns on Tuesday!

UPDATE: Thank you for your contributions, voting is now closed!

Photos: Geoffrey Munn/Wartski/Royal Collection/Getty Images/PPE/Bodilinner/Albion Art/Boucheron/Crown Jewels/Sotheby's/Christie's

Tiara Thursday: The Chaumet Emerald Tiara

2013-05-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Chaumet Emerald Tiara

It's been a while since we dipped into the expansive vault in Luxembourg for our Thursday discussion, and if there's a piece in there that deserves a discussion...well, this might be it. This is the Chaumet Emerald Tiara, a diadem which is probably better known by another name: the Wonder Woman tiara.

Grand Duchess Charlotte

Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg married Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma in 1919, and the tiara likely entered the Luxembourg vault either at that time or not long after (according to Crown Jewellery and Regalia of the World by René Brus, it was made in 1926 using stones from other jewels in the grand ducal collection). The tiara is set in platinum and was made by Paris jeweler Chaumet. It features one big egg of an emerald right in the center with an Art Deco diamond surround and one particularly large diamond sitting under the emerald. The shape is overwhelmingly triangular, and the piece culminates in a distinctive top point.

Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte (with Grand Duke Jean)

The tiara was worn by Grand Duchess Charlotte, who wore it across her forehead, bandeau-style, as was fashionable at the time the piece was made. It was next passed to Charlotte's daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Today, it is worn by Joséphine-Charlotte's daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. She's worn it several times in conjunction with various other emerald pieces belonging to the family, but I think her success in wearing it has been mixed at best. The pointed top is a tricky thing to style; given the time frame in which it was likely made, it's probably best worn across the forehead as Charlotte wore it - but these days that would be the most Wonder Woman way to go about it! Still, I have an odd affection for this one. It's nowhere near my favorites list, but it's unique and that emerald is staggering, so it can't be completely disregarded.

What say you: Wonder Woman or wonderful? (Or...both?)

Photos: Getty Images/Cour grand-ducale

Wedding Wednesday: The Haga Princesses, Part 1

2013-05-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

In their youth, they were known as the Haga Princesses: Princesses Margaretha (born 1934), Birgitta (1937), Désirée (1938), and Christina (1943) of Sweden, the four older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Born to Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, they lost their father young - he died in a plane crash in 1947, returning from a hunting trip in the Netherlands - and grew up at Haga Palace, hence the nickname. (Haga Palace is now home to Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, who are raising a Haga princess of their own.) The princesses take a backseat to the King and his family these days, but this was not always the case. Their four royal weddings will span two of our Wednesday features.

HRH Princess Birgitta of Sweden and HSH Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern

May 25 & 30, 1961

Stockholm, Sweden & Sigmaringen, Germany

Birgitta was the first to marry. The pretty princess was said to have rejected a proposal from the Shah of Iran, who was on the hunt for a third wife, before accepting one from Prince Johann Georg. Birgitta and Hansi, as he is known, met while she was in Germany to polish her language skills and married in two ceremonies: one royal wedding for Sweden, and one for Germany.

The civil wedding

First came the civil ceremony, held at the Royal Palace in Stockholm with all the trappings of a regular one day royal wedding. Birgitta wore her wedding gown, a creation in thick pale ivory silk duchesse with a wide neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and a slim waist above a full skirt and a train of around 4 meters. The simple dress was made by Märtaskolan, a dressmaking school that also produced couture creations. In Sweden, Birgitta wore the Cameo Tiara, becoming the first in the line of modern Swedish brides that have used the interesting diadem as a bridal tiara. She paired this with a simple but voluminous tulle veil.

The civil wedding (left) and religious (right)

For the religious ceremony, held in accordance with the strict Catholic beliefs of the groom's family, the festivities shifted to Germany. Birgitta brought her wedding gown and veil with her - though transferring a bridal ensemble proved to be a stressful affair, as her petticoat was forgotten in Sweden and had to be rushed to her in time for the wedding. She switched to a Hohenzollern tradition for her diadem, wearing the family's bridal crown.

The religious wedding

The couple are still married, though they are open about the fact that they live separate lives - him in Germany, her in Mallorca where she focuses on her passion for golf. They have three children together and can be spotted in Sweden for big royal family events.

HRH Princess Désirée of Sweden and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld

June 5, 1964

Stockholm, Sweden

Next to marry was Princess Désirée, whose beau was a member of the Swedish nobility. They wed in Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan - recently, the location of Crown Princess Victoria's wedding). Interestingly, Désirée's wedding dress was in fact a repeat: she wore her sister Birgitta's gown.

She too wore the Cameo Tiara, but added a second family tradition in the form of Queen Sofia's lace veil, which has been worn by multiple Swedish royal brides. She wore the precious lace veil under another layer of veil, in simple tulle.

Désirée lost the styling of royal highness following her non-royal marriage, thanks to the rules of the royal house at that time (Princess Birgitta was the only one of the Haga Princesses to keep that styling following her marriage). She is known as Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld, and still lives in Sweden, though like Birgitta we see her primarily at larger royal family events. The couple has three children.

Which sister's take on this gown is your favorite?

Next week: the remaining two princesses.

Photos: Scanpix/TimeLife/Getty Images

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: May 12-19

2013-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Best in Brights

Queen Máxima

Mathilde visiting IOC Headquarters and opening a new area of Technopolis; Letizia opening an exhibit at the Prado Museum; Máxima attending the annual CGAP meeting, at the Appeltjes van Oranje 2013 award ceremony, and attending a dinner for the International Day Against Homophobia

Bright week for three of our major players, no? Máx gets all my love here. Because Mathilde just had to extend her Kermit suit to those atrocious shoes, and Letizia, well, she's bright for her but she can't play at this glow in the dark level (they both had less bright appearances as well, but meh). Máxima wins both the tame color of the week in her lovely lace, and the brights with her...whatever you call that pink number. If it wasn't Gucci, I'd swear she stole the sleeves from her mother-in-law.

Best in National Pride

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

The Norwegian royal family celebrate on May 17th, Norway's national day

This day always rocks because we get to see Mette-Marit in her bunad (her national dress), and that's ten kinds of lovely. But this year, we also got to see her in purple, which as you know sends me right over the moon. Jumps and claps.

Prettiest in Pink

Crown Princess Victoria

Opening an exhibit on Princess Estelle's birth and christening, at a concert, and at the publishing of the banns of marriage for Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill with the families

Victoria was so lovely this past week, in all her shades of pink, was she not? So much so that she outshone her sister at her own event - I mean, not literally outshone, because Madeleine's Pär Engsheden creation took care of that with the fabric choice, but still. (And yes, should you need some cute, on Monday Princess Estelle - and the rest of the Swedish royal family, but c'mon, we know who the star of the show is - welcomed their world champion ice hockey team to the palace. Click here for a gallery.)

And an Honorable Mention to...

The Danish Royal Family

A gathering was held this weekend to celebrate the confirmation of Prince Nikolai, oldest son of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra. Look how they all color coordinated in their blues - now that's teamwork.

Who was your best-dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/Photonews/Nieuwsblad/ANP/DutchPhotoPress/Stella Pictures/NTB Scanpix/BestImage/Steen Brogaard/Kongehuset