Royal Fashion Awards: Garter Day 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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