Royal Trip of the Day: The Cambridges in Sweden, Day 2

Here's how I've decided this whole thing played out: "How dare people call my mustard floral gown upholstery," the Duchess of Cambridge fumed. "That was not upholstery. I'll show you upholstery," she exclaimed.

On the evening of the second full day of their official visit to Sweden, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel for a reception in Stockholm.

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Show us she sure did, in floral blue velvet from Erdem again. Definitely more upholstery-esque to this pair of eyes, but my definite favorite of the back-to-back Erdems.

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On arrival, the Duchess used her "diplomatic dressing" concept as a cover to add another black coat to her growing pile, opting for one from Swedish designer Ida Sjöstedt. Sjöstedt has been really popular with the Swedish princesses in the past few years, making all sorts of outfits from Princess Sofia's wedding gown to the dress Crown Princess Victoria wore the day before.

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For the evening event, Victoria also stuck to Swedish design and her designer from the evening before. A most unfortunate decision in this case, I'm afraid. It's just...oof.

The two couples also teamed up for engagements during the day.

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace

Day two also repeated day one in that safer choices prevailed during the daytime and the coats were the best part of the deal for both ladies. In case you missed it the first 700 or so times I've said it, give me alllllll the houndstooth, including this snappy red version from Catherine Walker.

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Underneath those coats, Victoria's pantsuit begs you to debate the merits of pastel safari jackets, while Kate ordered up just about the most basic model you can get from Alexander McQueen. William was doing his part for diplomatic fashion too, by the way: his sweater is from Swedish brand Acne.

Also on day two, the Crown Princess couple hosted the Cambridges at their home, Haga Palace, and William and Kate had the biggest honor of the their trip (I'm sure): a private audience with Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.

Raphael Stecksén/Kungahuset.se

Raphael Stecksén/Kungahuset.se

Next up for the traveling Cambridge circus: Norway!

Royal Gathering of the Day: The Belgians and British Mark the Passchendaele Centenary

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a two day trip to Belgium on Sunday and Monday to join the King and Queen of the Belgians for events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of the Battle of Passchendaele, or the Third Battle of Ypres, in World War I. On Sunday, they attended the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial.

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We have our little fashion wheelhouse here, and this is one of the times when everything passes muster in a "let's not talk about the fashion too much" sort of way. That's precisely what you want. The Duchess paired up two repeats for the first events, her Alexander McQueen coat from Princess Charlotte's christening and her hat from Trooping the Colour 2015. She also wore a brooch she's used in the past.

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The Queen chose a new outfit with a lace coat over a satiny dress, topped by a new Philip Treacy hat. It's a nice choice for an event that went into the evening, but still included full hats (which are usually more of a daytime thing).

Belgian Monarchy

The Prince of  Wales joined the group on Monday at Tyne Cot Cemetery. Sir Timothy Laurence, husband of the Princess Royal, was there for both days; he is Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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Once again, I think it basically checks out, sartorially speaking. The second day saw a new lace-topped dress from Natan appeared for Queen Mathilde, with a hat from Fabienne Delvigne. For the Duchess, it was a new Catherine Walker coat dress.

What intrigues me here is Kate's use of jewels, because I think jewel selections can help to convey, in a quiet manner, events of greater significance. The Duchess of Cambridge wore brooches on both days. While she's not a newcomer to brooches and while they definitely serve a functional purpose here - securing her traditional poppy for remembrance - they're enough of a step out of the usual to make it special.

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Her brooch on the second day is a new loan to her from the Queen, the Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch, which I've covered at the Jewel Vault (not that there's much to say about it, it's kind of a mystery). She added in the Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings from Diana, Princess of Wales, which she debuted at the Spanish state banquet. I'd call it adding a layer of gravitas to the ensemble, a wholly appropriate thing for such an event. Respectfully well played.

Royal Fashion Awards: Royal Ascot 2017, Day 1

It's time for Ascot! {clears throat} {puts on best Oprah voice} You get a hat! And you get a hat! EVERYBODY GETS A HAT!!

Right, enough with the exclamation points. We have today a review of Day 1 of Royal Ascot, which went down on Tuesday. Over yonder at the Vault, you will find appearances from the Queen, Day 1's winner for Most Colorful, and the Duchess of Cornwall, holder of the Best Jewel title. (Plus the Prince of Wales, Best in Spousal Coordination.) And here's everyone else, ripe for the ribbon bestowing:

Best in...Really, Again?

The Duchess of Cambridge

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Very pretty and whatnot, this white lace Alexander McQueen dress worn with the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings on loan from the Queen. Also very much a dead ringer for the outfit she wore last year at Ascot. Second verse, same as the first.

A retail version of the Alexander McQueen dress

Ascot's a chance to have a little fun with your style, so maybe wait until after your second visit to settle on a uniform? Just a suggestion.

Best in Summer Claustrophobia

Princess Beatrice

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What a beautiful Claire Mischevani dress for Beatrice. So delicate, and yet also so stifling. It looks hot. It's been awfully toasty over there. Princess Eugenie wisely decided to put comfort first by continuing her sleeveless trend from Trooping the Colour and I can't blame her one bit.

Best in Blues

Autumn Phillips

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Zara Tindall was on the same wavelength as Princess Eugenie, and it's hard to go wrong with a solid electric blue dress. This one's from Escada. But for me, Autumn's streak of interesting royal wear continues. Even if I did later realize that this is totally a "replikate" version of the red print dress Kate wore in Canada last year. (Do you think Kate did a double take?)

Autumn's dress by Rumour London

Worth noting the Princess Royal was apparently accommodating the heat as well on Day 1, choosing just a dress instead of her usual dress + coat uniform. She got hug and a kiss from her daughter, like everyone else did. Zara seems a snuggly delight.

Worst in...Really, Again?

Princess Michael of Kent

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Kate's the same from year to year and then there's this, which is what Princess Michael also wore on Saturday for Trooping the Colour. I suppose I'd rather have an Ascot strategy than an entire 2017 strategy, if a choice needs to be made. (Prince and Princess Michael's kids were there too; they're in this picture-heavy piece at the Daily Mail, if you're so inclined.)

Best in Hats, Day 1 Runner Up

Princess Haya

Dubai Media Office

As promised, Princess Haya is here to up our couture level for the year. This hat is FABULOUS. It would be even more fabulous, though, if separated from its twin dress, methinks. Too much of a good thing. Haya does rack up some bonus points for teaching her mini me the right way to do Ascot; the young lady with the jaunty hat and pattern combo is Sheikha Al Jalila, Haya and Sheikh Mohammed's daughter, making her Ascot debut.

Best in Hats, Day 1 Grand Prize

The Countess of Wessex

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Whimsy! Infinitely amusing tanning possibilities! I'm divided on Sophie's green Emilia Wickstead dress, but a fun hat that hasn't lost its mind is the perfect recipe for a royal topper at Ascot. It is from Jane Taylor, Sophie's favorite milliner.

Bonus Award for Best Recovery

The Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex

A post shared by The Telegraph (@telegraph) on Jun 20, 2017 at 6:43am PDT

The Wessexes and the Cambridges paired up for the carriage procession into the Ascot ring, and Sophie nearly ended up falling into Kate's lap while getting situated. Carriages, man. Treacherous vehicles.

Who wins your best dressed titles for Ascot Day 1?

We shall return to Ascot later for more fashions; you can always catch up with Her Maj over at the Vault each day as it happens.

Royal Trip of the Day: Mary and Frederik Host Naruhito

Crown Princess Mary had a run of engagements last week. This was because Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan was in town. And also Crown Prince Frederik was there. But anyway, Mary:

Crown Prince Naruhito arrived for his solo visit to Denmark to mark 150 years of Danish-Japanese diplomatic relations.

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To hat or not to hat? That was the question. Mary's greeted colleagues in situations like this previously without a hat. Japan, however, is a more formal monarchy. Or maybe this visit is a touch more formal or maybe she just wanted to get in at least one hat, I don't know. As the only royal lady present, it was up to her. So she split the difference and accented her Erdem dress with a little fascinator thingy at the back. I think it was the right call. And I say that as one who generally finds these wishy-washy non-hat things annoying as can be.

The trio attended a concert on Friday.

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The visit started out a little Kate-esque, honestly; first Erdem, then Alexander McQueen. This one brings echoes of that Barbara Casasola dress from Kate's closet, just to drive the point home. Countdown to when Kate will take this one on, anyone? Or at least one of the York sisters, right? If they do, I hope they do it Mary-style. This works.

Queen Margrethe also hosted a dinner for Crown Prince Naruhito.

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Floral dresses, I'm good with. But somehow it's always a bit of a letdown when you figure out that it's a floral top and a matching floral skirt instead. I mean, right? Or is it just me? Don't ask me to explain this. I can't solve the world's mysteries. I just know that this visit hit a floral peak with that opening Erdem and should have left it at that.

Erdem dress, Alexander McQueen off the shoulder knit dress, Ganni floral top and smocked waist skirt (h/t to Heaven)

Royal Fashion Awards: Trooping the Colour 2017 (Updated)

The Windsors are out in force today for Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade. Are you excited?!

Good! We've got fashions to review:

Best Dressed

The Queen, Obviously

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You should get the best dressed title on your official birthday anyway. In this case, Her Maj would get this one no matter what because I adore this icy blue outfit. More on that, plus her Brigade of Guards brooch, over at the Jewel Vault. (You will also note that the 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the 81-year-old Duke of Kent, chose to wear morning dress instead of their heavy uniforms and big bearskin hats this year. Makes sense.)

Best in Jewels

The Duchess of Cambridge

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This Alexander McQueen is a little too sweetly pink for my tastes, and the waist looks less like a feature you'd emphasize and more like something you'd cover up with a belt. But! Never mind all that. Because HELLO, earrings...

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...oooh. On loan from the Queen, these Diamond Pendant Earrings are undeniably evening baubles. The fact that she wore them for a day engagement is, for this magpie, just the BEST THING. They make the whole outfit.

Best in Repeats

The Duchess of Cornwall

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I do love this embellished collar jacket on Cams. Why? Well, because she once wore it with one of her most fascinating (and enormous) brooches. Instead of repeating that orange stone pin, she used her diamond Cosmos Clip Brooches and her Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings. The coat really could have used a bigger brooch statement this time around.

Best in Contrast

Autumn Phillips

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Speaking of pretty in pink, combining a magenta hat with a jade green dress is MUCH more my speed. Unexpected, and perfect. That's another well played royal appearance from Autumn, who joined the balcony this year with husband Peter and daughters Savannah and Isla.

Best in Florals

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice

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Why wouldn't you go with a light floral on a hot summer day, eh? I can find nothing to argue with in either of these choices. Even Beatrice's fondness for a boater hat - which can sometimes end up a little unintentionally comical - works here.

Who makes your Trooping 2017 best dressed list?


Update:

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Here's the whole famdamily up on the balcony! Nearly fifty family members, I'm seeing? You can click to enlarge the pic above. We'll zoom in...

RAF/MOD Crown copyright 2017

The Gloucesters held court on the left side, together with the Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent with their whole beige and white coordinated family. Classic elegance from both Lady Gabriella Windsor (center, white hat) and her sister-in-law Sophie Winkleman (a.k.a. Lady Frederik Windsor, center, white hat with pink). Prince Edward's hanging out there too, attending solo this year.

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More Kents - Kents everywhere! - occupied the right side of the balcony. Julia Ogilvy (daughter-in-law of Princess Alexandra) is a standout in the center with her huge hat and a tan background floral dress that fits right in with what the Yorks brought to the party. Also of note: Lady Amelia Windsor (granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and recently in the news as a Dolce & Gabbana model) is sporting a navy and white turban-thingy borrowed from her mother, the Countess of St. Andrews, who wore it to the Queen's birthday service last year.

A Wedding for the Weekend: Pippa Middleton Gets Married

It might not technically be a royal wedding, but we're not ones to complain about a little extra bridal glamour, are we? We are not. Let's have a little looksee - just a brief one - at the bride of the weekend and her royal guests...

Pippa Middleton, sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, married James Matthews at St. Mark's Church, Englefield Green, England. 

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The bride's dress comes from Giles Deacon. It features a high neckline and cap sleeve with hand appliquéd bespoke silk cotton lace designed to create the illusion of a no seam dress. The corseted bodice is embroidered with pearls and the underskirt has layers of organza and tulle.

With her pearl-embroidered tulle veil by milliner Stephen Jones, Pippa wore a Maidenhair Fern tiara and matching headpiece from Robinson Pelham, the jewelers who also made her earrings; the earrings are the same ones she wore to her sister's royal wedding in 2011 and are companions to Kate's wedding earrings. I can't say I follow Pippa's style at all, and yet this feels just right for her, doesn't it?

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The Duchess of Cambridge was on hand to wrangle the train and the wee bridal party, which included Prince George and Princess Charlotte (in bespoke outfits from Pepa & Co.). Kate chose Alexander McQueen for her blush pink dress, Jane Taylor for her matching hat, and Kiki McDonough for her earrings (yup, another new pair!). It's a lovely and understated look, with many comparisons to similar pieces she's worn in the past - something I'm sure will win her much praise for not overshadowing her sister. I think I might have preferred a sleeker hat, but if I'm honest, those percher hats she adores are a hard sell for me in the first place.

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My wedding guest swoons for the day belong to Princess Eugenie, who looks faaaaabulous! The perfect dress shape for her (it's from Paule Ka, per Polka Poppins on Twitter), and she's keeping the York sisters love of interesting shoes alive with a little added color. LOVE.

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I'll also never miss a sighting of Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Wearing her usual picks - Catherine Walker with a Philip Treacy hat - she's really got the old world royal elegance down pat.

Happy wedding gazing and happy weekend, all!

Royal Outfits of the Weekend: Cambridges in Paris (Updated)

Yes, that's right, this is a weekend post; you have not fallen through a time warp, or severely messed up your Daylight Saving Time adjustments. The Cambridges kicked off their official visit to Paris on Friday, so some coverage is in order.

First things first, though, they celebrated St. Patrick's Day with the Irish Guards.

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A new Catherine Walker coat and a repeated Lock & Co. hat, and that's all lovely. If I'm being honest, the variations on a dark green coat worn to this engagement so far are all starting to blend together. I'm left wondering how large a section the Royal Coat Museum will need to be devoted to this color, should the Duchess keep up this engagement for many years to come (if she ends up taking it on like the Queen Mother did, let's say).

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Will she go full Kermit on us one of these years? Or will she go for something really ~*crazy*~ someday, like...blue. I am not critiquing her choice of color here, you understand, just contemplating the potential hilarity of a museum wing's worth of coats in similar subdued hues amassed for a single annual engagement. Anyway...

Then they jetted off to Paris to start their official visit with a greeting from President Hollande.

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'Twas better with the hat, methinks. Catherine Walker was from France, by the way, for those seeking a connection.

A complete outfit change was in order for a reception at the British embassy.

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This! Is also! Entirely fine. It gets a nod. I'm not a fan of the jewelry (the earrings, at least, are Balenciaga), but it's a pretty unassailable Alexander McQueen black cocktail dress.

Friday's third and final outfit came for a black tie dinner at the embassy.

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Sparkly from head to toe! Très glittery. I was hoping she'd squeeze in some of the Queen's diamonds, and indeed she has: diamond chandelier earrings and Queen Mary's Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet, both on loan and both worn previously by Kate. Excellent.

Update: Day 2

While not every royal chooses to incorporate nods to the country they're visiting in their sartorial lineup, the Duchess of Cambridge is among those that reliably do, and she followed through on that habit by wearing a French coat and French jewelry for the second day of the trip.

Kensington Palace

She selected a Chanel coat dress that offered a slight dip into the recent bell sleeve trend, and paired it with Cartier jewelry. This is definitely from the shallow end of the Karl Lagerfeld pool, if you will, which was a wise decision for her (advanced Chanel-ing is best left to the Monacos), and it's nice to see her use a purse with a handle for a change. This might be my favorite recent addition to the Royal Coat Museum.

Kensington Palace

The couple then suited up for the RBS Six Nations match between France and Wales.

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A team color in the form of a Carolina Herrera coat is my kind of sporty dressing.

And one other update for you: over at the Jewel Vault, we have a feature on those diamond chandelier earrings Kate brought along for this trip. Do click over.

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: March 8

I'd classify these outfits in the "everyday" category, as far as royal work looks go. Let's see how they played it:

Crown Princess Victoria opened the Baltic Sea Future congress on Monday.

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Nicely navy, a decent conference look for anyone. I'll take that bag, please and thank you. (Also: Victoria's back! This was her first public appearance since December, after an extended family holiday.)

The Countess of Wessex had a day of engagements in Staffordshire yesterday.

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I fear our fair Sophie is succumbing here to the lumbar support look, a serious downfall to the thick folded effect at the belt of this repeated Alexander McQueen jacket.

Queen Máxima visited a horticultural company yesterday.

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I see Máxima's commitment to pushing the limits of horrific bug brooches hasn't died. She doesn't need a horticultural visit to make it happen, but she's not going to let that opportunity pass her by, either. {shudder}

Royal Gown of the Day: February 13

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on Sunday. Prince William is President of the Academy.

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You know what Kate's dress reminds me of? Some of the gowns QEII wore in her youth, with floaty full skirts loaded with heavy floral embroidery (such as this one, which was even divided into tiers by ribbon on the back).

The Duchess wore a customized version of this black mix violet jacquard dress from Alexander McQueen, with a tiered skirt of layered organza.

I think the Queen would've changed the straps and so would I (personal preference and all that), but the comparison is a good thing. A GREAT thing, in fact - definitely a front runner for the Best of 2017 list. A bit of romance loaded with diamonds and crowned with an updo? As if I would ever object.

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And oh yes, let's talk about those diamonds. These earrings have been around since 2011; apparently they are not a loan from the Queen. If they are indeed the real deal, a wedding gift might be the best guess at possible provenance. Kate also borrowed the Queen's Wedding Gift Bracelet once again - really, who can blame her for falling in love with that?

Royal Outfit of the Day: October 19

If you weren't a fan of the Duchess of Cambridge's recent stab at floral prints, boy oh boy, has she got a treat for you.

The British royal family hosted a reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes yesterday.

Kensington Palace Twitter

Heh. Really, I'm not at all surprised she's dipped into Alexander McQueen's recent range of poppy prints. You can get into the symbolism of poppies if you like (we'll be seeing lots of them for remembrance soon, as November approaches), but I don't think she needed a reason and I like that she's worn it at an event outside of that.

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She chose this dress for an event where it's hard to get a look at the full ensemble view, which means we can't properly assess this skirt length situation (this is, I would say, the hardest of all lengths to pull off), and that's SNEAKY, so...well played.

The Queen hosts a reception for @TeamGB and @ParalympicsGB medallists at Buckingham Palace. pic.twitter.com/BS5ILFaAyy

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 18, 2016

This reception was packed with royals - you know how they love their Olympics - and there's more on the Queen's brooch selections for the day over at the Vault.

Royal Outfit of the Day: July 14

We should probably record this moment here. Officially. Just for the sake of posterity, and whatever.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the men's final at Wimbledon on Sunday.

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WILLIAM DID NOT WEAR A BLUE SUIT. Mark it on the calendars, for this was a momentous day. He looked really good - #TeamShades never hurts, mind you - and now I wonder if maybe Charles could influence him to break up that endless run of navy in other ways too. Probably best if I don't get my hopes up.

Alexander McQueen Obsession print dress

The other Cambridge wore a new dress from Alexander McQueen. I've seen a lot of picking apart of this print (lipsticks, lip prints, skulls, butterflies, and a lot more), but I'm just glad to see her in something that keeps a bit of the delicious weirdness of McQueen intact.

Royal Florals of the Day: May 24

Nothing brings a royal turnout quite like a flower show, and the Chelsea Flower Show is king when it comes to royal attendance. QEII led a pack of Windsors to view the garden displays yesterday, sporting a brooch directly tied to the show itself (and, of course, you can read all about that at the Vault).

The Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Countess of Wessex, and the Princess Royal were a few of yesterday's royal visitors.
The Royal Family

While the Duchess of Cambridge occupied headlines in her repeated Catherine Walker coat, my true favorites were those who took the day's floral theme literally. (They weren't my favorites because they took the theme so literally, okay, but it's a happy coincidence and I'm running with it.)

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Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

A good show from the York sisters, I thought. There's a casual lack of coordination in Beatrice's outfit that actually works for a day out like this, and the peekaboo panels on Eugenie's skirt touch on the floral theme without overdoing it. If that white dress doesn't say springtime, I don't know what does.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with going Full Floral. In fact, sometimes that's just what's called for.

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The Countess of Wessex

Oh, how I love a little interest in the shape of a skirt. Adding the black jacket brings this Alexander McQueen dress down just a notch without sacrificing any interest. This feels like the perfect way to do a modern floral in a non-grandma's sofa sort of way. Another win for Sophie, and my absolute favorite for the day.

Royal Fashion Awards: King Carl Gustaf’s Birthday, Concert and Day Events

The celebrations for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 70th birthday have been going on all week, building up to today’s festivities. As for our Royal Fashion Awards, well, they’re just beginning…

Best in Concert Sparkle

Photo: Kungahuset.se

A dress code of suits for the men at Friday night’s Nordic Museum concert didn’t stop Queen Silvia from bringing the full-length sparkle with a diamond necklace and few bits and bobs from the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure thrown in for good measure, bless.

She gives her public what they want.

Most Mixed Concert Bag
Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine

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Her daughters were more of a mixed bag, Princess Madeleine on the shorter side in Erdem and Crown Princess Victoria in a promisingly different silhouette brought down by a bit of over-accessorizing. Enthusiasm appreciated, anyway.


Today, things got started with a morning Te Deum followed by some outdoor tributes – including Prince Oscar’s first balcony appearance! – and a lunch at Stockholm’s City Hall.

Best in Pink and Statement Hats

Queen Silvia

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Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine had the same idea for their day outfits, with pink coats and serious hat style from Philip Treacy. I love that Silvia went big without going nuts, and I love her choice of burgundy accessories. Win.

I should be focusing on Madeleine’s hat here, but instead I can’t stop thinking it looks like she has her headphones around her neck when the coat is on. Makes a touch more sense when you see there's a whole garden of a Giambattista Valli dress underneath that pink Alexander McQueen coat.

Best in Fresh

Crown Princess Victoria

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Victoria’s Dolce & Gabbana striped dress surprised me at first. This turned out to be a good thing, because paired with her big white hat, it was a much-needed anecdote to the run of pastels on display courtesy of most of the rest of the guests. LOVE.

{As always, a required moment of silence for Estelle's wee throne.}

Honorable Attendance Mention

Princess Sofia

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Princess Sofia pulled back her attendance at the birthday events, to no one’s surprise as she just gave birth not even two weeks ago. But she did make a point to attend the Te Deum and balcony appearance, and she looked fabulous in a light Hugo Boss dress with a By Malene Birger coat added outside.

And for everybody else…

An interesting brooch headlined Princess Christina's blue look as she attended with the rest of the King's sisters, Princess Désirée, Princess Birgitta, and Princess Margaretha.

Princess Hisako of Takamado was a second row standout, brighter than the sun and with more hat personality than we usually see from the Japanese imperial ladies. Prince Albert of Monaco, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, and some of the German royals can also be spotted above.

By the time the party moved outside, a full Where's Waldo? royal spotting game was in play. A minty fresh Queen Margrethe and a cozily wrapped Princess Beatrix quickly became one of the day's best dynamic duos.

Princess Märtha Louise and husband Ari Behn are the sole reps from Norway now (following yesterday's tragic helicopter crash in the country). She always brings the intrigue, in a metallic number that also would have been at home at the previous evening's concert. Crown Princess Mary repeated her Oscar de la Renta coat paired with purple accessories, which obviously that makes me happy. Also present and elegant: Princess Benedikte and the royal couples from Serbia and Romania. (As well as other international royal guests not named here!)

One last thing:

Just so you  know, the Estelle fan club begins with her godmother.

We’ll be back later for the evening's black tie banquet (with tiaras!), so stay tuned.

Thanks to Heaven and Sarah at The Royals and I/Swedish Clothing IDs for being on top of the designer identifications! Check their post here for more on the Swedish royal family's choices.

Photos: SVT screencaps unless otherwise noted