Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima found themselves on the same wavelength last week. (As they do, like, every other week or so.) This particular wavelength is the check coat + accent color accessories one, a tried and true formula on which they each put their own spin.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visited Germany last week.
Mathilde pulled a berry-licious shade out of her pattern and threw on a wide brim hat and matching purse, gloves, and shoes. That bit of swing on the coat? With that length? Yes, please.
Máxima was even more understated - inasmuch as we can call a big ol' olive hat understated, really. This one is much more attractive than anything I can call a big ol' olive hat has a right to be. I do love it.
Queen Máxima presented the Prince Bernhard Culture Foundation Award this week.
Nothing to do with coats and hats, but you didn't really think we were going to leave it at Máx's most understated look, did ya? Not content with her tulip field look from this Claes Iversen color scheme, she's ordered one with a few more trimmings for the festive season. I wouldn't recommend this piñata look to anyone else on our regular rounds, but I don't know. I think she's pulling it off.
Just a couple of queens, going about their queenly business.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia started a state visit to Peru yesterday.
House of HM the King
Unfortunately for Letizia, that queenly business isn't quite as glam on this state visit as it would be back home; they didn't have a big fancy state banquet. (And when I say unfortunately for Letizia, I mean unfortunately for us.) Letizia has a new Carolina Herrera dress and it is fine. Stripes! What's not to like?
The King and Queen attended the Valencian Economy Night last week.
I'll get some jewels in here somehow, don't you worry. Letizia's black diamond earrings and the bracelets from the joyas de pasar spiced up her repeated Hugo Boss jumpsuit at this previous event. That's how you do it.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde commemorated the centenary of the armistice with events including a special Last Post ceremony and a concert with the Canadian Governor General as a guest.
Belgian Monarchy
Belgian Monarchy
Queen Mathilde's always going to look sharp when she needs to, she's got this down pat. Her green concert outfit is a repeat, but I'm here for any time she wants to throw in some accent accessories. The blush pink shoes and bag make the look for me.
Queen Máxima made sure to get in her contribution before the week ended, in a repeated green lace dress with a big green hat (of course), green shoes (of course), and a green bag (of course). In spite of my continued general objection to the constant matchiness, I'm tempted to say that this is one of the stars of green week.
As much as I wish (again, and forever) that she'd curb her matchy ways before they hit the shoes, I do love this matching hat. It's interesting and a little bit different from her usual thing. Also, this green? Super rich, super flattering.
Crown Princess Mary presented the 2018 Design Awards in September.
Here's another example for your green investigation, one that happened a while back. This top and trouser combo is meant to have an easy elegance, I think, one which Mary can certainly pull off. But did she take a wrong turn into Gumby territory? You be the judge.
The Belgian royal family was front and center this weekend to celebrate Belgium's National Day, which also marked the fifth anniversary of King Philippe taking the throne. (We covered the new portraits they released for the occasion last week.) They marked the event with a fair bit of family coordination and a fair few prints.
Royal Palace
But we'll start with Queen Mathilde's single color entry to the weekend's sartorial lineup, a Natan dress with Fabienne Delvigne hat. It's a pretty solid addition to her file of National Day looks. Although I do think the hat seems precariously perched in many shots. A tilt too far.
Princess Eléonore, Prince Gabriel, Princess Elisabeth, and Prince Emmanuel Royal Palace
Combined with their mother, Princesses Elisabeth and Eléonore very nearly form a royal rendition of the black, yellow, and red Belgian flag. Which makes me extra glad for the lovely floral embellishment on Elisabeth's dress, just to keep things from being too literal.
Prince Lorenz, Princess Astrid, Prince Laurent, Princess Claire
Princess Claire's commitment to red and white matched her sister-in-law Mathilde's commitment to the color, though I think Claire's look might have benefited from a solid color hat.
Royal Palace
One quick outfit change later, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde headed to the park for more National Day fun. I said it wouldn't be shocking if this green dress turned up in another royal closet, and here it is! We first saw this L.K.Bennett print on Princess Sofia.
Royal Palace
Mathilde was also mad for print at two pre-National Day activities. Yes, that's a jumpsuit up there, and...
...yes, that's unmistakably an Erdem up there. Ruffles and shine and flowers and a high neckline, not unlike the divisive Erdem evening dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in Sweden in January. I don't know if this one is better or if I've just accepted this trend as our new reality, but I'm not minding Mathilde's version. I'm sure you'll set me straight in the comments.
Summer is almost here. Do you have your luxurious caftans ready for all the cocktail parties you shall be hosting on your yacht?
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a concert in Luxembourg, Máxima wearing a repeated Valentino caftan gown RVD/Barney's
Queen Máxima's caftans come in the form of gowns and they are always ready, darling, whether for cocktails on a yacht or hosting a return event on the second day of the Luxembourg state visit.
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's looking ready for a little holiday glam too, with all the tropical foliage happening on her bespoke Elie Saab dress (per Heaven).
And just a little tip for you from these ladies: Use those flowing garments as a showcase for your strongest necklace game. Queen Máxima wore the Ruby Peacock Necklace previously on this red gown; last night, she followed up on her Stuart Surprise with her Tutti Frutti-style necklace and bracelet. I wouldn't have thought that set would work so well with red, and yet it does. Just one reason that set belongs to her and not me, I guess. One of about 66,419 rea$on$.
Cour grand-ducale screencap
Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie may not have sported a caftan - her flowy dress is another Elie Saab nabbed from her mother-in-law's wardrobe - but she too came to play in the necklace department. One of the diamond rivière necklaces from the Luxembourg collection! Making up for the giant diamonds missing from the Lux side of the state banquet, are we? (Luxarazzi posted a video of these arrivals, worth a view if you're interested in Stéphanie's updo. Some impressive hair architecture going on there.)
Shall we hit the day events from days 1 and 2, briefly?
For day 2, the Grand Duchess looked super cute - a great jacket in bold jewel tone, neatly paired with cropped trousers and a statement necklace. That is all I have to say about the day outfits on day 2. Moving on...
NOS
Moving back, actually, to the arrivals and another can't-miss-it outfit from Queen Máx. If she'd leaned more into the green side of this and less into the yellow, she would have come pretty close to one of my all-time favorite QEII ensembles. But she didn't.
Speaking of hats, if you've ever wondered how royal women manage to greet each other when they're all hatted up, well:
Sometimes it doesn't work out so well. The Hereditary Grand Duchess won the prize for best welcome outfit anyway.
Psst: Check in over the weekend, fingers crossed we'll have some fun stuff to look at from Crown Prince Frederik's birthday!
King Willem-Alexander celebrated his 51st birthday on Friday, heading to Groningen with the extended family for the annual Koningsdag (King's Day) festivities.
The King and Queen with daughters Amalia, Ariane, and Alexia RVD
Queen Máxima decided to throw things back to 2004, when they visited the same town for Queen's Day (as it was at the time), by repeating her red beret and pairing it with a new Natan outfit.
Her jean jacket from Groningen in 2004 also made a return this year, worn by Princess Alexia. The red beret doesn't seem nearly as kicky without it, I must say.
I'm not really sold on the hat-to-outfit pairing this year, I suppose. I liked it better without the coat, but then the dress revealed made me wish there was more of a pattern to it. I might be giving this year a meh.
Lucky us, we've got some new portraits to pep things up! A whole bunch of new official photos were released to celebrate Willem-Alexander's 5th anniversary on the throne. The formal shots feature Queen Máxima in her repeated Jan Taminiau gown and the Dutch Sapphire Tiara. [Portraits: RVD - Erwin Olaf]
They're straight from the credits of Law & Order: Amsterdam. I'd watch.
Catching up with some of Queen Mathilde's happenings, one hat at a time:
The Belgian royal family attended an annual mass in remembrance of deceased family members last week.
Royal Palace
A lovely black coat with clean lines, a brooch that always manages to trick me into thinking Mathilde's taken a page out of her spider-friendly friend Máxima's book...
Royal Palace
...and a little texture on the hat get the job done in elegant fashion for Mathilde this year. The family is not always so black-clad for this event, though somber colors are the norm; Mathilde often chooses gray and in fact she recently repeated one of her past outfits from the remembrance mass:
The King and the Queen attend the Krakelingenstoet procession in Geraardsbergen on the occasion of the 950th anniversary of the liberty of the city.
Royal Palace
That's a little hard to see, but this hat is cute and should be observed, so here it is when she wore it to the annual remembrance mass in 2015:
Psst: Tiaras were out in London last night, plus a major new necklace loan for Kate! That's all been covered at the Jewel Vault, so hop right over here for that discussion.
It's been a minute since we hit up these two M&Ms. HIGHLIGHTS:
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visited the province of Flemish Brabant.
Belgian Royal Palace
This is a COAT right here. Mathilde loves some pattern and Mathilde loves some orange and this is maybe Mathilde's best combo of the two. 10/10 for coziness.
Queen Mathilde visited the Academy of Arts in Mons.
Belgian Royal Palace
Speaking of Mathilde loving some pattern, this is lovely, no? Like a holdover from her India trip she couldn't wait to put to use.
Queen Máxima presented the Prince Bernhard Culture Foundation Award.
It's her strangely fluffy-trimmed outfit from a few weeks ago, take two! Luckily, the second time's a charm. Make it a winter dress instead of sleeveless and make it a rich tapestry-looking fabric, and you tip the scale from silly to swanky. This is also the rare occasion on which I am super into her shoes.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten.
From winter to summer, and who can blame her? A sunshine ensemble for a sunshine stroll - and the one thing buoying up a mixed bag of ensembles from the rest of the trip. So we'll end it here.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have embarked on their state visit to India, including the official welcome ceremony.
Mathilde contributed another ensemble to the pile of soft pink state visit welcoming outfits that she and Queen Máxima have been hoarding with this new pink lace number and matching hat. Lovely, yes. Kinda the same as all the rest, also yes.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are on an official visit to Ethiopia, where they also had an official welcome ceremony.
Mette-Marit's contribution to the pink welcoming ceremony trend is a more sugary shade. The shape and the fabric remind me of the dress she wore to Prince Oscar's christening, and I so desperately wish the fit here was just a smidge more flattering. There's potential we're missing.
The duo also brought the pink trend into the evening hours.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit attend a Gala Dinner in Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/8xaDTdCHds
I'm much more enamored of M-M's choice for the evening banquet. Hot pink and some fabulous earrings! I'm into it. Not exactly sure what is happening with the back of the thing, which has apparently been altered with a contrasting color; doesn't change my state of into-it-ness.
The Belgian sovereign couple attended a state banquet in India yesterday. Belgian Monarchy
Mathilde is in on the hot pink too and I am into THIS too. You can definitely tell that she picked this design for an Indian trip, but she's keeping it in inspiration territory and out of the dreaded costume trap and that's all very good. We might have a contender for her 2017 best list right here.
Belgian Monarchy
Back view! Mathilde did opt out of a tiara (when she's worn tiaras to similar events, such as the state banquet in Poland), which is a bummer, and kept the tiara hair anyway.
King Philippe/Belgian Monarchy
Hey, also, this happened: King Philippe took this pic of his wife when they did the standard Taj Mahal photo op, and shared it on social media. THAT'S CUTE, YOU TWO.
Basically a standard Máxima moment, complete with your standard Máxima questions. Like, how much time have I wasted in my life, putting my arms in the sleeves like some kind of peasant?
And, I thought we talked about leaving the muppets alone? I'm sure we had this talk. After...you know. That time before. Just your standard Máxima questions, for your standard Máxima moment. Basically.
Belgium celebrated National Day last week. There were hats! There were sleeves! There was some seriously vibrant color coordinating!
Belgian Monarchy
Oh yes, those royal interpretations of the giant sleeve trend aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I'd deflate 'em a solid 20%, but they are doing an admirable job of bringing a little bit of trendiness to what is otherwise a firmly standard, non-trendy Queen Mathilde outfit.
Belgian Monarchy
Somewhere out there, Queen Máxima is leaning back with a smile on her face. And then she's dialing her Natan hotline and ordering up one of these for herself. With even bigger sleeves, I'm sure.
L to R: Princess Eléonore, Prince Gabriel, Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, Princess Elisabeth, Prince Emmanuel
Queen Mathilde's pink floral dress anchored a family color scheme of pinks, magentas, and purples. The purple sash of the Order of Leopold means not even King Philippe gets left out. It's also sort of a subtly perfect touch that 15-year-old Princess Elisabeth's dress is the closest match to her dad and his sash. (That dress, per ModeKoninginMathilde, is from Esmeralda Ammoun.)
Prince Lorenz, Princess Astrid, and Princess Claire (Prince Laurent was also present, though not shown here)
You know you're serious about the family color thing when the extended fam fits right in. In a year surprisingly lacking in hat interest, I find myself totally in love with Princess Claire's offering. Upside down salad bowls have never looked so good.
Selected recent shenanigans, to be precise. And what shenanigans they have been! We pick up where we last left Queen Máxima, on the tail end of the Dutch royal couple's state visit to Italy.
The King and Queen visited a soccer clinic, followed by a dinner, on day 3 of their Italian visit.
Some would wear a jersey to a sportsball sort of event. Maybe a nice pair of sneakers. Our Máxima, one of a kind gem that she is, chooses to wear the net.
Dress from Valentino Spring 2016 RTW
I did say that I wanted the trip to produce a new Valentino purchase. Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut.
That is one distractingly gravity-defying hat, perched there like a hula hoop in mid swing. Might be that she needed a dress this busy just to balance the focus.
I'm giving her all the credit and then some for the dress though, because I would not have thought a "mustard floral" would look cute on anyone, and yet here we are.
Back home for the opening of the European Academy of Neurology congress.
The last time she wore this, I said that adding too much of an accent takes away the delight of an accent. Now look what she's done: added yet another green accent piece in the form of a wee hat. Oh well. At least these shoes deserve a little attention. I think they're a far more interesting choice than a boring old pump, and around these parts, I can always use something more interesting than a boring old pump shoe.
In this busy royal week, we're swapping Tiara Thursday for a double dose of tiaras in action.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are currently on a state visit to Italy and Vatican City, and the only surprising thing here is how long it took Máx to wear some Valentino.
Presidenza della Repubblica
Here's the arrival outfit. Perfectly lovely! It is from Natan, and the way that you know that is because it looks suspiciously familiar.
Belgian Monarchy
Yup, Queen Mathilde got there first with her own customized version. Perfectly lovely, I say again. But if we were going to go with a blush pink floral, then I'm going to pout that Máxima didn't repeat her perfect Valentino outfit from William and Kate's wedding.
Valentino was not her choice for the state banquet either, even though the designer himself - the master behind Máxima's wedding gown - was present for the event. She fulfilled another one of our requests instead.
We wanted a better look at the Jan Taminiau gown she wore to Willem-Alexander's 50th birthday party, and the Queen replied with a hearty "I'm right on top of that, Rose!" It's every bit as satisfyingly dramatic as I'd hoped.
Presidenza della Repubblica
Is it safe to call the Mellerio Ruby Tiara Queen Máxima's new favorite diadem, would you say? I'm saying yes. Feels like she's been gravitating toward it for events when she doesn't wear one of the bigger tiaras. The trellis necklace with its interchangeable clasp definitely is a current fave and who among us can blame her for that?
Bonus tiara! Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma, King Willem-Alexander's cousin, is the current Dutch ambassador to the Holy See, so he attended the state banquet with his wife, Princess Viktória. She borrowed a tiara from the Dutch vaults: the diamond base of the Antique Pearl Tiara, without any pearls. Máxima wore it this way when she attended Haakon and Mette-Marit's wedding while she was still a royal fiancée, and it was a great option for this black tie event. Viktória's diamond crescent brooch is also from the Dutch vaults.
This is day 2 of the trip, and everything but the hat is a page ripped straight out of Queen Letizia's book (seriously). Beating the heat in the sleekest possible way? Yes please.
There's the Valentino! It only took until a concert on day 2 for it to appear. This pink Valentino gown dates back to Frederik and Mary's wedding in 2004, and it got a makeover three years ago when she added some lace to the layers. But you can color me shocked that this wasn't an excuse for some new Valentino.
Ten bucks says she matched colors on purpose. On the jewelry front, she's managed to find the least obtrusive spot for a waist brooch - it takes a second glance to even notice there's a jewel there - which puts the focus on her repeated Ole Lynggaard earrings.
Ole Lynggaard Gipsy earrings
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima made a regional visit on Tuesday.
No need to be bothered if the dark clouds roll in when you've come equipped with a glow in the dark dress, see. I do love this color on her. I'm dubious as always about the coral wreath growing around her neck and ears, but the color can't be beat.
Queen Máxima's been up to a lot this month, and by a lot I mean a lot of big jewelry choices, a lot of coats, and a lot of her usual plays on volume. I was going to recap a few here, but then...
Queen Máxima opened the National Education Exhibition this week.
...look at that, got 'em all in one. Statement boots, long skirt, big belted jacket, detailed shirt, big earrings, saucy hat. That's a lotta stuff all at once, Máx. I'll give her this, though: I'm totally into the Indiana Jones hat for an engagement involving the banging of a big ol' gong.
As promised, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde kicked off their state visit to the Netherlands yesterday, where they were greeted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
For a pair of queens that adore a twin act in eye-searingly bright shades, the arrival outfits used an astonishingly understated color palette. Queen Máxima's Claes Iversen dress was let down by the brown poncho/cape/wrap/whatever she tossed on top for the outside stuff (it used to belong to her mother-in-law), so it was much improved indoors:
Queen Mathilde was in Natan, of course, and both wore Fabienne Delvigne hats. Gotta love that Mathilde upped her hat brim game for a visit to the queen of the giant hat brims, right?
Queen Mathilde also upped her game for the state banquet like we guessed she would, breaking out the full version of the Nine Provinces Tiara for only the second time and pairing it with a lovely soft pink gown from Pierre Gauthier.
Queen Máxima, I am sorry to report, did not do the same. I'm surprised this visit didn't rate more than a repeated Jan Taminiau gown and the Mellerio Ruby Tiara - I thought we'd see either the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara or the Dutch Sapphire Tiara - but apparently she didn't consider my opinion. The nerve.
We did, however, get plenty of other Dutch tiaras to keep us occupied. Princess Beatrix went with the Dutch Diamond Bandeau and a smattering of diamond star brooches from the family collection. Princess Margriet wore the Pearl Button Tiara (which was her wedding tiara), and Princess Laurentien wore Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara (I'm liking that piece more and more each time it shows up). I do so love it when they turn up in full force.
Double the brooches and double the diadems to close out our week, as we check in with two sparkling queens:
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia are on a state visit to Germany this week.
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/The Royal Court, Sweden
Queen Silvia brought the Connaught Tiara for the state banquet on the first day of their state visit to Germany, a great choice for a black tie banquet. She paired it with massive pearl earrings, a lovely diamond collet necklace, and a dress that I'm just not sure about.
Silvia's in her home country, so she upped her tiara power accordingly by bringing another tiara to wear for night two, bless her sparkly soul. And she wore it with purple!
'Twas the Baden Fringe Tiara! This was a lovely surprise. While the tiara has made the rounds in the family and has graced Silvia's head plenty of times in the past, it's so associated with Crown Princess Victoria that it feels a treat to see it featured on someone else.
But enough about the tiara. (I know, I can't believe I typed that either.) Let's talk about that brooch! Spectacular, isn't it? It's new - and by new, I mean old but criminally underused. Like the tiara, it was worn by Victoria of Baden. It can be seen in the picture below, just above the spot where Queen Victoria has strung the Baden Fringe across her person as though arming herself for battle.
What other long-unseen treats would you like to bring out, Your Maj? I, for one, am here for whatever you've got.
Queen Mathilde traveled to Paris to visit two exhibitions featuring the works of Belgian artists.
Photos: Belgian Monarchy
The Danish royal family went wild with the brooches at their parliament opening, Queen Silvia went for it in Germany, and Queen Mathilde hopped in on the action when she visited Paris. Brooches are having a good month.
This simple but intriguingly sleeved dress - in a killer color - is
the perfect place to park a little sparkle. Mathilde debuted this
brooch last year, I believe, and she's worn it several times since. (As well
she should, it's gorgeous.) Let's all cross our fingers that this is merely a warm up for Mathilde and Philippe's state visit to Japan, which happens next week.
Newbury Races
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*The Queen attended the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Weekend at Newbury
Racecourse.*
Embed from Getty Images
You might think this outfit would provide a n...
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