Royal Trip of the Day: The Cambridges in Norway, Day 1

The splendor that many of us had hoped this trip would bring finally arrived. It just took a trip to Norway and a dinner hosted by a king and queen to make it happen.

On the first day of their trip to Norway, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a dinner at the Royal Palace hosted in their honor by King Harald and Queen Sonja. Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and Princess Astrid were also present.

Kensington Palace

Ah, gowns! Good ones! A print for Märtha Louise, a favored shiny purple repeat for Sonja, and a bright coral for Astrid flanked the evening's two standout pale dresses for Kate and Mette-Marit (and, of course, the gentlemen in their tuxes).

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The only thing wrong with this Alexander McQueen dress is that Kate doesn't have any state banquets coming up where she could pair it with a tiara. It's an elegant way to do a maternity gown and it has wonderful movement, because CAPE.

Kensington Palace

She didn't forget to bring along her diamonds, either: both the Diamond Pendant Earrings and the Wedding Gift Bracelet are on loan from the Queen.

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After a 2017 wardrobe that left many of us with a general feeling of sartorial ennui, Mette-Marit's coming out swinging for 2018. This metallic gem is fabulously detailed and a great spin on her usual fare. (Also: excellent deployment of a red lip.)

On arrival earlier in the day, the Duke and Duchess were greeted by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and met with the royal family at the palace. They were then joined by Princess Ingrid Alexandra for a visit to the Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park.

Kensington Palace

The family that blue coats together stays together, I guess. (With twin red scarves thrown in for good measure.) Kate's really loading up on her Catherine Walker for this trip - and she wouldn't miss an opportunity for another blue coat.

Kensington Palace

Nor an opportunity for another blue dress! This one's from Séraphine. Queen Sonja's looking sharp in white, as she always does.

Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen, Det kongelige hoff

 (The Norwegian royal court gives us photos of the gifts exchanged between the royals, because they know we're nosy like that, which is nice of them.)

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Outside, I have no applause for the added furry hat; I have several claps and an approving nod for Queen Sonja's splendidly bright coat and scarf combo; I have a standing ovation for the person that picked this rainbow sculpture for the park, because that's how you make a great photo op.

The trip ends Friday, phew!

Tiara Watch of the Day: Sparkle at Norway's Parliament Dinner

Three tiaras graced the halls of Norway's Royal Palace last week for the royal family's annual gala dinner for the parliament (the Stortingsmiddag), let's catch up:

Norway royal family yesterday-26 october 2017 #mettemaritofnorway #kingharald #queensonja

A post shared by news about royal family (@newsroyal2) on Oct 27, 2017 at 5:21am PDT

Queen Sonja brought her big gun, Norway's emerald parure, which I would say was an interesting color choice, if we didn't already know that she has no trouble pairing it with any given color. Not that green is a far out choice for an aqua skirt in the first place, of course.

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I do find myself thinking about how lovely Queen Josephine's Diamond Tiara would have been nice here though. Right? Maybe I'm always thinking that.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Astrid of Norway this night 🇳🇴 #princessmettemarit #princessastrid #norway #europe #royal #norweiganroyals

A post shared by European Royals (@euro_royals) on Oct 26, 2017 at 1:43pm PDT

Crown Princess Mette-Marit - escorting an aigrette-wearing Princess Astrid; Crown Prince Haakon was in Thailand - opted for a new pink dress, reportedly by Marte Krogh's Norwegian label Koma by Marte. The navy dress Mette-Marit wore during Harald and Sonja's birthday celebrations earlier this year was from the same designer. It's a good look for our fair CP, still in her light colored comfort zone, but blissfully ruffle-free.

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M-M's colorful tiara choice was a surprise. I'd have bet on the Diamond Daisy here and I'd thankfully have lost that bet, because she went for the Amethyst Necklace Tiara and its parure and the outfit's all the better for that little bit of contrast. Not that you'd expect me to argue with amethysts in the first place or anything.

Royal Outfit of the Day: Princess Charlene at the Red Cross Ball

It's always wise to armor oneself when heading into battle.

The Prince and Princess of Monaco attended the Red Cross Ball on Friday.

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Or when heading into a ball, as the case may be. And there's generally no one better to provide the most sparkly of armor than Atelier Versace, as Princess Charlene clearly knows. This is a striking look, no? I think she's finally cracked the code to keeping her look as modern as she likes while still maximizing her impact.

That said, I wouldn't have said no to one of her more fabulous pairs of dangling earrings here. (There's always room for more impact, if you ask me.) But clearly she doesn't want to be encumbered when in her armor.

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Not even by a skirt.

P.S.: Don't forget to make your nominations for Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch! Nominations close Tuesday (tomorrow) at noon Eastern.

Royal Dresses of the Day: Swedish Royals at the Polar Music Prize

Red alert! Red alert! Crown Princess Victoria wore her hair DOWN!

The Swedish royal family attended the ceremony of the prestigious Polar Music Prize, awarded this year to Sting and Wayne Shorter.

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She SORTA wore her hair DOWN! This is a rare and caps lock-worthy thing. Soak in the variety, because it could be years before you see it again. Victoria usually goes a little bit "edgy" for this music event, this year scooping up her leftover aluminum foil and fashioning herself a silver frock with modern jewelry to boot. It's a whole sculptural thing. And the softness of the half updo actually works as a sort of anchor to this space age craft. She's pulling it off.

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The crinkles do take over without the bouquet, though. Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine came dressed as their own bouquets, pretty in pink flowers.

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I'm getting a strong sense of déjà vu for Madeleine. Following up on her large floral skirt and blouse from the last Nobel Prize ceremony, I find myself wondering just how many of these combos a single closet could need? Will we ever see the pieces split up and styled differently? These are the questions. (Bonus Princess Christina and Tord Magnuson sighting behind Madeleine and Carl Philip! She's been laying low for a while after having a stem cell transplant to fight cancer, so it's fabulous to see her out and about.)

Royal Flashback of the Day: Margrethe and Henrik's Silver Wedding

Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik will celebrate 50 years of marriage on June 10th, and so far it seems they'll do so without much public fanfare. (Although they were joined this week by the rest of the Danish royal family to unveil their gift to each other: a statue, designed by Prince Henrik, in the Fredensborg Palace gardens.) This is in sharp contrast to the scene 25 years ago, when the couple celebrated their silver wedding anniversary with two tiara-filled gatherings. You don't have to know much about Queen Margrethe to know that she ordered up two extra-special gala gowns for the occasions.

There was, of course, a big official banquet with loads of royal guests in their very finest. The banquet was held at Kronborg Castle, the Renaissance structure that doubles as Elsinore in Hamlet, so naturally Queen Margrethe chose to wear a Renaissance-inspired gown by Jørgen Bender, her wedding dress designer and longtime couturier.

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The dress is made from distressed silver and gold-woven silk brocade with dramatic cape sleeves and a square neckline. Perhaps even more dramatic were her jewelry choices: the Pearl Poire Tiara and a selection of diamond jewels borrowed from the crown jewels at Rosenborg Castle.

Ten of these ornaments were used on Margrethe's dress

The large necklace, earrings, and brooch in the center of her gown have been worn on multiple occasions, including Crown Prince Frederik's wedding. More rare were the diamond ornaments that once belonged to Princess Charlotte Amalie of Denmark (1706-1782), which Queen Margrethe placed down her sleeves. It was the first time in generations these pieces had actually been worn. The poster child for unusual brooch placement, isn't she? LOVE.

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A moment for Margrethe's mother, Queen Ingrid, before we move on. A RED dress with a BOA on it, plus the all the Danish Rubies she can stand, hello! And she's pulling it off without a problem. No wonder Margrethe has such panache. There's a rare sight to the left there, too: Prince Henrik's mother, Countess Renée de Monpezat, wearing the diamond floral tiara today worn by Princess Marie. She borrowed a little treat from her daughter-in-law for the big shindig.

The royal couple also held a black tie n' tiara gathering at Fredensborg Castle, site of their wedding banquet back in 1967. Margrethe strung the pieces of the Floral Aigrette Tiara in her hair and draped a new necklace, a wedding anniversary gift from Prince Henrik with pearls, gold, and rubies, around her neck. And then there was her pièce de résistance:

A candidate for the most Disney royal gown of all time, wouldn't you agree? Absolute Cinderella, right down to the sweeping waltz with her prince.

Queen Margrethe worked with Jørgen Bender to make this fairy tale come to life. It used a reported 60 meters of tulle in varying shades, purchased in France. The off-the-shoulder gown features those mega sleeve details she couldn't help but love, plus silver star accents and asymmetrical floral trim across the bodice. Sweeping, yes, that's the word. (See it in motion here.) A princess dress indeed. A queen's dress, too...but maybe just for Daisy.

Royal Outfit of the Day: February 28

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a reception for the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture at Buckingham Palace yesterday, with other members of the British royal family.

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This dress has done it again. The last time we saw this Erdem metallic lace frock was in Canada last year, worn by Crown Princess Mette-Marit. (I'd ask you who wore it best, but without a huge difference in the way the two women styled it, it's pretty much a six of one, half a dozen of the other situation.) Now, it's Kate's turn.

Erdem dress in silver metallic lace

Back then, I noted that the dress was saved from the dreaded Just Another Lace Dress designation by its touch of disco shimmer. In this case - in this lighting - the blergh-y color stands out more than the lace. But YET AGAIN I am smitten by the shimmer. Charmed into a thumbs up.

The Queen's purple look, with the Kent Amethyst Brooch, has been covered at the Jewel Vault.
Royal Family

Shimmery shoes from Oscar de la Renta never hurt anything, either. (Nor do earrings from Indian designer Anita Dongre, a slight nod to the occasion.)

Royal Outfits of the Day: May 10

What's Queen Mathilde been up to since her practically tie-dyed appearance at Sweden's birthday bash?  More prints, pretty much.

May 2: Attending the Queen Elisabeth Competition for piano
Royal Palace

This is quite fun. Although if you told me this was the emblem of her favorite tropical resort where she's decided to take up a summer job at the front desk, I might believe you.

Dries van Noten, spotted by ModeKoningin Mathilde

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May 9: Again at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, this time with Princess Eleonore along

Having handed the pink print baton over to her youngest, Mathilde opted for a scenic view of her beloved tropical paradise. I see the logic in ending the print before ending the dress, but viewing from the top down is a bit like turning the last page in a book and finding it blank.

April 28: Christening a new ship for the Jan De Nul Group
Royal Palace

Prints and some texture, just for variety. (This was actually before leaving for Sweden.) This is precisely what I meant when I said her dress is Sweden was lacking a bit of the structure we usually see in her Armani Privé outfits, by the way. This one could double as a Star Trek uniform - in the sleekest and coolest possible way. Chic.

Tiara Watch of the Day: February 4

We interrupt your regularly scheduled tiara programming to bring you some tiaras in action! Bless Sweden and their representation dinners, bringing us some bling before the year's state visits kick into gear. (Don't worry, Tiara Thursday will be on tomorrow.)

Kungahuset.se

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, sporting the Connaught Tiara, led the way. All these different reds are making me twitchy.

Kungahuset.se

Crown Princess Victoria wore this dress when she was pregnant with Princess Estelle, and I still haven't decided whether it's unfortunately nightgown-esque or pleasingly sparkly cloud-filled sky-esque. Either way, she takes home the prize for Best Tiara of the Night with the Baden Fringe.

Kungahuset.se

Following through on Victoria's sparkly maternity trend, Princess Sofia went all in with a dress apparently borrowed from a friend (I think I miss the belt the friend wore it with, though). She is again wearing her emerald and diamond wedding tiara, and though she still hasn't used a tiara from the family vault, she continues to wear other pieces (earrings, brooch, bracelet) from the family collection. I can't blame her for giving her in-law's gift plenty of attention, even if I long to see everybody in something different every time.

A photo posted by Expressen Kungligt (@expressenkungligt) on Feb 3, 2016 at 1:08pm PST

So, who sparkled it best? I think I might have to call this one a tie...

UPDATE: You can see video of the royal family at the dinner here. Victoria's dress is just as alive as the Baden Fringe in motion, and I am now firmly ON BOARD. Also, you get a glimpse of Princess Christina (sadly left out of most pictures) in the Six Button Tiara.

Princely Flashback of the Day: July 20

Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo are tying the knot this coming weekend (starting to tie the knot, I guess, since it's the civil wedding to start). The couple have been an established part of the princely scene for several years, and I, for one, am excited to see her continue to bring her brand of style to family events for years to come. Not unlike Princess Marie-Chantal, her style has a lot to do with the casual attitude she brings to her pairings, and it's a cool elegance that I adore.

She and Pierre have been fixtures at the annual Rose Ball for a while now. We're flashing back to a few of the earlier appearances today:

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2009

This is all about Those Sleeves, bringing so much drama to the table, they can cover any other possible down side. You know I love an outfit that's ripe for swooping about.

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2010

Each year, the Rose Ball has a theme, and sometimes the overly themed outfits can go more than a little bit wrong. But is there any better interpretation for a Moroccan theme than this? I think not.

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2011

This sequined dress and that feline necklace? On their own, no. Together? Yesssss.

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And it's precisely what I love about her style, in one handy nutshell.

We'll catch up on the more recent years another day.

Photos: via Getty Images

Royal State Visit of the Day: June 29

The Belgians just finished a long state visit to China. Make that a loooong state visit to China, about eight days long. So many events and so many outfits, and so we'll just do a few highlights, in no particular order:

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium meet #Dragone and his artists in Wuhan #StateVisitChina #whyteatwork pic.twitter.com/GCqLPsTCpa

— Whyte Corp Affairs (@Whyte_CA) June 23, 2015

This dress was worn to the state banquet, so obviously no tiaras in sight. Instead, an abstract print in a silhouette that I quite like for her, by Haus Coudeyre (per ModeKoninginMathilde, which has the most comprehensive fashion coverage of this whole trip).

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I think she likes it for her too, since she also brought this Natan printed number along with a similar slightly full skirt. (Not pictured: Philippe. He wore a suit.)

La Reine Mathilde en visite au Hubei Museum of Art" de #Wuhan en #Chine @MonarchieBe #StateVisitChina pic.twitter.com/xYswl9lntZ

— Place Royale (@RTLPlaceRoyale) June 22, 2015

Another print, another silhouette she loves. And a seashell on her head.

Visite d’une école pour enfants avec un handicap en compagnie de la Première Dame Mme Peng #Beijing #StateVisitChina pic.twitter.com/nFJnoRsxww

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) June 24, 2015

It does feel like she made an effort to diversify her designer base for this trip. Mostly still Natan, but several other names were thrown into the mix. This tin man number is from Ann Demeulemeester, for example.

Petite pause sur le Bund #Shanghai #StateVisitChina pic.twitter.com/GEjyMNhK7q

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) June 25, 2015

Also, I lied. There is an order to these, and the order is that I saved the best for last.

Bezoek aan Shanghai 9th People's Hospital #Shanghai #StateVisitChina pic.twitter.com/nJbb0snRE8

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) June 25, 2015

Again proving the power of some designer variation, this is by Bernard Depoorter, and it is twirly. I LOVE.

Photos: via Getty Images and Twitter as indicated

Princely Party of the Day: March 31

The annual Rose Ball to benefit the Princess Grace Foundation was held on Saturday, and the Monaco bunch was out in full force (minus Princess Charlene, who stayed home because Princess Gabriella was ill, apparently). And, I don't know, is it just me, or is this an abnormally tame showing for the crew? Especially for a year when Karl Lagerfeld was in charge of the theme.

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Left to right: Charlotte Casiraghi, Karl Lagerfeld, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Paola Marzotto (Beatrice's mother), Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo

This year's theme was Art Deco, so Beatrice Borromeo's slinky column of liquid platinum was right on point. Charlotte Casiraghi's dress, sort of a day dress with evening wear ambitions (settle down, little frock), was the closest to curious we came...

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...and even then, it's good for cutting a rug and it lets her face do all the work, a strategy with which you can never go wrong. Princess Caroline also took the Art Deco theme to heart in her ensemble, most of which I can't really pay attention to, because NECKLACE. And also EARRINGS.

View image | gettyimages.com

This is her fringe necklace, one of the big family jewels she wears (and which may-or-may-not also be a tiara, you can see my post on that here), and it's nice to see her bring it out for this event. Just a spectacular display of diamond power, and for that I thank her.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Royal Outfit of the Day: September 30

Video: This weekend, Queen Mathilde and daughter Princess Elisabeth attended the Genee International Ballet Competition in Antwerp.

I should like this. Full skirt with an unexpected and interesting tone on tone enlarged snake print detail, killer earrings (look at the sparkle on video!). And yet. AND YET.

Royal Blog - Photos - Mathilde de Belgique et sa fille Élisabeth, réunies pour le plus beau des... http://t.co/o8Geksh9Ll @Royal_Matcher
— Paris Match (@ParisMatch) September 29, 2014

Click the link above for a gallery.

Well, this falls into all the sneaky traps of using shiny fabric, doesn't it? Each wrinkle, each area that could use better tailoring, it all gets magnified. The high neckline and unadorned front make one serious wall o' shine. It just seems...stiff, on the whole.

Queen Mathilde & Princess Elisabeth @ finale of Genée International #Ballet Competition #Antwerpen @RADheadquarters pic.twitter.com/QrVCwdiEF0
— Place Royale (@RTLPlaceRoyale) September 28, 2014

I'd probably love this in coat form, so you could have a non-shiny dress underneath to break things up, or maybe if the neckline wasn't so high and plain. What say you?

Royal Outfit of the Day: May 14

Mary Donaldson attended a banquet hosted by Queen Margrethe at Christiansborg Palace before her 2004 wedding to the Crown Prince.

We've been covering a few of the guests at Frederik and Mary's wedding (with more to come) since this week marks their tenth wedding anniversary, but today we're stepping back a few days to cover a Great Moment in Tiara History: Mary's first ever tiara appearance. (!) You have to love the Danish royals for sticking to their tiara guns - even before wearing a tiara for her wedding, Mary had worn the Danish Ruby Parure for this event and then for the gala concert. Since she was wearing the rubies twice in just a couple days (!), she took two different approaches: emphasizing the rubies with her red gown for the concert worn with her hair down, and emphasizing the diamonds with this number from Malene Birger, worn with her hair up. The gown is a richly patterned silver fabric, almost the palest of ice blues, with a slim front silhouette and a train at the back, topped by a black ribbon and rosette detail.

Video: The banquet

(You should watch that video. If not for Mary, then for this:

Oh Daisy, you glorious creature.)

It's hard to imagine the thoughts that must have been swirling through Mary's head here. (Primarily: How can my sleeves ever possibly measure up?) In her own words:

"That first evening when I wore the ruby set, there was so much new, there was so much overwhelming for me. It wasn't just the jewelry, it was the significance of the whole event, of the whole period, of the whole time which I was going through. So I don't really think I thought so much about what I had on in terms of jewelry except that it felt new and somewhat unusual to have such a significant piece of jewelry on. Everything that was going on at that time was part of a very new and overwhelming time. I mean it wasn't just the jewelry, it was also the dress, I mean I had never worn a dress like this before...the whole thing was overwhelming." - Crown Princess Mary, speaking in the documentary De Kongelige Juveler

Needless to say, she handles it like proper royal champ. Me, I would be doing cartwheels. Mental cartwheels, actually, but only because I'd fall over if I tried the real thing.

Photos: Polfoto/DR1

Royal Outfit of the Day: March 31

Princess Charlene attended the Rose Ball with the princely family. She wore a blue Akris gown and diamond and sapphire earrings made to match her Ocean Necklace/Tiara. Also in attendance was Princess Caroline, wearing Chanel, right down to the sneakers.

I was all about Charlene's dress - she looks fabulous, really - until I saw what's happening at the bottom. (Can we kill this sheer trend? Can we kill it with fire?) I have thus decided to pretend this look only exists from the waist up.

The rest of the crew was there, including a princess-y Beatrice Borromeo and Chanel-clad Princess Caroline and Charlotte Casiraghi. Click here for a gallery. And yes, your eyes do not deceive you - Caroline was sporting the same sneakers Karl Lagerfeld (designer of the ball) sent down the runway not so long ago, and my prediction that she'd be the royal to try these out came true. I guess she was injured, since she was using a cane, but let's be honest: she didn't need a reason for these.

Photos: Reuters/Getty/Palais Princier/Style.com

Royal Outfit of the Day: February 20

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde continued their introductory country visits, spending the day in Italy. Mathilde wore a custom layered Armani dress and jacket with a matching hat. The fabric was seen in different form on the runway at the latest Armani Privé couture show (shown upper right corner).

She wore Armani - of course she wore Armani, she and Queen Paola both have a tradition of using Armani for special events, and this fits the special event definition. Mathilde's really been going all out with these last few introductory visits, and using an Italian designer in Italy fits in perfectly. I would rank this as the most sophisticated look we've seen yet.

Photos: RTL/VTM/Getty/Style.com

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: November 12-18

Some weeks, you just nod and smile and wait for the next tiara event. C'est la vie! But we do have someone earning back some sartorial points this week, and that's enough reason to forge on...

 

Best Dash of Red

Princess Letizia

Information day of the "Importance of Research in Cancer"; Opening ceremony of the XXIII Ibero-American Summit of Head of States and Governments

I'm so delighted with her elegant red coat, I'll forgive the boring gray suit underneath. 

Strongest Commitment to Red

Princess Mathilde

At the Te Deum for King's Day (with Princess Claire and Prince Laurent, and Prince Lorenz and Princess Astrid)

Speaking of red...you give Mathilde an idea, and she'll run it right into the ground. You hated those shoes on Máxima last week, and now theeeyyy'rree baaaaaack.

Celebrating at Parliament

Stiffest Tin Man

Princess Máxima

Future of Banking conference; At a school visit for Money Week; The award ceremony for the Erasmusprijs 2012; Growing SMEs conference; Welcoming Sinterklaas with her daughters

First things first: that navy number is a jumpsuit. I boycott further comment on principle. Second, that silver number is a repeated from the baptism of Princess Ariane. I liked it then, but now I think she could double for the Tin Man in the local Wizard of Oz production. (Can you guess what movie I watched last night? Yeah.)

Most Improved

Crown Princess Victoria

Meeting with Ewa Kopacz; At an event for World Diabetes Day; Attending "Children and Young People — The Archbishop's Meeting 2012"

I'm just ridiculously happy to see her without a confetti apron tied around her waist, or a spaceship bolted to her forehead. It's time to pull it together: the Nobel Prize Ceremony is fast approaching, and we need our V at her most elegant.

Who made your best dressed list last week?

Photos: Getty Images/Best Images/DutchPhotoPress/Abaca

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 22-28 April

1. At a meeting for the Princess Mathilde Award, 24 April. Well, that settles it: all you need to win my love is a simple red dress.
2. Attending a gala dinner for the European Business Summit, 25 April.

Photos: Svenskdam/Daylife/Getty Images

Random Royal Appreciation: A Luxembourg Tiara Sighting (and an Engagement!)

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, accompanied by their son the Hereditary Grand Duke, have been in Germany for a state visit, where they did typical state visiting things.

Some outfits worn while doing the state visiting things

While you recover from the amazing thoroughness of my event reporting, I'll get to the point: there was a state banquet. A state banquet with tiaras and Elie Saab, also known as my favorite kind of state banquet.

The Grand Duchess wore a Greek goddess Elie Saab number originally featured here back when the frock walked the runway. And just for those of us that care, she brought out one of the rarely used Luxembourg tiaras.

This is a petite bandeau of large warm yellow-orange citrine or topaz oval stones separated by arcs of pearls. Interesting combo, no? And it even comes with a matching parure. We don't see this very often - it was last spotted on Maria Teresa's daughter Princess Alexandra on National Day - but it's quite the example of how versatile the Luxembourg collection is. You can see the tiaras that MT's worn (which is not even the whole collection) here.

And then they came home from Germany, and dropped some major royal news: Guillaume is engaged! The Hereditary Grand Duke will marry Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy later this year. Luxarazzi has a lovely bio of our future Hereditary Grand Duchess. The engagement isn't a huge surprise, since Guillaume publicly acknowledged a relationship during interviews for his 30th birthday last November.

Congrats to the happy couple! They have now been added to our roster of upcoming royal weddings, which coincidentally also includes two of Guillaume's cousins.

UPDATE: The couple have met with the press, dignitaries, and family.

With the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess

With Prince Félix (left), Prince Louis and Princess Tessy (right)

And the cute countess showed off her ring!

If Guillaume picked that out, I'm officially, hugely, jealous that she snagged him. Love love love it!

Photos: Wort/Tageblatt/Daylife/Reuters/Profimedia/Cour Grand-Ducale/Christian Aschman

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 6-12 November

Here's what Catherine wore from 6-12 November:

1. a) Attending a dinner for the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal, 10 November, in a custom version of this (b) Jenny Packham gown and (c) a pair of earrings which have been identified as silver with "crystal paste stones" by Beaut Jewellery who supplied this design to Jenny Packham. I won't lie and say I wasn't disappointed to learn she didn't have a new set of diamonds in her jewel box, but they sparkled on video nevertheless, and they're a great Deco-esque design. As for the toga dress, I think it's great but I wish she'd done her hair up (it was only sort of half up on the one side) because I think there's too much going on with the flutter sleeve and the asymmetrical neckline plus all the hair. In other words: an utterly typical assessment from one who is permanently on Team Updo.
2. a) At a meeting for the Prince's Charities Forum, 11 November, in a b) blazer from Zara. Basic wool blazer with an interesting detail: I like it. Can't really make out what she had on underneath, though.

Outside our regular time frame, but no doubt this is fresh on everyone's minds:

1. At the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph with fellow royal family members (top row includes the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne's husband Vice Admiral Tim Laurence; bottom row is Princess Alexandra of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester), 13 November, wearing a Diane von Furstenberg coat and Jane Corbett hat. Not a huge fan of the forward tilt on Kate's hat or of Sophie's choice to repeat the flamboyant gray hat she wore to Monaco's royal wedding for this particular event; however, it doesn't matter. That's just not what this event is about. 

Members of the royal family that lay wreaths at the Cenotaph. (Front: the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Second: the Duke of York and the Princess Royal. Third: the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales. Fourth: the Duke of Kent and the Earl of Wessex.)

Photos: Paul Rogers/Daily Mail/Just Jared/British Monarchy Flickr/Zara/Getty Images/Daylife

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 23-29 October

Here's what Catherine wore from 23-29 October:

1. Hosting an event for In Kind Direct at Clarence House, 26 October - her first solo engagement, filling in for Prince Charles who was away paying respects to the recently deceased Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. She wore an Amanda Wakeley gown and accessorized with her standard diamond earrings and bracelet (and engagement ring, obviously) as well as those sparkly Jimmy Choos first seen in L.A. I really think she knocked this one out of the park. She looks fantastic! Even the hair is just right - out of her face, but still adding some shoulder coverage.

Photos: Just Jared/Paul Burns/Clarence House/Zimbio/Daily Mail/Mirror/Net-a-porter