Royal Visits of the Day: Mathilde and Mette-Marit's Pink Trips

Pink's the new it color for all your state- and official-visiting needs! So say Queen Mathilde and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, at least.

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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.

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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

— Royal Highness (@vaninaswchindt) November 7, 2017

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.

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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.

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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.

Tiara Watch of the Day: Spain Hosts a State Banquet for Israel

Maybe Queen Letizia loved the mantón de Manila dress she wore this summer so much, she remembered that she had this other treat lurking somewhere in the closet:

The King and Queen of Spain welcomed the President and First Lady of Israel for a state visit on Monday, including a state banquet at the Royal Palace.
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This black and white Manila shawl skirt by Lorenzo Caprile is from 2004 and she's worn it with a couple different white tops (this one and this one) and with this black top in the past. The skirt's a treat indeed, even if this might be my least favorite combo of the options to date.

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I suppose you could say her return to her usual favorite tiara, the Spanish Floral Tiara, qualifies as keeping her jewelry on the quieter side for the evening. That's just what the comedown from two La Buena appearances in a year will do to ya, though, because this queen's still wearing a tiara, the double bracelets from the joyas de pasar, two diamond brooches to pin her sash in place, and earrings. That's a whole lotta diamonds and the floral tiara's a great choice for this skirt. Fabulous.

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On the other hand, I did find Queen Letizia's outfit for the arrival to be a bit on the quieter side for a state visit, just this simple dress that was mostly covered by a trench coat. Simple but very purple, so I think you know where I fall on the judgment scale.

Royal Dress of the Day: Máxima Brings the Drama (Again) in Portugal

Hit the rewind button, we gotta wrap up King W-A and Queen Máx's Portuguese adventures. One of their remaining adventures, at least. Because while there were some outfits that were just...*stares directly at camera* *shrugs*...her evening follow up to the state banquet's emerald festival was filled with even more drama.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a concert on the second day of their state visit to Portugal last week.

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Half cape, half caftan, all drama! This Jan Taminiau gown comes with an all-you-can-handle serving of rubies and diamonds, and its own creatively placed censor bar, free with purchase. Husbands that understand the art of escorting a dramatic gown are sold separately.

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About those jewels, though, seriously. Many people would have seen the bold, clean lines of the dress and gone for a minimalist, modern jewel approach. Many people are not our Máxima. She's experimenting again, using a piece of the stomacher from the Mellerio Ruby set as a pendant on her diamond rivière. She previously used it as a brooch pendant; this is even better. What combo will she dream up next??

Tiara Watch of the Day: Queen Máxima in Portugal

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima began their state visit to Portugal yesterday, including a state banquet in the evening.

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Straight off of her latest production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, it's Máxima in all out MAX mode! This is some dress, huh? If anyone ever invites her to an enchanted woodland state banquet, she's all set. The gown is Jan Taminiau (of course) and while she has worn it for a previous private event, this is its big public debut. Balancing out that egg-sized gemstone around her neck, she chose the Dutch Emerald Parure Tiara, a relatively small diadem from the Dutch collection.

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I love this ensemble more than I thought it was possible to love a shiny jade thing, but I will say this: that delicate top is not at all up to the task of managing the weight of the large golden collar and sash. She's falling down on one side.

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Speaking of sashes and collars (pause for a brief Sash Nerd moment), both Wax and Máx received the Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator. The President received the Order of the Netherlands Lion. Most of the orders in regular use don't have you wear the collar AND the sash at the same time, but they all have their own rules. It's just a lot of stuff, both worn at once.

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Prior to the state banquet, they held the official welcome ceremony. This is a new Natan dress for Máxima, but you could've fooled me. All these blush/beige outfits with the big hats are starting to blend together, in spite of my usual affection for a soft pink.

And prior to the prior to, the couple arrived the evening before in Lisbon. Máxima was wearing some kind of giant bug thing, which frankly feels like a personal insult. If you require a visual for this world of NOPE, you can click here. I'll remain here, choosing to think about absolutely anything else instead.

UPDATE: A bonus tiara! As often happens when royals come to visit, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza were invited to the banquet. (The Duke is the head of the House of Braganza and claimant to the Portuguese throne.) The Duchess really went for it, wearing Queen Amélie's Diamond Tiara, also known as the Dom Luís Diadem. That's her big gun, very rarely used. Her diamond choker, another Braganza heirloom, can also be worn as a tiara.

The Duchess of Braganza at the state banquet.
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Tiara Watch: The Spanish State Visit Strikes Again

More tiaras were promised; more tiaras were delivered.

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The second day of a British state visit usually involves a gala banquet for the visiting head of state hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London at the Guildhall. This is not the flood of royal tiaras that last night's state banquet was; unlike the state banquet, this is not an event hosted by the royal family. The Queen does, however, send a royal rep to the event.

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So the Princess Royal came armed with her most dashing escort (Tim Laurence, of course!), her deepest curtseys, her daintiest diamonds, and the most fairy tale dress in her wardrobe. Doesn't this seem like an uncommonly frilly gown for her? It's just that I always think of her as a no-nonsense type of dresser. It's probably forty years old, knowing Anne. And it.still.works.

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The embellished gown really does work well with one of her favorite assembled parures, pieces that weren't made together but they work as a set anyway: her Festoon Tiara, her diamond demi-parure (earrings and necklace) from her parents, and her diamond bow brooch from her brother (all covered here). The diamond brooch took the place of her Royal Family Order for the night; you can see the holes on her sash where the RFO usually goes. She also wore the sash and star of the Order of the Garter, plus the star of her new Spanish order, the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

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(Sidebar on Spanish orders awarded by King Felipe during this visit, for my fellow sash nerds: Here's confirmation that Andrew, Anne, and Harry were all given a grade of the Order of Isabella the Catholic; since they weren't wearing the sashes and only wore the stars, I assume it wasn't the top grade. Only those three because they were the ones that accompanied the royal couple on events outside of the palace. Charles, Philip, and Elizabeth also have Spanish orders, but they were given by Juan Carlos. End sash nerd sidebar.)

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Queen Letizia stepped back to her current favorite tiara, the Spanish Floral Tiara. The real story is THOSE EARRINGS. Sapphires and diamonds, and - based on the style - almost certainly a Middle Eastern gift, I'd guess Saudi. They are HEFTY. They are also an entirely wrong match for the natural style of the Floral Tiara, and would have been better off with a different diadem.

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This navy one shoulder gown is, as far as I'm concerned, mainly another device to enable the wearing of the double bracelets of the joyas de pasar on one wrist. See, you have to double up on the bling. Because of balance. A brilliant scheme. Anyway, it's not as in-your-face fabulous as last night's was, but why compete with something that can't be beat? Of course she took a step back tonight. It's still a lovely appearance.

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Also, hey, another tiara! The Lady Mayoress always wears one, and a couple other ladies did as well, which you can see in the group shot above. I have no information to provide here, I am just passing along the bling. As is my duty. *salutes*

Update: The couple's farewell from Buckingham Palace has been covered at the Vault!

 

Royal Fashion Awards: The Spain/United Kingdom State Banquet

I am delighted to report that tonight’s state banquet at Buckingham Palace for the visiting Spanish royals DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Loads of royals, jewel surprises, and gowns galore, pick me up from this floor! (Click here for our open post from earlier in the day, or keep scrolling. A more detailed jewel look for QEII and Camilla can be found here at the Vault.)

Best Cause of My Death

Queen Letizia

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I am DEAD, and all the jumpy claps in the world are not enough to revive me. La Reina was on fiiiiine form this evening. She delivered on every front: a stunning and sparkly red gown from Felipe Varela which will surely enter my royal sartorial hall of fame, plus a selection of serious jewels.

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The gown was absolutely magnificent in motion, the caped skirt dramatically flowing and the embroidery sparkling like magic. The width of the skirt is a nice balance, volume-wise, for the Fleur de Lys Tiara. She also wore the earrings and one of the bracelets from the joyas de pasar.

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Sash check: Spain’s Order of Charles III for Letizia as well as for Philip and Charles. It’s not surprising that Letizia did not receive a British order; it’s rare that a consort receives one, and Queen Sofia never did. She’s wearing it tucked into her dress, which is not unusual – it’s been done by other Spanish royal ladies, and by other royals too. Some etiquette guides say you shouldn’t have the sash touch your bare shoulder (though there are many many examples of queens wearing sashes with strapless gowns, so it varies). I also imagine it’s just more secure in place like this.

Best in New Orders

King Felipe VI

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Our biggest sash check comes for Felipe, because he was awarded the Order of the Garter, the highest honor QEII gives to other monarchs. Juan Carlos did not receive this until a return state visit and father and son both now have it, so this is special. Felipe also wears Spain’s Order of the Golden Fleece around his neck.

Best in New Jewels

The Duchess of Cambridge

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Kate sported a blush pink Marchesa gown with a sleeve that would make Queen Máxima proud. It is…okay. But I don’t have time for the gown, because THE JEWELS. She wore the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, as she has done in the past, with two new additions to her gem repertoire: the Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace on loan from the Queen and the Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings.

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The necklace (referred to today as King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Bandeau Necklace by the palace) was a part of the Greville Bequest and was among the Queen’s wedding gifts; I've written about it here. The Queen hasn’t worn it since the 1980s and it’s too long for her current necklines, so this is fabulous to see in use again. The earrings may be even more significant. These earrings were a wedding gift to Diana, Princess of Wales, from Collingwood Jewellers; she wore them often with this tiara. I hope this is the first step to seeing more of Diana’s private collection emerge. Plus, these are a MUCH better fit with that tiara! A match made in heaven.

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Sash check (well, order check): Nope, she does not have the Queen’s Royal Family Order yet. I know that people like to draw conclusions about her relationship with the Queen from that fact, and I reserve the deepest of eye rolls for that kind of thing. The Queen doesn’t award things lightly and all the rest of the ladies that have it are “full time royals”, basically. I consider it as simple as that.

Most United Jewel Front

Queen Elizabeth II, The Princess Royal, The Countess of Wessex

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Did anyone guess the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure would be QEII’s pick for the night? Not me! It was just an aquamarine night, I guess, because Anne joined in with her Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara and Sophie wore her Wessex Aquamarine Necklace Tiara. And, sadly, a few quick glimpses of them during the speeches is about all we’ll get.

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Sash check: The Queen wears Spain’s Order of the Golden Fleece on the bow on her shoulder. It was given to her by King Juan Carlos. British orders for the rest, the Order of the Garter for Anne and the Royal Victorian Order for Sophie and the Royal Family Order brooch for them both.

Most Typical in Sparkle

The Duchess of Cornwall

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A repeated white dress + a pearl choker + the Greville Tiara = Camilla’s uniform. She’s saved from boredom here (you know, as much as one can be “bored” with this many diamonds) by a serious pair of sparkly earrings which are new! They are pricey little numbers from Van Cleef & Arpels, here's more information. Sash check: No Spanish order for Camilla (again, not surprising; Diana didn’t get one in the 1980s either), so it’s her Royal Victorian Order with the Royal Family Order brooch.

Best State Banquet Newcomer

Prince Harry

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Making his state banquet debut…hi, Harry! His order check shows us his Royal Victorian Order around the neck (he’s a lower grade than Sophie and Camilla, so he doesn’t have the sash). He also appears to be wearing two breast stars on his jacket, one for the RVO and one for...something else, hard to see. And his tiara-wearing seatmate is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, because I know that gem will catch some eyes.

Update: One more!

Princess Michael of Kent

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Princess Michael is one of those royals that attends plenty of state banquets but isn't often seen. I'm so glad she was on this occasion, because I always need to see the Kent Festoon Tiara. This state banquet was also a first for Princess Michael's daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, who I believe is just out of this picture.

What makes your best list from tonight’s banquet?

Phew! What a delight! And guess what...there's still a Guildhall banquet with a second tiara opportunity for Letizia tomorrow night.

Royal State Visit of the Week: Spain in the U.K.

Letizia...*puts on sunglasses*...has arrived.

Arrival

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The long-awaited state visit from Spain to the United Kingdom has begun! King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia arrived on Tuesday, a day ahead of the visit's official start. Letizia traveled in this repeated Hugo Boss white outfit, which is totally what I wear to travel, you know, just minus the heels and the skirt and the crisp white color and...oh, never mind.

Official Welcome Ceremony

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The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall met the Spanish royal couple at the hotel on Wednesday and escorted them to Horse Guards Parade, where they were officially welcomed with full pomp and circumstance by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

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The Spanish royal family doesn’t do the hat-n’-gloves thing in their regular business, but Queen Letizia is always game to pop on a chapeau when the occasion calls for it. Like her mother-in-law in 1986, Letizia recognized that a British state visit is the very definition of a hat occasion.

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She’ll never meet Camilla’s levels of hat froof (NO ONE POSSIBLY COULD), but she was admirably game to try in the Maria Nieto hat she wore to match her Felipe Varela outfit.

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The yellow was an interesting selection – feels an unusual choice for her, right? – and ended up coordinating her nicely with the yellow flowers on Queen Elizabeth’s hat. South of the hat, though, things started to get a bit awkward. And by the hem, it started to get regrettable. The lower hem detail is a play on two yellows gone too far.

Buckingham Palace Luncheon

Royal Family

Once inside Buckingham Palace, the royal party enjoyed a luncheon and then reviewed a special exhibition of items from the Royal Collection related to Spain. And at this point, more members of the Windsor clan begin to show up...

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Hello, Countess of Wessex! You know, Sophie's really mastered the "oooh, look how interesting!" pose.

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Multiple dukes have also joined the party: Cambridge! York! Gloucester (even though he's not in this shot)! Swimming with royals, this place is - and we actually get to see it, for a change. I'm already loving this increased coverage.

Clarence House Visit

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OUTFIT CHANGE! Felipe and Letizia headed next to Clarence House for some quality time with Charles and Camilla. We've got red...

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...we've got a saucy belted coat...we've got ruby earrings. She's also doing a bit of "diplomatic dressing" here, because this coat is Burberry. Sign. Me. Up.

State Banquet

Oh boy oh boy oh boy - I'm working on a new post for the state banquet because it deserves one! In the mean time, just a few quick screengrabs...

************

Because this visit has been so hotly anticipated, we're going to do this open post-style. You may want to stay in touch, because because this post will continue to be updated.


And over at the Jewel Vault:

• Detailed look at the jewels of the Welcome Ceremony for the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall is right here.

Stay tuned...

Royal Outfits of the Day: Queen Máxima's Recent Shenanigans

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.

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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.

Day 4 of the Italian state visit.

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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.

Zimmerman Tropicale Crinkle Dress in printed silk crinkle georgette (per ModeKoninginMaxima)
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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.

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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.

Tiara Watch of the Day: The Dutch State Visit to Italy

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.

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Here's the arrival outfit. Perfectly lovely! It is from Natan, and the way that you know that is because it looks suspiciously familiar.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

The trip continues at the Vatican today.

Royal Outfits of the Day: Máxima and Letizia's Extra Frills

Because there's always room for a little something extra, right?

For example, why just go with a simple sheath dress when you can throw on a feather duster?

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Queen Máxima opened the StudyPortals headquarters on Friday.

Bring one of these with you, and you never worry about discreetly brushing off the chair before you sit again! Handy.

And while we're at it, why go with a plain black velvet ensemble when you could toss a fan on top?

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King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Japan during their state visit last week.

Queen Letizia hasn't reached Queen Silvia levels of tablecloth attachment - yet - though she is approaching placemat territory. This top and skirt is from Armani Privé Fall 2011, which is surprising on a couple levels, and it's obviously from a Japan-inspired collection. She also wore a pair of ruby and diamond earrings she's worn before (for her fabulous pre-princess appearance in Denmark, for one).

Armani Privé Fall 2011

Unnecessary frills? Yes. Are they both pulling them off? Also a YES from me.

Tiara Watch of the Day: Spain's State Visit to Japan

We have some tiaras in action for our review on this Thursday: King Felipe and Queen Letizia kicked off their state visit to Japan with both tiara glitter and earring glitter.

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Letizia's Felipe Varela outfit for the official welcome ceremony was a deep red velvet dress with a whole lot of buttons and a neck bow worn under a red coat with waist detailing and a double tie closure. That's an awful lot of fastening methods for one outfit. Doesn't really matter, though, because her earrings drew all the attention anyway.

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That's right, our resident Earring Queen delivered in a major way. In addition to a potentially interesting pair from Bounkit in green jade and rose quartz worn for a later reception (which you can spy in this gallery), Letizia's red outfit included a pair of diamond and ruby earrings belonging to a set of jewelry previously worn by Queen Sofia. Not only do I love a little extra dazzle on a special state visit outfit, I love Letizia wearing gems from Sofia's collection.

The Sofia earring trend continued at the evening's state banquet.

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Returning to her recent favorite tiara, the Spanish Floral Tiara, Letizia wore the two large bracelets from the "joyas de pasar" (recently debuted when she wore the Fleur de Lys Tiara) and borrowed diamond and sapphire earrings once again previously worn by Queen Sofia. This dress could take the necklace, too, not to scare her off the jewel path or anything. Empress Michiko got her carats in with a large diamond collet necklace and pendant, having stopped wearing tiaras a few years ago.

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Lest you were in any doubt from the above picture, yes, this is THE Princess Dress (queen dress, but whatever) from the 2015 Peru state banquet. And lest you should be in any doubt in any situation, yes, Empress Michiko has worked a little bit of cape action into her look.

Observe that Princess Skirt in motion:

Shall we do a Sash Check? For the curious: King Felipe wore the collar of Japan's Order of the Chrysanthemum, while Emperor Akihito wore the collar of Spain's Order of the Golden Fleece. Both displaying peak methods of combining orders from another country plus one's own country, Felipe also wore the Order of the Golden Fleece around his neck and the sash of the Order of Charles III (with double breast stars on his jacket); Akihito also wore the sash of the Order of the Chrysanthemum. Queen Letizia was given Japan's Order of the Precious Crown. (Fun fact: she was also gifted silk from Empress Michiko's own silkworms, enough to make a dress.) The Empress chose to wear the small bow brooch of the Order of Charles III on her bodice instead of the sash, which she has worn in the past.

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There are always more tiaras when Japan is involved, it's often just a little harder to see them. Above (click to enlarge) we have Princess Mako in her tiara, Crown Princess Masako with an interesting sleeve detail and the Japanese Pearl Sunburst Tiara, Princess Kiko in the Akishino Tiara, and Princess Kako in her tiara. (There are a couple better views of some of the Japanese princesses in this gallery, and you can see more walking behind the main table in this video.) A most satisfying sparkly show, no?

Royal State Visits of the Day: March 31

What a delightful state visit-y week it's been. Let's keep it going one more day and catch up with the Day 2 outfits from this week's visits. Spoiler alert, at least two of these ladies saved their category bests for last.

Netherlands/Argentina up first! A day of engagements followed by a ballet hosted by the President and First Lady of Argentina.

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See this? By far the better of the day outfits Queen Máxima wore for the state visit. It's a Claes Iversen magenta coat with bedazzled starbursts, which is basically as Máx-tastic as a coat can get. (Banner week for this designer: Crown Princess Mary also wore his designs on this same day.)

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Pardon me while I cut straight to the jewels in the evening. The Dutch collection is lucky enough to include more than one huge sapphire bow brooch; this version, which dates back to Queen Emma, has recently been used with an alternate citrine brooch in the center. The earrings are equally luscious and equally flexible, able to be worn in different settings. They were created using stones from Queen Wilhelmina's broken up Wedding Gift Parure.


Now over to you, Belgium/Denmark. A day of engagements - and a quick jog - followed by a concert hosted by the Belgian couple at the Black Diamond library in Copenhagen. (Sidebar: Black Diamond! All libraries should be named like James Bond movies.)

Belgian Monarchy

Hmm. As much as I love a cape sleeve and a little mixing and matching, Queen Mathilde's Esmeralda Ammoun jacket has me thinking some things are best left to Empress Michiko, and Crown Princess Mary's burgundy skirt leaves me craving the original pencil skirt that went with this top.

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On the other hand, I have no hmms to share about this. LOVE IT ALL. Just as she did in the Netherlands last year, Mathilde waited to bring her best evening gown game until night 2 with this sparkly red Natan number. I'm feeling Mary's Jesper Høvring gown too. That color! Give me more, please.

Belgian Monarchy

Others were there too! It's the last day of state visit week, I cut to my faves. {shrug}

Royal State Visit of the Day: March 29

The Belgians went a-state visitin' to Denmark, offering us a speedy primer in Royal Dressing 101 and 102.

The Danish royal family welcomed the King and Queen of the Belgians for a state visit yesterday.

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This is straight from the textbook for Royal Dressing 101: The Basic Coat + Hat Combo. (Also from the textbook for Royal Dressing 000: The Men Wore Suits.) Sometimes there really is nothing better than a simple coat or suit with strong lines, paired with an out-of-the-way hat. Princess Marie's repeated ensemble looks downright fussy next to the sleek run of mint-turquoise-aqua-blue-whateva on the other three ladies. Queen Mathilde's Natan outfit feels like 100 others she has in her closet, but when it works so well for her, can I argue? Nah.

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Here's a shocker: my top marks for the day's class go to Crown Princess Mary. (Try and contain your surprise.) First, she used a new-to-her designer, the Dutch Danish designer Claes Iversen who we know mostly around here for his work for Queen Máxima; second, this is just a great coat. Throwing off the curve for everyone else as usual.

The evening's state banquet provided a glimpse into the textbook for Royal Dressing 102: Sash Coordination Strategies.

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Obviously we need another Sash Check first: Philippe and Mathilde wore Denmark's highest order, the Order of the Elephant. Belgium's highest, the Order of Leopold, was worn in turn by Margrethe and Frederik. A lower Belgian order went to Mary and Joachim, the Order of the Crown, and another notch down went to Marie, the Order of Leopold II. (Now's a good time to drop a couple links to posts I wrote ages ago on the "rules" of wearing orders, useful for those with questions: the basics on the whats and whys, and what happens when countries get together.)

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Queen Margrethe set off her purple sash by keeping the day's aqua theme going, and accented things with her Pearl Poire Tiara and the assembled parure that goes with it. I thought she looked spectacular - one of her best evening dresses of late.

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Queen Mathilde took advantage of the fact that Denmark's Order of the Elephant blue sash goes with just about anything and sported a light orange Armani Privé gown. A complementary color strategy in the school of sash coordination is an advanced tactic. It's also, in this case, a real hard sell.

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She's almost got me sold on the full version of the diamond Nine Provinces Tiara, which I never would have believed possible in the days before she became queen consort, so the impossible is clearly within her reach.

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Golden gowns will go with about anything too, a strategy taken by Mary and Marie (who wore her Diamond Floral Tiara). Crown Princess Mary took it a step further by opting to get a little sash coordination in there by matching her jewels to her burgundy sash - and it was the best surprise of the night.

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This is the first time Mary has used the Danish Ruby Parure for a state visit, so she really made it count. Wearing the Ruby Parure Tiara, the studs from the Ruby Parure Earrings, and the full Ruby Parure Necklace added a necessary bit of color to her golden Jesper Høvring gown (which we just saw at this year's New Year Court). March 28th being Queen Ingrid's birthday was an added bonus. Valedictorian of the class, this one.

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One more tiara for the road! Princess Elisabeth of Denmark was a lovely surprise to see at the state banquet, wearing her usual pick, Princess Thyra's Sapphire Tiara.

And finally, do yourself a favor and enjoy just a bit of the sparkle in action.