I hope you all had a holiday weekend (or non-holiday weekend) as cozy and chic as the one the Windsors had.
Yes, I said chic! This might be the first time in the short history of this blog where I can honestly apply the word to pretty much all of the British royal family at once, at their annual march to Christmas service at Sandringham.
The Queen got things rolling in her jolly red coat and hat with snuggly fur trim. Change the fur to white and add a black belt with a gold buckle, and we'd really be in business. That fur trim did mean she went without a brooch, but other family members were ready and willing to pick up the slack in that department. You can read all about her brooch pick for her traditional Christmas speech over at the Jewel Vault, of course.
Here's one brooch stepping in, a diamond moth from the Duchess of Cornwall. She pinned it on this chic charcoal and black outfit - one of my favorites from Camilla's current wardrobe. She looks great in these coats with clean lines and selectively placed trim, and should buy them in bulk.
Lady Sarah Chatto also helped out in the brooch department, in a diamond
and pearl star brooch that belonged to her mother, Princess Margaret. It's a lookalike to the Queen's Jardine Star Brooch, but that style is really quite common (the Princess Royal has one too).
She and Princess Beatrice represented the black coat team, a look which is not particularly interesting but is also hard to get wrong. It did make me glad for Princess Eugenie's shot of teal, though.
Princess Anne - who I like to imagine was having a stern conversation with her umbrella here, just daring it to defy her and attempt a windy getaway - sported a feather in her cap and a chicly cut light green coat.
And it was green for the Duchess of Cambridge as well, as her parade of new coats rolls on. I love the empire waist variation (when one has one's own coat museum, one can afford to switch it up), and of course I appreciate that she made a rare brooch appearance. The acorn motif brooch has been seen once before, in 2012, and is thought to be in her personal collection.
All that said, there was one family member that really swept the chic competition. I may need to make a quick addendum to my Best of 2015 honorable mentions...
Hello, Sophie! The added faux fur collar elevates the Countess of Wessex's Suzannah coat by about a million points for pure Christmas perfection.
On that chic note, the holiday hiatus is back in effect! We'll return with our annual coverage of the first tiara events of the year, the New Year's receptions in Denmark and Japan.
The blog is on semi-hiatus through the next week - semi because we will be back this weekend to cover the parade of royals at Christmas services, so tune in for that.
Thank you all for joining in the fun in 2015, and I hope you'll stick around for whatever 2016 may bring. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
We've covered our major players and their best outfits of the year, but there's a world of sartorial splendor beyond that bunch. My favorites from other royal ladies in 2015:
Princess Madeleine: Multiple Events
Princess Madeleine absolutely killed it this year, in beautifully soft Elie Saab perfectly customized for her about-to-burst status at her brother's wedding, sophisticated Valentino for her son's christening, and detailed gray Fadi El Khoury at the Nobel Prize ceremony. A serious run of gold star-worthy moments.
Royal weddings continue to be the gift that keeps on giving. In stunning couture by Celia Kritharioti, Princess Tatiana continued her run of A+ royal wedding appearances at the summer Swedish wedding to earn a well-deserved spot on my year-end best list.
The Countess of Wessex: Prince Carl Philip's Wedding
Her ever-increasing fashion game earns Sophie a spot on the best list, and go figure, I'm picking once again from that Swedish wedding. This dove gray gown by Taťána Kovaříková is not only flattering, it's the best platform yet for her aquamarine necklace tiara to shine.
I couldn't tell you what it was about this Dior Couture gown that I loved so much on Princess Charlene when she wore it and I still can't, but I can tell you that I'm still in love. There several high points from the Monaco bunch this year, particularly Beatrice Borromeo (just all around, but especially her magnificent evening ensemble during her wedding festivities) and Charlotte Casiraghi in Gucci at Cannes.
For abandoning the sea of fascinators and perchers and whatever you want to call 'ems for a hat with an actual top on it and a delicious color contrast, Princess Beatrice at Ascot in Beulah London and Laura Apsit Livens must make my best list. I'll throw in a nod here too for her sister, Princess Eugenie, whose Ascot moments included the best royal appearance in patterned Peter Pilotto I've seen yet.
I could go on, but I'm calling it here. That's it! That's our Year in Review, done and dusted. Any looks you're still lusting after that didn't make my cut?
P.S.: Over at the Vault, there's a long look at the Duchess of Cornwall's most sparkling moments of the year, and still to come is my annual wrap up of the Queen's year in jewels, including her favorite brooches by the numbers.
I usually start thinking about my picks for the best of the year in early December, but I always leave room for the Nobels on Crown Princess Victoria's list. Just in case, you know. And this is why:
Purple and a cape and a new-ish tiara choice and some amethysts thrown in for good measure. Bliss in bespoke By Malina - both my favorite Victoria tiara appearance for the year and my favorite Victoria appearance of all in 2015.
I had plenty of other options lined up, though. With her mastery of maternity wear and the special events she attended this year, my honorable mentions list could go on:
This was a year with a maternity leave and without an international tour for the Duchess of Cambridge, but - thanks to the tiara gods - the pickings for her Best of 2015 were still easy as can be:
A master class in how to incorporate diplomatic symbolism into your outfit in an elegant way, what we saw of the Jenny Packham dress (state banquets, alas, aren't great for fashion perusal, but I'll take what I can get) was swishy and just a touch sparkly.
It doesn't exactly hurt that the look was also laden with diamonds on loan from the Queen and topped by one of my favorite tiaras and a fab chignon, but the dress can stand on its own as a 2015 highlight.
Honorable mentions:
We didn't really get to see her dress for the Diplomatic Reception (speaking of events not great for fashion perusal, harrumph), but the surprise tiara debut was enough for an honorable mention alone.
Assorted merry tidings for your tidbits this week:
--It's just not Christmas until Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, and Princess Estelle have released their little Christmas greeting, so here it is:
--And new family photos to go along with it, of course!
Kungahuset.se
--It's also not Christmas until Norway's royal familygathers for their annual Christmas photocall. But this time - tragically! (for me, who adores a good bunad) - they didn't wear their traditional dress. I do enjoy another peek inside Skaugum, the Crown Prince couple's home, anyway. [Hello]
--Belgium's royal family also released a pic for Christmas. King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and all four kids attended the Christmas concert at the palace earlier this week. [ParisMatch]
@MonarchieBe
--The Spanish royal family's Christmas card focuses on the kids. (And their signatures, which are the best.)
House of HM the King
--Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia were on hand to accept the Christmas trees for the Royal Palace, and I really like her H&M dress. [Kungliga Modeblogg]
Sometimes you have to weigh your options all year long, and sometimes you know the year's best when you see it. I pretty much called this one when I saw it, and my pick for Queen Máxima's best outfit of the year hasn't changed:
Like I said, a dress inspired by a room in one of your palaces is the height of couture, and this Jan Taminiau creation remains sublime. I hope we'll see it again, all tiara'd up, soon.
Repeated Jan Taminiau special creations top my list of honorable mentions for the year, as a matter of fact:
You know it's been a good year in Tiara Land when you can make a lengthy list of tiaras that were new to us or new to a different wearer. And list them we shall!
April: Queen Letizia debuts the Ansorena Princess Fleur de Lys Tiara
April: Queen Mathilde wears the full Nine Provinces Tiara
Queen Mathilde had used the bandeau portion of Belgium's top tiara, but she waited until Margrethe's birthday dinner to wear the thing in its full glory, top diamonds and arches included. With two state visits to fellow monarchies on the Belgian royal agenda for 2016 (to Japan and the Netherlands), I trust we'll see the whole shebang again soon.
June: Princess Sofia debuts her Emerald and Diamond Tiara
And the Swedish royal wedding still had more presents to give: Princess Tatiana of Greece wore a new-to-her tiara which was, as reported in Point de Vue, a loan from Bulgari.
June: Princess Claire debuts a new parure
Luxembourg's National Day gala delivered a new-to-us red stone parure on Princess Claire, including a small bandeau tiara (which may well be a bracelet on a frame). This one's still a mystery.
Sending us into the holiday season on a tiara high at the annual Diplomatic Reception, Kate took on the diadem made iconic by Diana. It was a moment many of us thought we wouldn't see for a long time, and now we have to hope that we won't have a long wait until we can see it properly.
December: Princess Madeleine wears the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara
I've gone back and forth and back and forth between two Letizia ensembles as serious contenders for her best of the year So, for the first and only time in this 2015 review, I'm calling it a tie. Two bests of the year for our Spanish queen:
2015 was the year of the CHOP! Queen Letizia took her sassy new haircut and used it as an excuse to play with her hairstyles even more. My first pick for her best of the year takes full advantage of that new 'do.
LIKE A BOSS. My love for a Little White Dress (little white skirt and Hugo Boss top, in this case) and my love for #TeamShades, united in one glorious ensemble. This one stood out as such a great example of the new hair, the trademark sleek silhouette, and the swagger she's using to redefine "dressing like a queen". A Peak Letizia moment, if you will, and I couldn't resist.
But! That same state visit gave us another moment that can't be ignored.
At the Peru state banquet
That was Peak Letizia and this is Peak Cinderella, and you know there will always be love for that here. I love it when Felipe Varela thinks big, and I love it when Queen Letizia surprises me. Best #2 of 2, done.
With dual picks for my top spot, my honorable mentions list is very slim indeed:
She had a big tiara moment this year, but I'm going to focus on the dresses here and handle that one in our forthcoming tiara post.
A double shot of 2015 bests today! I'm throwing these two together because they were the two that left me the most stumped when it came to naming a year-end winner.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit was a tricky one, so I stuck to territory she knows well: coats and whites.
About this Prada coat: I need it. I need it enough to overcome quibbles about that fascinator thingy. That's really all there is to it. And if it happens to be in a shot where Haakon seems to be demurely giggling behind his top hat, well, that's just a bonus.
Last year, Queen Mathilde wore a dress so fully adored that I had trouble coming up with any other contenders for her best of the year. This year, I had the opposite issue: several contenders, not one big front-runner for the best. In these situations, I find it best to turn to the nearest royal wedding appearance.
And whatever you do, do not forget the Seuss twins. They deserve a mention for sheer sartorial spirit, if nothing else. With a Belgian state visit to the Netherlands on the books for 2016, what wonders await us?
We've already refreshed our memories on the year's major royal events, because I don't know about you, but that's what usually ends up providing the bulk of my favorite royal outfits for the year. The first of our regulars to take the Year in Review stage is a perfect case in point.
Crown Princess Mary managed to turn up the volume for her mother-in-law's 75th birthday celebrations while also reusing pieces from the past, a balance that left the spotlight on the birthday girl but still gave me my pick for Mary's Best of 2015:
The Crown Princess has sent multiple outfits back to the tailor for a little sartorial renovation over the years, and this is a showcase of how great that strategy can be. On its third redo, I have finally fallen for this midnight velvet Prada dress.
That necklace! Need I say more? This event was its first appearance, and we're still waiting to learn more. Perhaps 2016 will send us some answers.
--Birthdays Part 1: The Dutch royal court released a lovely new picture for the Princess of Orange's 12th birthday, featuring the A-team on their horses.
--Birthdays Part 3: We have new photos for Crown Princess Masako too, as she celebrated her 52nd birthday looking well. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]
--Queen Raniawelcomed the German president and his partner to Jordan in a fascinating coat featuring some serious embroidery. I can't tell if I love it, period, or if I just love a break from some of the more boring entries this Royal Coat Season. Either way, I'm digging it. It's from Nafsika Skourti in Jordan.[Instagram]
--Hey, here's a close up of that swimming pool of aquamarine Princess Madeleine wore on her finger at the Nobel ceremony, the ring she inherited from Princess Lilian. [Instagram]
The thing I love above all else is variety – especially of the jewel sort – and this year’s Nobel Prize ceremonies delivered a pleasing mix of fabulous variety and business as usual. Check back on the open post for links to view the ceremonies, and there are gallery links at the bottom of this post. Also, we've covered all of these tiaras before, so click the links for more. To the awards!
We start in Norway, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded at a ceremony attended by King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
The Crown Princess loves her some white coats, and she loves her a white ensemble for this ceremony. This year’s Alexander McQueen version, repeated from Queen Margrethe’s birthday celebrations, adds some swing to the usual silhouette, and I love it. I’d love it even more with a hat instead of this headband thing (she swaps out the ribbon color and has worn it several times before), but I’ll take what I can get.
She managed to shake up her usual white dress business at the evening dinner. Look, Ma, not a prairie flower in sight!
The Norwegian royals attended the Nobel Peace Prize banquet this evening at the Grand Hotel in Oslo pic.twitter.com/rD8bJJIZqS
This teal on Sonja is like a cool drink of water after a hot run of years in a white/red or dark/black palette for this event. Fab.
Next up is Sweden, where they fill the evening presenting shift with sparkles galore to hand out the rest of the Nobel Prizes. The whole Swedish royal family was in attendance: King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine, Christopher O’Neill, Princess Christina, and Tord Magnuson.
Let’s start with some jumpy claps: Princess Madeleine in the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara! This tiara belongs to her aunt, Princess Margaretha, who has also loaned it to Princess Christina in recent years. She also wore the diamond floral earrings usually worn by Queen Silvia and a ring from Princess Lilian.
Madeleine looks so great in aquamarine stones, and this tiara - one of my favorite aqua pieces, and irresistibly sparkly in motion - looks perfect on her. Her gray Fadi El Khoury gown (probably the one we thought was destined for Victoria) is sparkly yet soft, and the whole ensemble gets a big A+ from me.
I assumed Sofia would wear her own Emerald and Diamond Tiara again, and she did. She still gave us a surprise in the form of new (looks new, at least Update: they are borrowed from Queen Silvia!) emerald and diamond earrings to match and a large diamond brooch from the family collection.
I’m surprised her gown is from Oscar de la Renta, and I’m surprised I don’t love it as much as I usually love OdlR. But I am happy to see that the pesky sash issues from October have are all sorted out and she looks like a pro this time around.
I hoped Queen Silvia might break her recent Nobel tiara streak, which involves alternating between the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure and the Nine Prong Tiara every year. But no, the Party Antlers rode again. She paired them with one of her favorite pairs of earrings, the Karl XIV Johan Earrings, and a red gown with a jacket top and massive skirt.
Princess Christina also continued her love of the Six Button Tiara, and I continue to be glad that she makes it look the best out of all the royal ladies.
Oh, you didn’t think that a new-to-Madeleine tiara was going to distract me from giving my top prize to the one in purple and in a fun tiara choice, did you? The competition was close, but my predictable old self won out in the end.
I LOVE Crown Princess Victoria’s flowing purple gown with a cape on top, which is a custom creation in aubergine silk chiffon from By Malina. I love the amethyst jewels that she paired with it (two brooches, earrings, and necklace from Queen Josephine’s Amethyst Parure), and I love that she wore the Connaught Tiara! It’s not a totally new-to-her piece, since she first wore it at Prince Carl Philip’s wedding and had worn the diamond drops before that, but it is a nice development to see the tiara shared outside of a family wedding. My best of the best tonight.
In Norway, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess attended the annual concert for the Nobel Peace Prize, and I like this dress on Mette-Marit, but...well, that's about as much enthusiasm as I have for that.
I do have more enthusiasm for the King's Dinner in Sweden, and not just because they have tiaras. Okay, partly because they have tiaras, but also because there are some interesting dress selections going on here.
Swedish royals are attending the Kings Dinner for the Nobel winners tonight at the Royal Palace pic.twitter.com/rYwpl6RoW6
I wondered if Crown Princess Victoria would repeat her lovely Pär Engsheden lake of sequins worn to the Nobels in 2011, when she was pregnant with Estelle, and sure enough...here we go! And with the Baden Fringe Tiara for bonus points.
Photo: Kungahuset.se
Also riding the shiny blue train was Queen Silvia in the Leuchtenberg Sapphires, with...an extra tablecloth attached to her hip, just in case? Never know when you're going to need that emergency table linen.
I've seen labels from "showgirl" to "Downton Abbey" applied to Princess Madeleine's lace dress with its sheer top and high lace collar, which is quite a gap to span. I suppose that's an achievement on its own. Personally...well...I think it's too complicated for a sash and all that lot, for starters.
She paired it with the Modern Fringe Tiara, returning to her favorite. Princess Christina kept to her favorite as well with the Six Button Tiara two nights in a row.
And finally, Princess Sofia. She did not take this opportunity to dive into the family vault, instead sticking with her Emerald and Diamond Tiara. She also stuck with that middle part in her hair (you know, the one that makes the tiara look like it's precariously balanced right up top), with a half updo this time. I'm growing tired of that, but I have a feeling this Zetterberg Couture dress is one of which I could never grow tired. Similar in certain ways to Princess Madeleine's dress from the previous evening, so apparently I have a type.
Be sure to check back later today for my post covering the first day of the Nobel Prize festivities! In the mean time, here's a place for those of you that want to watch the ceremony in Sweden live, or who want to chat otherwise about the day's events.
Update: The ceremonies are now over, but broadcasts can be streamed after the fact at the links below.
While you're waiting, here's a mini Nobel flashback with something a little different: Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik joined King Carl Gustaf and Prince Bertil on the ceremony stage in 1975!
International royals occasionally attend if one of the laureates is from their country, and two physics laureates with Danish associations that year meant the Danish sovereign couple graced the ceremony with their presence. Such guests are usually seated in the audience, something we last saw when the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg attended in 2011. But in 1975, one year before Queen Silvia and Princess Lilian made their Nobel debuts, I guess there was plenty of room on stage for a fellow Scandinavian monarch. That year was also the 75th anniversary of the Prizes, with a larger ceremony held at a different venue. Let the sideways jewel guessing game commence...
Holyrood Week 2021 and Return to Windsor Castle
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*June 28: The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Cambridge, started her
annual week of engagements in Scotland, known as Holyrood Week.*
Embed from Getty Ima...
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