30 April 2016

Royal Fashion Awards: King Carl Gustaf's Birthday Banquet


Unlike the fancy white tie, Braganza Tiara-deserving banquet held for his 60th birthday (flashed back to here and here), King Carl Gustaf's 70th just warranted black tie. But praise be to the tiara gods, they threw in some diadems anyway. I knew Queen Silvia wouldn't let us down.

They even gave us a group photo! Everybody's wearing their commemorative birthday medal.
Group Photo, Click to enlarge (Peter Knutson/Kungahuset.se)
Row 1: Queen Silvia, King Carl XVI Gustaf
Row 2: President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, Dorrit Moussaieff, Queen Margrethe II
Row 3: President Sauli Niinistö, Queen Margarita, Jenni Haukio, Prince Albert II, Princess Beatrix, King Philippe, Queen Mathilde
Row 4: King Simeon II, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Hereditary Prince Alois, Hereditary Princess Sophie
Row 5: Crown Princess Margareta, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine, Mr. Christopher O’Neill
Row 6: Prince Radu, Princess Christina, Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Princess Benedikte, Princess Hisako of Takamado, Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Row 7: Thomas de Toledo Sommerlath, Ralf de Toledo Sommerlath, Tord Magnuson, Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld
Row 8: Ewa Westling, Olle Westling, Marie Hellqvist, Erik Hellqvist, Eva Maria O'Neill

For now, a partial edition of Royal Fashion Awards, hitting just the biggest talking points.

Best in Contrast
Queen Silvia and Queen Margrethe
Which did you see first in that group photo: all the tiaras, or one serious orange dress? Even thoroughly tiara-focused me has to admit it was the latter. Queen Silvia combined all her favorite things - shine, sparkle, and diamonds including the Connaught Tiara - in one bright dress made even brighter by the addition of a pink shawl in her hand. (Yes, Virginia, there was a butt bow. Actually, it was more like a...tail feather. Ripe for the shaking.) Queen Margrethe made for a bit of a tonic in her soft blue dress, her second repeat of the day from her own most recent big birthday celebrations. She wore the Baden Palmette Tiara.


Best in Designer Sharing
Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine

A new Elie Saab for Victoria, AND a repeated one for Madeleine. Is it my birthday too? You'll remember Madeleine's; she wore it for her pre-wedding dinner, Victoria wore it for Margrethe's birthday dinner, and now it's back in the rotation.

The dresses weren't the only thing up for sharing. The Swedes did what they do best and swapped their usual jewels all around. Princess Madeleine returned to her favorite Modern Fringe Tiara, but wore the diamond epaulette earrings first worn by Victoria to her pre-wedding event. Madeleine's 18th birthday tiara, the Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara, showed up on aunt Princess Christina; while Victoria wore Princess Lilian's Laurel Wreath Tiara again, her own favorite Baden Fringe was taken for a spin by aunt Princess Birgitta. And the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik that has been favored recently by Madeleine and Christina was once again back with its owner, Princess Margaretha. Follow all that?


Most Surprising Meh
Crown Princess Mary
Oh, this one hurts. Mary threw away a tiara opportunity in favor of a Charlotte Lynggaard for Ole Lynggaard Leaf Hair Jewel (which I tried to make myself believe was part of the Naasut Tiara for as long as possible, but it isn't). The earrings are also new, and specially designed. I'd applaud this if it were sneaking in a hair ornament at a non-tiara occasion, and perhaps I will one day in the future.
It's not just the lack of tiara that leaves me all kinds of meh about this appearance, though. (Honestly, it isn't.) This YDE by Ole Yde dress is so much like a few floral dresses in her closet for day appearances (some of which are also Yde), it feels like a day appearance from the knees up. It's not a badly put together look at all, it's just...meh.


And the rest...
Video: Royals start arriving around 1:40
If I can update this post with more detail later, I will. Until then, let's hit the roster of royals and all their tiara identifications. Here are the royal tiara wearers you can see in that video, with links to the tiaras if we've covered them:
There were more as well, but I'll leave you with just one of my favorites: the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Turquoise Tiara, on Hereditary Princess Kelly!



Sunday Tidbits will be up on Monday for you. 


at 6:47 PM
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