Royal Fashion Awards: The Nobel Prizes, 2018

Another year, and my hopes to see the Cameo Tiara in action are once again denied. Nevertheless, the Swedish royal family provided plenty of oohs and aahs as they attended the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm today – with supporting content from the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, too. (Head over to our open post for links to the ceremonies!)

Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, and Crown Princess Victoria wait to leave the palace in this photo shared by the Swedish royal court.

Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna

Most Notable Repeat

Crown Princess Victoria

Embed from Getty Images

It’s actually a little surprising it took this long for one of Queen Silvia’s old Nobel gowns to take the stage again, given how much digging through her wardrobe her daughters have been doing in recent years.

One Nina Ricci gown, two royal appearances

Victoria chose the Nina Ricci gown her mother wore to the 1995 Nobel ceremony today – classic old school Queen Silvia, with the BIG skirt and the BIG back bow. It could be very easily dated and I’m sure for some of you it will be…but call it my weakness for a giant ball skirt, I think she’s pulling this off.

Embed from Getty Images

Victoria wore the Connaught Tiara once again, with Silvia’s diamond floral earrings and the rose brooch from the Braganza parure.

Best Continuation of a Theme

Queen Silvia

SVT

Did Queen Silvia note her daughter’s divine use of the Bernadotte Emerald Demi-Parure with a green gown last month and decide it was a splendid idea to continue? All I know is that it was a splendid idea. If Victoria was classic old school Silvia today, Silvia herself is classic new school Silvia. She broke her streak of evenly alternating the Nine Prong Tiara with the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure for a second Pronger year in a row, and I don’t even mind.

Best in Tiara Wrangling, Again

Princess Christina

SVT

I’m too lazy to see how many years in a row Princess Christina has won my heart by making some of my least favorite Swedish tiaras look good. She’s the undisputed queen, owning the Six Button Tiara like only she can. Also, I love when she does this evening coat-style look. Luxurious fabrics galore.

Best Dressed

Princess Sofia

Embed from Getty Images

The power of a red dress is real, and this Zetterberg Couture number is a RED DRESS. I’d take the sleeve pouf down a notch, yeah, and yet I still love what Sofia's got going on here. This look has impact.

SVT

Sofia also has some jewel intrigue happening; I thought her pearl choker (which is a debut for her tonight) was the same historical piece previously worn by Princess Madeleine, but it is different and something privately owned. Tall chokers are not easy to wear and she’s doing it in truly regal fashion. I love that she’s carried the pearls through with the rest of her jewels, using the pearl version of her Emerald and Diamond Tiara, plus pearl earrings and a pearl brooch.

And a Special Nod to…

Donna Strickland and Frances Arnold

Embed from Getty Images

I really never include the Nobel laureates here because, well, it's just best if we stick to our royal wheelhouse. But I must say this year what an absolute treat it was to see the two women laureates looking so elegant on their big night. Donna Strickland (in red) is a co-laureate for the Nobel Prize in Physics – just the third woman to win it, and the first in 55 years – for her work in groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics. Frances Arnold (in blue) is a co-laureate for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry – the fifth woman to take the prize in history – for her work in the directed evolution of enzymes.

Meanwhile, in Oslo…

Embed from Getty Images

The treat of the day in Norway was not in jewel form – different ceremony and different subject matter, so appropriately not a gala event – but in simply seeing Crown Princess Mette-Marit looking well in her new Fendi dress. She was a late add to the guest list. Queen Sonja repeated her purple velvet Pucci jacket, much worn and with good reason. Plus a sequin beret, because why not?

Who makes your best dressed list for Nobel 2018?

The festivities are not done! There’s a dinner in Oslo tonight and another tiara event in Stockholm tomorrow night, when the King hosts his traditional palace dinner for the laureates.