Readers’ Favorite Outfits of 2018, Evening: Results, Part 2!

This is it, the last installment of the results from your favorite royal outfits of 2018 and the remainder of your top 10 favorites from the Evening Divison. Drumroll please... 

#5. Princess Eugenie at her Wedding Reception in Zac Posen

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

Zac Posen's still dishing out little peeks at this dress on his Instagram, that's how much detail there is to absorb in this creation. Eugenie had a great year and I hope we see more royal looks from this designer in the future.

#4. The Duchess of Cambridge at the Diplomatic Reception in Jenny Packham

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Kate's sparkly and floaty Jenny Packhams are all starting to run together for me, if I'm being honest. Not for many of you, though! Her last tiara offering for the year won her a spot in your top 5.

#3. Crown Princess Mary at the New Year’s Gala Banquet in Soeren Le Schmidt

Kongehuset

Mary got all three of her entries in this category into the top 10! I do believe that's a record. She captured #8, #6, and #3 - a reminder of the greatness she brings to the New Year's Gala.

#2. Queen Mathilde at the French State Banquet in Armani Privé

Elysee

It was a good year for royal Armani Privé, no? I couldn't agree with this pick more and landing both of her possible entries in the top 10 is a great result for Mathilde.

#1. Queen Máxima at the British/Dutch State Banquet in Jan Taminiau

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Máxima and her main man Jan didn't just take the top spot, they absolutely ran away with it. Maybe it was the dress, maybe it was THE JEWELS, maybe it was the fact that it all went down at one of the year's most anticipated royal events - whatever the combination, this one wasn't even close. Máxima is by far your favorite evening look of 2018.

That's a wrap on the best of 2018! Thanks to everyone who played along. (And a reminder for those who will inevitably take the absence of their own favorites a bit too personally: this is just for fun. Lowest possible stakes here, friends.)

Readers’ Favorite Outfits of 2018, Evening: Results, Part 1!

And now for the results of your vote for your favorite royal evening outfit of 2018. The countdown of your top 10 begins like so:

#10. Queen Mathilde in Portraits in Armani Privé

Royal Palace

This is an old dress (first worn in 2011) given new life - or perhaps just new affection - in a series of stately portraits released by the Belgian royal family in 2018. Nothing says queen quite like a big ol' gown and a big ol' tiara.

#9. The Duchess of Sussex at her Wedding Reception in Stella McCartney

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Wedding gowns themselves got their own separate vote, but wedding reception dresses were fair game here and the simple chicness of a white halterneck earned Meghan a spot among your faves.

#8. Crown Princess Mary at Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th Birthday in Lasse Spangenberg

Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset

Frederik's big birthday bash was one of 2018's royal highlights, and the couture level of Mary's banquet dress lived up to the occasion and more. I'd love to see this one make a New Year's Gala appearance some day.

#7. Crown Princess Victoria at the King’s Dinner for Nobel Laureates

Sara Friberg, Kungl. Hovstaterna

Red dresses ruled the countdown of your 2017 favorites, a tradition Victoria is happy to carry on for 2018.

#6. Crown Princess Mary at a Gala Banquet in Jesper Høvring

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A post shared by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (@hkhcrownprincessmary) on Dec 21, 2018 at 8:22pm PST

Had we done this voting game back when the "Bambi" dress (top and skirt, technically) debuted in 2014 - or perhaps even when it got slightly remixed for the New Year's Gala in 2016 - I suspect it would have swept the field. It's still got the magic to land at #6, even in repeat mode.

Stay tuned for the final part of the countdown...

Readers’ Favorite Outfits of 2018, Day/Cocktail: Results, Part 1!

You placed your votes for your favorite royal outfits for 2018 – Day/Cocktail and Evening Divisions – and now it’s time to count down the results!

Starting with the Day/Cocktail Division, your top 10 favorites are:

#10. The Duchess of Sussex at the Sentebale Polo Cup in Carolina Herrera

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I think I forgot about this one entirely myself, but I’m glad many of you mentioned it. Set off by perfectly selected accessories, this denim dress is a little dose of Carolina Herrera magic.

#9. Princess Madeleine at Princess Adrienne’s Christening in Giambattista Valli

Erika Gerdemark, Kungahuset.se

The Swedish christenings have been such a reliable source of some of the best outfits in recent years. Princess Madeleine continues that tradition this year, with her floral dress and headdress accented by her debut of pieces from the Cameo Parure.

#8. Queen Mathilde at the French State Visit in Natan

Belgian Monarchy

A little bit of cape action and a dash of contrasting accessories are just the things to elevate a plain gray outfit to something worthy of a spot on your 2018 favorites list.

#7. Crown Princess Mary in Seattle in Preen

Preen/Danish Ambassador

Sometimes a little bit of black and white is all you need. It’s certainly all Mary needed to display the midi-length trend at its best and land herself a spot on your top 10.

#6. Lady Sarah Chatto at Princess Eugenie and Jack’s Wedding in Jasper Conran

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Lady Sarah expanded her trademark streamlined aesthetic in a pastel direction for the second British royal wedding of the year, and the effect is a top 10-worthy personal best.

Stay tuned for the top 5 in Part 2!

Year in Review: Queen Mathilde, Queen Letizia, and the Duchess of Sussex's 2018 Bests

We did a little Readers' Favorite Outfits vote(s) last year and we're planning on doing it again this year! This week, I'm picking my personal best outfits of the royal year for some of our regulars, plus others. I take your faves into consideration when deciding what we'll vote on, too, so make sure you comment with your personal favorite outfits on the appropriate post!

My picks for the best outfits of the year begin with the Ladies in Velvet.

Queen Mathilde in Armani Privé at the French State Banquet

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I called it when this event happened and I'm sticking to my guns: nothing else even comes close to topping my list of Mathilde's best outfits of 2018. That color! That shape! That fabric! *chef's kiss*

Runners up:

• I enjoyed the red Dior Mathilde wore at the start of the French state visit, though many of you disagreed with me.
• We sense we would have had a much better consensus on the caped dress with purple/magenta accessories on Day 2 of the French state visit, although we did not get to cover it here.

Queen Letizia in Felipe Varela at the Chinese State Banquet

House of HM the King

This is a 2017 repeat but it really shines for me in 2018. It's sleek, luxurious, and the perfect modern way to showcase some of Spain's biggest gems.

Runners up:

• How is a swishy Carolina Herrera polka dot dress not going to make my list?
• We simply CAN'T have a Letizia best of the year list without a bit of red; her new favorite daytime special occasion Carolina Herrera dress will meet that requirement nicely.

The Duchess of Sussex in Givenchy at the British Fashion Awards

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I honestly didn't know what I was going to pick for our newest regular in her first full royal year - until THIS happened. Wouldn't have objected to a dangly earring here, but otherwise: SOLD.

Runner up:

• That black Emilia Wickstead in Ireland stands out on a second glance for me.

What were your favorite outfits from 2018 for these three women? 

Royal Outfits of the Day: The Coats & Hats of Mathilde & Máxima

Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima found themselves on the same wavelength last week. (As they do, like, every other week or so.) This particular wavelength is the check coat + accent color accessories one, a tried and true formula on which they each put their own spin.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visited Germany last week.

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Mathilde pulled a berry-licious shade out of her pattern and threw on a wide brim hat and matching purse, gloves, and shoes. That bit of swing on the coat? With that length? Yes, please. 

Queen Máxima participated in the second day of the Singapore state visit last week.

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Máxima was even more understated - inasmuch as we can call a big ol' olive hat understated, really. This one is much more attractive than anything I can call a big ol' olive hat has a right to be. I do love it.

Queen Máxima presented the Prince Bernhard Culture Foundation Award this week.

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Nothing to do with coats and hats, but you didn't really think we were going to leave it at Máx's most understated look, did ya? Not content with her tulip field look from this Claes Iversen color scheme, she's ordered one with a few more trimmings for the festive season. I wouldn't recommend this piñata look to anyone else on our regular rounds, but I don't know. I think she's pulling it off.

Tiara Watch of the Day: The Belgian/French State Visit

Lots of royal events yesterday. I'm going to start with a woman that I think really hit it out of the park all day: Queen Mathilde.

The Belgians welcomed France for a state visit, and as you might expect when an important neighbor comes to visit, it warranted something a little special. Queen Mathilde went full couture and turned to custom designs from the two labels that dress her best: Dior and Armani.

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For the day, Mathilde wore Christian Dior. She started wearing couture pieces from the legendary maison when Belgian designer Raf Simons was at the helm. I think this is her first Dior since he left, and it maintains the same high level. Beautifully cut and crafted. This is one of her best outfits of the year.

VTM screencap

I might have called her day outfit the best of the year - but then the state banquet happened. And just look...

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Armani, man. Recalling the magnificent off the shoulder black velvet gown from a few years back, this burgundy velvet is classic glam at its very best. The only problem here is not Mathilde's problem, really; had she been wearing a thinner sash, she could have gotten away with this placement. The wider version that belongs to France's Legion of Honor, however, doesn't make the turn at the shoulder as well. (Not all orders offer a thinner sash for women.) It's the only mark against what is otherwise perfection.

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Don't miss the sparkle on the sleeves. Oh, and the tiara: the bandeau portion of the Nine Provinces Tiara. Fits right in with how Mathilde has been using the tiaras at her disposal since becoming queen: an important tiara for an important state visit, but not the full thing as a big European monarchy-to-monarchy visit might warrant.

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Squint through this slightly awkward double row group pose, and you'll find Prince Lorenz, Princess Astrid, Prince Laurent, and Princess Claire. Princess Astrid wore the Savoy-Aosta Tiara; Princess Claire wore her Pearl and Diamond Tiara. We do always appreciate a couple bonus diadems.

Monday Tidbits for November 19: Weddings and Tiaras Ahoy

Tiara sightings right now and (hopefully) in the wedding-related future:

--The Greek royal family announced the engagement of Princess Theodora, daughter of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, and Matthew Kumar. The Princess is an actress (as Theodora Greece) on The Bold and the Beautiful and her fiancé is a lawyer in Los Angeles. Theodora will be the last of Queen Ingrid of Denmark's granddaughters to marry; all the rest have continued the family tradition of wearing the Khedive of Egypt Tiara with the family's antique wedding veil on their wedding days.

Greek Royal Family

--Zac Posen posted a few more pictures of the custom gown he made for Princess Eugenie at her evening wedding reception: the back before the York rose/wheat ear embroidery was added, and the waistline. [Instagram]

Zac Posen Instagram

--The Belgian royal household posted a new set of portraits of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. Queen Mathilde is wearing a repeated Armani Privé gown and the full Nine Provinces Tiara. [Photos: Royal Palace]

--Over at the Jewel Vault: We covered Charles' birthday party, of course, and you can scan the comments for pictures of guests that have been added since the day. And then QEII teamed up with King Harald for an engagement since he was in town and all.

--A tiara sighting last week in the United States! Princess Margriet continued her tradition of bringing something sparkly from the Dutch family vaults with her to attend the annual Peter Stuyvesant Ball in New York City. She wore the diamond base of the Antique Pearl Tiara, without the pearls on top. [Telegraaf]

Telegraaf screencap

--And finally, there's a new picture special for Prince Charles' birthday with photos by Chris Jackson, including this precious moment with Prince Louis.

Coming up this week: Um, a whole lot. Monaco's National Day, a state visit in Belgium, and the Sussexes at the Royal Variety Performance - that's all happening today - plus a state visit to the Netherlands later in the week. We'll do our best to get to it all...

 Tidbits is your spot for royal topics we haven't covered separately on the blog, all week long. Please mind the comment policy, and enjoy!

Royal Outfits of the Day: Letizia and Mathilde

Just a couple of queens, going about their queenly business.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia started a state visit to Peru yesterday.

House of HM the King

Unfortunately for Letizia, that queenly business isn't quite as glam on this state visit as it would be back home; they didn't have a big fancy state banquet. (And when I say unfortunately for Letizia, I mean unfortunately for us.) Letizia has a new Carolina Herrera dress and it is fine. Stripes! What's not to like?

The King and Queen attended the Valencian Economy Night last week.

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I'll get some jewels in here somehow, don't you worry. Letizia's black diamond earrings and the bracelets from the joyas de pasar spiced up her repeated Hugo Boss jumpsuit at this previous event. That's how you do it.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde commemorated the centenary of the armistice with events including a special Last Post ceremony and a concert with the Canadian Governor General as a guest.

Belgian Monarchy

Belgian Monarchy

Queen Mathilde's always going to look sharp when she needs to, she's got this down pat. Her green concert outfit is a repeat, but I'm here for any time she wants to throw in some accent accessories. The blush pink shoes and bag make the look for me.

Tiara Watch of the Day: Queen Mathilde in Portugal

It's a multi-tiara event week, buckle your seat belts. (Speaking of which, don't forget that you can find our quickest coverage of the British/Dutch state visit over at the Jewel Vault, before it is covered here.)

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde began a state visit to Portugal yesterday.

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First up in this week's state visits are the Belgians in Portugal. Queen Mathilde arrived in a repeated Armani outfit with a delicate lace coat and satiny dress, topped by a Philip Treacy hat. This outfit was debuted last year during events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele.

With the President of the Portuguese Republic
Belgian Royal Palace

Mathilde originally wore this for the Last Post ceremony, an event that went into evening. I think maybe that suited it better - although it's certainly easy to see why she categorized it as an outfit special enough for a state visit. That lace is like gossamer. (Also, she should wear more Philip Treacy hats.)

Belgian Royal Palace

The Queen rolled that gossamer feel right into the state banquet, wearing a new gown in a soft shade of sparkle blergh. The sash situation here is tricky. Making both the Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator and a sash look neat and tidy is a feat that's eluded two queens in a row now.

presidencia.pt

Anyway, this state banquet managed to provide multiple tiaras for us. Firstly, the Queen wore her Laurel Wreath Tiara. It was a wedding gift and her primary tiara for years and years; it's now one she's used for other visits like this one, to a republic.

presidencia.pt

The Duke and Duchess of Braganza are also regulars at these banquets. (The Duke is a claimant to the defunct Portuguese throne.) The pink-clad Duchess still has a few tiara options at her disposal; this one is a lovely necklace piece.

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A post shared by Diana de Cadaval d'Orléans (@dianadecadaval) on Oct 22, 2018 at 3:30pm PDT

Also present (and kindly sharing on her Instagram) was Princess Diana d'Orléans, Duchess of Cadaval, with her husband Prince Charles-Philippe d'Orléans. The Portuguese noblewoman wore the Cadaval Tiara, a tiara of diamonds and pearls she wore on her wedding day.

Qualifies as an A+ tiara turnout, I'd say! That's a good start to the week.

Royal Outfits of the Day: Mathilde and Mary Go Green

Is it easy being green? Two of our leading ladies valiantly seek the answer to that eternal question:

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visited Austria yesterday.
Royal Palace

Mathilde's giving me some Robin Hood vibes here. If Robin Hood were to don Natan and dash around opening art exhibitions, that is.

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As much as I wish (again, and forever) that she'd curb her matchy ways before they hit the shoes, I do love this matching hat. It's interesting and a little bit different from her usual thing. Also, this green? Super rich, super flattering.

Crown Princess Mary presented the 2018 Design Awards in September.

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A post shared by Europe’s Royalty (@europe_royalty) on Sep 25, 2018 at 11:53am PDT

Here's another example for your green investigation, one that happened a while back. This top and trouser combo is meant to have an easy elegance, I think, one which Mary can certainly pull off. But did she take a wrong turn into Gumby territory? You be the judge.

Monday Tidbits for October 1: Another Wedding...

Shockingly enough, we have more wedding business on our hands:

--Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills, formerly Prince Nicholas of Romania, and Alina Maria Binder held their religious wedding in Romania this weekend. The couple were married civilly last year. The bride stated in a previous interview that she would use a designer from Bucharest for her dress, which includes hand embroidery in the Romanian tradition. Nicholas is the grandson of the late King Michael I and at one point in time held a place in the line of succession to the (defunct) throne as well as the title of prince, but his succession rights and title were withdrawn in 2015. Family relations are strained; neither his mother, Princess Elena, nor his aunt, Margarita, Custodian of the Crown, were at the wedding. [YouTube]

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--The Earl and Countess of Wessex paid a visit to Ireland, giving me a chance to see the gorgeous color of this repeated Emilia Wickstead dress again. The Countess of Wessex Blog has full coverage of day 1 here and here, and day 2 here.

Royal Family

--Queen Paola was brought home to Belgium after suffering what the palace said was a mild stroke while on vacation in Italy last week. She's said to be recovering quickly and is already home from the hospital. [RTBF]

--And finally, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie joined Queen Margrethe last week for the opening of a new exhibition showcasing some of her fairy tale designs. That one would be fun to see.

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Tidbits is your spot for royal topics we haven't covered separately on the blog, all week long. Please mind the comment policy, and enjoy!

Royal Outfits of the Day: Victoria and Mathilde in New York

The UN General Assembly is running in New York City, so basically a whole bunch of royals are roaming the city and running into one another, which is convenient for our purposes. (Our purposes being, as always, considerably more frivolous.)

Instagram/mozabintnasser

Crown Princess Victoria's stateside visit saw her meet up with Sheikha Mozah! If anyone's going to appreciate a good monochrome look, it should be the Sheikha. Her metallic shoes are exactly the contrasting touch her own green look needed, though.

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A post shared by Det Norske Kongehus (@detnorskekongehus) on Sep 24, 2018 at 10:44am PDT

Also on Victoria's list of friends to see in NYC: Crown Prince Haakon, who surely conveyed this prairie dress sighting to certain interested parties back home. This is a repeat from Princess Adrienne's christening this summer.

Belgian Monarchy

A new floral dress accompanied the Crown Princess as she met up with a vibrantly pink-clad Queen Mathilde, who...

Belgian Monarchy

...naturally brought along her own supply of florals. (Don't leave home without 'em!) This Natan dress a repeat from the Australian state visit earlier this summer. As I suspected at the time, it is indeed improved without the hat.

This is far from all! Queen Máxima is expected, Crown Princess Mary's already there (we'll check in with her separately), and maybe more, I don't know. So New Yorkers, I guess you should keep your eyes peeled.

Monday Tidbits for September 10: Current and Future Gatherings

Birthday festivities are ahead:

--Reports are Queen Elizabeth II is planning on throwing a big private birthday party for the Prince of Wales in November, when he celebrates his 70th birthday. This sounds like the party thrown for his 60th, which was black tie (no, for those already asking, not a tiara event; that's really not the Windsor style). There were European royals in attendance as well as extended family members, but guest photos were mostly limited to pics in cars and just a couple of photos of the main family members were released from inside. (Here's a gallery of guests arriving.) I expect much the same this time around. [Hello, Zimbio]

--Speaking of Chaz, he and the Duchess of Cornwall teamed up last week with Princess Haya for a visit to the "Maiden" yacht, which originally featured the first all-female crew to sail the Whitbread Round the World Race and has now been refurbished to set sail on another around the world voyage for charity. Princess Haya's father, the late King Hussein, sponsored the yacht's original voyage, and she's helped with the refurbishment. This is a sharp dress on Camilla. [YouTube]

Clarence House

--Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit took a trip to Vestfold county. She got to wear a cute pink coat and pet a dog, what's not to enjoy? [ParisMatch]

--The Belgian royal family - and extended family, including Grand Duke Henri - gathered to mark 25 years since the passing of King Baudouin with a memorial mass. Luxarazzi has an on the scene report. 

Belgian Royal Palace

Coming up this week: Checking in with Spain, and more...

Tidbits is your spot for royal topics we haven't covered separately on the blog, all week long. Please mind the comment policy, and enjoy!