Royal Outfit of the Day: Crown Princess Mary in Italy

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary are on an official visit to Italy. You will be 0% surprised to see that Mary started off with some princess perfection.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were received by the President of Italy and his daughter
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See? This is a perfect understanding of the occasion. It's not a state visit, so no need to go all out with a hat and all that jazz; a structured white dress made interesting with texture and a belt is the right level of formal. She threw a brooch on there for good measure.

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Both the brooch and earrings are from Ole Lynggaard, representing for Danish design as she usually does.

Ole Lynggaard

The Leaf Brooch in 18 karat gold was designed by Charlotte Lynggaard. You may remember it from the larger Leaf Hair Jewel she wore to King Carl Gustaf's birthday dinner in 2016.

Ole Lynggaard

The earrings are from the Winter Frost collection (stud and pendant), in 18 karat white gold with diamonds. These are so delicate and just *chef kiss*.

Mary wasn't just princess perfect on day 1, she was also princess practical and princess prepared - with a shoe change on hand for a visit to the Baths of Caracalla.

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A post shared by HRH Crown Princess Mary (@hrhprincessmaryofdenmark) on Nov 6, 2018 at 1:46pm PST

No point in trying to hoof it around landmarks in your heels, man. My mom and the Keds that carried her from the parking lot to the office back in the day approve. (Lemme also draw your attention to Fred in the three piece suit there. Giving it a bit of effort himself.)

Royal Outfit of the Day: Máxima Wants in on the Green Trend

How long do you think we can keep this little green week thing going, hmm?

Queen Máxima visited Utrecht on Friday.

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Queen Máxima made sure to get in her contribution before the week ended, in a repeated green lace dress with a big green hat (of course), green shoes (of course), and a green bag (of course). In spite of my continued general objection to the constant matchiness, I'm tempted to say that this is one of the stars of green week.

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Then again, throwing in a hefty dose of emeralds and diamonds from the family vaults never hurts.

Royal Outfits of the Day: The Spanish Royal Family in Asturias

Last week the Spanish royal family visited Asturias to mark the 13th centenary of the Kingdom of Asturias, the centenary of the Catholic Coronation of the Virgin of Covadonga, and the centenary of the creation of the National Park of Covadonga Mountain. Phew! That's a lot of centenaries all at once.

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It was an historic day for one more reason, too: this marked the first official trip to Asturias for the Princess of Asturias, a big step in Leonor's official life. She was supported by her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, and her sister, Infanta Sofia. Leonor's blue outfit went with her dad's tie; Sofia's pink with red accents went with her mom's red dress. Family coordination: check.

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And it's all very appropriate and very good, precisely as we have come to expect from them! Letizia's red dress is custom Carolina Herrera. She can never go too wrong in her best color.

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Leonor's light blue dress was a great background for some of the official gifts she received on her big trip. Leonor and Sofia received necklaces with medallions of the Virgin of Covadonga, which they both put on (Leonor's wearing hers above). Both girls received chain necklaces from Asturias with Asturian gold and sapphires (see here). As Princess of Asturias, Leonor received a beautiful bejeweled handmade badge, which you can read about and see here. She wore that during the day as well.

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They rounded things out with some hiking for that aforementioned national park centenary. If this picture's not a tourism advertisement for that park, I don't know what is. What a view! And what a well played day for the whole family.

Royal Outfit of the Day: The Return of Queen Máxima

Queen Máxima's back from her summer vacation, and she has a big announcement for us:

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King Willem-Alexander presented the Military William Order on Friday, with Queen Máxima present.

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Her sleeves had a summer growth spurt! Bless. Welcome back, Máx.

Royal Outfits of the Day: Crown Princess Victoria's 41st Birthday

You know the equation: birthday + one of the Scandinavian monarchies = new birthday portrait!

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Crown Princess Victoria's portrait for her 41st birthday is a bit of a blank canvas all around. Using a blank canvas to showcase the delicate diamond floral brooch she received from Princess Lilian's not a bad idea, though.

When you're Crown Princess Victoria, your birthday equation also means a full day of public festivities, first greeting well wishers outside Solliden Palace, the royal family's summer home on the island of Öland, and then a public concert.

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You can add in a dress fresh from the prairie to your birthday celebrations, if you must. It's your birthday, be as trendy as you want.

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Princess Estelle's first dress would be the lone non-floral pattern of the day, as it turned out.

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At the evening concert, Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria wore the folk dress of the region, as they always do (and as we just saw them do earlier this month), while everyone else went floral and flowy. (Except the men. They wore suits.)

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Princess Madeleine came prepared to prevent dangerous upper arm overheating, with what I like to imagine is an itsy bitsy picnic basket at the side. Toss in some minibar-sized drinks, and your summer concert experience just improved exponentially.

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If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Princess Sofia was paying direct homage to her sister-in-law on her birthday. Victoria wore this same print (by the brand & Other Stories) on a different style of dress back in April. Sofia's version leaves a little more room to breathe, so I think she got the upper hand of this floral double act.

Royal Outfits of the Day: British Royals Celebrate the RAF Centenary

Royal Family

Big time gathering of the Windsors yesterday! They all met up to do their usual thing (watch military parades, attend church services, watch flypasts, all that jazz) in honor of the 100th birthday of the Royal Air Force.

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Leading the way was the Queen, of course, but since she has a whole blog to herself (you know the drill, clicky click for Jewel Vault fun), we'll kick it off with the Duchess of Cornwall and the second version this week of her personal summer white uniform. Prince Charles headed up the royal men, almost all of them wearing their Royal Air Force uniforms. (One of my faves!)

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I don't think the Duchess of Cambridge was on the advance list of royals expected, but how could she miss an opportunity to debut the third in this series of almost-the-same-but-not bespoke Alexander McQueen coats? She paired it with a hat by Sean Barrett.

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The bigger story was her jewels. Like many of the royal ladies, she wore the badge of an RAF organization with which she's affiliated: she's Honorary Air Commandant of the RAF Air Cadets, and this is the Air Cadets Dacre Brooch. (More on the brooch and a close up here, when she first wore it.) Her earrings are the Diamond Pendant Earrings on loan from the Queen.

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The Duchess of Sussex wore Dior with two things we know she loves: a boat neck and a belt. Feels like classic Dior, very elegant. The Stephen Jones hat added the right amount of interest. (Because the But What Color Is It REALLY? debate always seems to consume some folks, let's handle it: Dior calls it black in their press release, and it looks deep navy in action. Doesn't really matter either way.)

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The Countess of Wessex also enjoyed a bit of hat foof (technical term) for the RAF's big day. Both the Jane Taylor hat and the Suzannah dress are repeats here. She doubled up on her brooches, wearing a Dior brooch underneath her small RAF badge.

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Every time the Princess Royal wears this outfit (which is a lot because, you know, Anne), I think she's pinned a prize rosette at her waist. A prize rosette in the festive color of brown.

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Rounding out the rest of the fam, the Duchess of Gloucester made sure they filled their mandatory navy quota for the day, Princess Michael wouldn't have been hurt by a shorter jacket, and Princess Alexandra smiling in purple will certainly make me smile in return.

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Ending this on the rest of the uniforms feels about right: the Duke of York, the Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael.

Royal Birthday of the Weekend: Frederik Turns 50 (with Gala Dinner Info)

A very happy birthday to Crown Prince Frederik, who is celebrating his 50th today! There's a gala dinner tonight that's shaping up to be quite the gathering of European royals and possibly (hopefully) quite the gathering of tiaras - more on those attendees, timing, and livestreaming at the end of the post.

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But first, the day began with a festive birthday balcony appearance for Frederik, Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Mary, and the kids. Mary repeated a Vilshenko dress; Margrethe made sure to wear her diamond daisy brooch, a gift from her mother, Queen Ingrid. She wears this brooch for a lot of special family occasions, and it has extra significance today since Frederik was very close to his grandmother.

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Just a few people turned up to wish him well. Frederik and Mary both looked very touched, it was sweet. (You can watch it here.)

The royal house also released two new portraits, one of the Crown Prince and one of the whole crown princely family:

Franne Voigt

Franne Voigt

Lovely.

Now, about this evening's festivities...

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A gala dinner will be held at Christiansborg Palace, and we're crossing our fingers it will be a tiara event. The following foreign royal guests are confirmed so far:

• Sweden: King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel
• Norway: Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit
• Belgium: King Philippe, Queen Mathilde
• Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima
• Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
• Greece: Crown Prince Pavlos, Princess Marie-Chantal, and their two eldest children are in Copenhagen according to Instagram; probably more from the Greek side of the family as well
• And others: A full guest list will be released this evening.

Timeline:

• 19:00 (7 pm local / 1 pm Eastern): Guests will start arriving.
• Around 19:30: Frederik and Mary will take a carriage ride to get to Christiansborg.
• 20:00 (8 pm local / 2 pm Eastern): The banquet begins. 

Livestreams: I will include links available internationally below, and if you come across more, please share them in the comments. 

• Billed-Bladet on YouTube
• DR1 video and text updates

Open Post: Those watching live may feel free to use this post as an open post. We'll have a fashion post after the event as usual.

Royal Outfits of the Day: Danish Royals Mark Reformation Anniversary

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Danish royals had to sit through a do-over of October’s parliament opening yesterday, based on the hats and gloves and venue alone. But instead they gathered to attend the government’s celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, once again in their proper royal best, and later attended an evening concert.

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Queen Margrethe led the way with a feather in her cap...

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...and Princess Benedikte brought up the rear with a koosh ball in hers.

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Classic black and white for Crown Princess Mary and black and blue for Princess Marie, who even included a bit of sparkle in the form of Queen Alexandrine's Diamond and Sapphire Pendant Brooch.

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Marie turned over her jewel chest and shook out two brooches for the day, in fact, pinning an unusual brooch to the center of her dress. The multi-colored jewel was debuted at Princess Athena's christening and is said to have been a gift from Queen Margrethe.

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Mary called on the power of déjà vu to make her evening ensemble a winner, because there's no way she's wearing sparkly navy and her aquamarine chandelier earrings without causing flashbacks to this glorious appearance, right? A winning strategy once, and twice.

While we're in Denmark, no déjà vu was required at one of Mary's appearances last week. In a moment of pure coincidence, Crown Princess Mary arrived for the Magasin du Nord Fashion Prize 2017 wearing the same Britt Sisseck dress as a board member from the foundation. What're the odds of that, huh?

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And so the ladies did the only thing you can do when faced with an accidental twin moment: they had a good laugh and merrily posed for pics together. Top marks to both for making the best of it!

Britt Sessick Olga Dress

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??

Royal Outfit of the Day: Queen Letizia at National Day

I was expecting something low key from Queen Letizia for Spain's National Day, but when she stepped out with the fam for yesterday's events, she managed to pull off a most surprising addition to her wardrobe: a brooch. A brooch! On Letizia! Mark this day on the calendar.

Infanta Sofia (in Pili Carrera), the Princess of Asturias (in Carolina Herrera), King Felipe, and Queen Letizia on National Day.
House of HM the King

It's not just that Letizia wore a brooch; it's that she wore just about the most classic brooch you can get and she wore it in the most standard way. Knowing how she loves to put her own spin on things, I found the traditional look to be the most surprising thing of all.

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The brooch is a Spanish royal heirloom last worn by Queen Sofia. This type of design - a large pearl surrounded by diamonds with a pearl pendant - can be found in strikingly similar models in multiple royal vaults, including the British collection. Again, classic and traditional as can be. The diamond and Australian pearl earrings she paired with it have been worn many times.

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The jacket and skirt are from Felipe Varela. They're also right along those classic/traditional lines. In fact, I'm getting strong flashbacks to Queen Elizabeth II in the 1940s and 50s. Letizia would fit right in on the set of The Crown in this ensemble. And that's not a bad thing, because there's no better choice for a brooch showcase than an outfit with a little QEII vibe. She's chosen well. A+!

Royal Event of the Day: Dutch Royals at Prinsjesdag 2017

Programming Note: The blog returns on Monday. 

It's time for Prinsjesdag! The Dutch monarch addresses the government every September, reading a speech from the throne detailing plans for the coming session. Queen Máxima, Prince Constantijn, and Princess Laurentien all accompany King Willem-Alexander for the event. It's a special occasion with a special dress code - a throwback of sorts, with long dresses, orders, and hats, which was a much more common formal day dress code for royal events years ago - and that usually adds up to Máxima maxing out with a specially coordinated outfit. It's often one of her sartorial highlights of the year. And this year {drumroll please}...

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...{sad clatter of drumsticks dropped half-heartedly on the floor} This year was, you know, fine. Listen, it's perfectly nice! A workhorse solution to this dress code, basically.

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It's also just a longer, slate blue/gray version of a Natan dress that Queen Máxima and her Natan twin, Queen Mathilde, already own in pink. Which is a bit of an anticlimactic choice for a special event, you know what I mean? Disappointed by my own overly high expectations, AGAIN. I think there are better ways to do subdued, if that's what she was after (and, as always, there are many reasons she may have been after that).

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The use of aquamarine gems from Queen Juliana threw a bit of color interest into the ensemble. And adding a diamond necklace from the royal vaults is a little bit more jewel power than Máxima usually gives us for this occasion; it is during the day, after all, hence why there are no tiaras.

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Maybe she was hedging her bets a bit with bonus diamonds, just in case her dress didn't bowl us over. That's a solution I can get behind.

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Even Princess Laurentien feels a little subdued this year, no? Her dress is from Hardies, jacquard with a mermaid scale feel. The two Dutch ladies make a bit of a twin act, in these two belted dresses with their brimless hats.

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But of course, Laurentien's hat is a tilted not-hat hat, because there has to be a little Laurentien touch in there somewhere, right?

Royal Gathering of the Day: The Belgians and British Mark the Passchendaele Centenary

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a two day trip to Belgium on Sunday and Monday to join the King and Queen of the Belgians for events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of the Battle of Passchendaele, or the Third Battle of Ypres, in World War I. On Sunday, they attended the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial.

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We have our little fashion wheelhouse here, and this is one of the times when everything passes muster in a "let's not talk about the fashion too much" sort of way. That's precisely what you want. The Duchess paired up two repeats for the first events, her Alexander McQueen coat from Princess Charlotte's christening and her hat from Trooping the Colour 2015. She also wore a brooch she's used in the past.

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The Queen chose a new outfit with a lace coat over a satiny dress, topped by a new Philip Treacy hat. It's a nice choice for an event that went into the evening, but still included full hats (which are usually more of a daytime thing).

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The Prince of  Wales joined the group on Monday at Tyne Cot Cemetery. Sir Timothy Laurence, husband of the Princess Royal, was there for both days; he is Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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Once again, I think it basically checks out, sartorially speaking. The second day saw a new lace-topped dress from Natan appeared for Queen Mathilde, with a hat from Fabienne Delvigne. For the Duchess, it was a new Catherine Walker coat dress.

What intrigues me here is Kate's use of jewels, because I think jewel selections can help to convey, in a quiet manner, events of greater significance. The Duchess of Cambridge wore brooches on both days. While she's not a newcomer to brooches and while they definitely serve a functional purpose here - securing her traditional poppy for remembrance - they're enough of a step out of the usual to make it special.

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Her brooch on the second day is a new loan to her from the Queen, the Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch, which I've covered at the Jewel Vault (not that there's much to say about it, it's kind of a mystery). She added in the Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings from Diana, Princess of Wales, which she debuted at the Spanish state banquet. I'd call it adding a layer of gravitas to the ensemble, a wholly appropriate thing for such an event. Respectfully well played.

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: Trooping the Colour 2017 (Updated)

The Windsors are out in force today for Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade. Are you excited?!

Good! We've got fashions to review:

Best Dressed

The Queen, Obviously

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You should get the best dressed title on your official birthday anyway. In this case, Her Maj would get this one no matter what because I adore this icy blue outfit. More on that, plus her Brigade of Guards brooch, over at the Jewel Vault. (You will also note that the 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the 81-year-old Duke of Kent, chose to wear morning dress instead of their heavy uniforms and big bearskin hats this year. Makes sense.)

Best in Jewels

The Duchess of Cambridge

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This Alexander McQueen is a little too sweetly pink for my tastes, and the waist looks less like a feature you'd emphasize and more like something you'd cover up with a belt. But! Never mind all that. Because HELLO, earrings...

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...oooh. On loan from the Queen, these Diamond Pendant Earrings are undeniably evening baubles. The fact that she wore them for a day engagement is, for this magpie, just the BEST THING. They make the whole outfit.

Best in Repeats

The Duchess of Cornwall

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I do love this embellished collar jacket on Cams. Why? Well, because she once wore it with one of her most fascinating (and enormous) brooches. Instead of repeating that orange stone pin, she used her diamond Cosmos Clip Brooches and her Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings. The coat really could have used a bigger brooch statement this time around.

Best in Contrast

Autumn Phillips

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Speaking of pretty in pink, combining a magenta hat with a jade green dress is MUCH more my speed. Unexpected, and perfect. That's another well played royal appearance from Autumn, who joined the balcony this year with husband Peter and daughters Savannah and Isla.

Best in Florals

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice

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Why wouldn't you go with a light floral on a hot summer day, eh? I can find nothing to argue with in either of these choices. Even Beatrice's fondness for a boater hat - which can sometimes end up a little unintentionally comical - works here.

Who makes your Trooping 2017 best dressed list?


Update:

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Here's the whole famdamily up on the balcony! Nearly fifty family members, I'm seeing? You can click to enlarge the pic above. We'll zoom in...

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The Gloucesters held court on the left side, together with the Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent with their whole beige and white coordinated family. Classic elegance from both Lady Gabriella Windsor (center, white hat) and her sister-in-law Sophie Winkleman (a.k.a. Lady Frederik Windsor, center, white hat with pink). Prince Edward's hanging out there too, attending solo this year.

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More Kents - Kents everywhere! - occupied the right side of the balcony. Julia Ogilvy (daughter-in-law of Princess Alexandra) is a standout in the center with her huge hat and a tan background floral dress that fits right in with what the Yorks brought to the party. Also of note: Lady Amelia Windsor (granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and recently in the news as a Dolce & Gabbana model) is sporting a navy and white turban-thingy borrowed from her mother, the Countess of St. Andrews, who wore it to the Queen's birthday service last year.

Royal Trip of the Day: Frederik & Mary & Victoria & Daniel in Sweden (UPDATED)

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary are currently on a trip to Sweden, where they're heading up a Danish business delegation and are being hosted by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. Any excuse to hang out with old friends, right?

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Starting with a little gathering with the two couples plus Prince Carl Philip on the Danish royal yacht, because if you're going to travel, you might as well travel in style. (While we're talking traveling in style: Fred's blazer, note it.)

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Suits all around for the gents and the ladies on Day 1. Victoria tried to liven hers up with red accessories, which is appreciated, but it's still a basic application to the Black n' Blue Suit Club at the end of the day.

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And Mary puts a modern spin on the old suit and brooch combo, with great results. She's wearing what appears to be a part of the Ole Lynggaard Leaf Hair Jewel she wore as a hair ornament to King Carl Gustaf's birthday celebration last year - an appropriate choice, as the princess pair were visiting the Ole Lynggaard store in Stockholm.

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And for the evening, a repeat of basic Dolce & Gabbana lace for Mary, and something involving a possible swan for Victoria. There's wearing a mural, and then there's letting a mural wear you. This one...is a lot.

UPDATE: Day 2 is in the bag.

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Hanging out at the palace with the fam entails florals for everybody. Did somebody not give Queen Silvia the memo? Is she not on the group text? Couldn't we throw in a little lapel accent for the gents, while we're at it? If we're going to do this thing, let's do it.

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And then there was the dinner. Victoria didn't just shrug off my mural caution, she jumped even further into the deep end. Everyone else looks like they're in a black and white (and navy) movie, compared to her comic book riot of color. Although Mary is, with a single action shot, proving that my love for an uneven hemline is not misplaced.