Royal Trip of the Day: Victoria in Estonia, Plus Portraits

The Swedish royal family squeezed in a little official trip and dumped a bunch of new photos on us recently. For this summer kindness, we shall give them a post all their own.

Kungahuset.se

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel visited Estonia to mark the country's 100th anniversary of independence. Victoria showed up looking, well, not unlike the Estonian flag in a repeated Dolce & Gabbana dress first worn during the celebrations for King Carl Gustaf's 70th birthday. I miss the big hat she wore it with that time around, honestly.

Kungahuset.se

The Dolce & Gabbana wasn't the only prior special occasion dress that made the cut for the trip; Victoria also repeated the Elie Saab dress from Prince Alexander's christening. (Queen Máxima owns this one, too.) A speedy visit, but worthy of a trip through her special occasion wardrobe. (See a few more pics here.)

Now: portraits! First up, Princess Madeleine's family wasn't the only one to get some new summer pictures taken. [These photos: Anna-Lena Ahlström, Kungahuset.se]

Additionally, the crown princess family shared some personal photos taken around Sweden this summer. The first five were taken by Crown Princess Victoria, the last taken by Prince Daniel. Bask in the outdoorsy Swedish summer fun!

Tiara Watch of the Day: National Day in Luxembourg

If you can start your week with tiaras, do. Right? Luxembourg's grand ducal fam provided over the weekend during the festivities for National Day. We'll start with some less shiny toppers, though: hats at the annual Te Deum.

L to R: Prince Sébastien, Princess Alexandra, Prince Louis, the Grand Duchess, the Grand Duke, Princess Claire, Prince Félix, the Hereditary Grand Duchess, the Hereditary Grand Duke
Grand Ducal Court/Claude Piscitelli

Two hats and two flowers, to be more precise. I love Grand Duchess Maria Teresa when she's in sleek and simple mode; I love her doubly so when she decides to do it in purple. She's my Te Deum winner by a country mile.

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It's a liiiiiiitle weird to me that Princess Claire repeated this Vilshenko dress from National Day two years ago? Like...there aren't that many events in Luxembourg you attend, you know? Anyway, I will give her credit for the improvement of a magenta flower over the pale flower she wore in 2016. Maybe she realized she needed a redo.

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I'd like to give Princess Stéphanie some credit for her hat interest, too, but that dress is making it real hard. She and Guillaume recently announced that they'll be moving to London for some post-graduate studies. I hope she'll carve out some quality shopping time, too.

Stéphanie did bring out the jumpy claps for the evening gala, I will say that. TIARA TIME!

Grand Ducal Court/Claude Piscitelli

Four tiaras! Not a shabby turnout at all. All National Days should have a gala, internationally. Make it so.

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Behold, the aforementioned jumpy claps: Princess Stéphanie didn't just wear the Luxembourg Turquoise Tiara, she added the entire massive necklace from the family collection. A good way to make the small tiara stand out, and also, YUM.

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Princess Claire is once again wearing Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde’s Tiara, which she debuted at the 2016 National Day gala. Her chic white dress is Alexander McQueen (the same style was worn with a tiara by a Danish noblewoman at Crown Prince Frederik's 50th birthday dinner). Stéphanie and Claire, by the way, are both wearing the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau. It's Luxembourg's second highest order.

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Princess Alexandra's got a lot going on here, with her Elie Saab of many colors and the sash (the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, like her mother and brothers) and the shawl. She chose to bring out the blue with the Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara.

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The recent break in the Grand Duchess' streak of Belgian Scroll Tiara appearances - at the Danish birthday party - proved to be very short-lived indeed. She's right back to her Scroll antics, complete with what I believe is another Elie Saab gown. My affection for my formerly favorite Lux tiara is waning due to lack of variety and it's concerning. I'm sure Maria Teresa is terribly worried about it, too.

Royal Fashion Awards: Crown Prince Frederik’s Birthday Banquet

The Danish royal family doesn’t usually mess around when they label something a “gala” dinner, and they did not disappoint for Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday banquet at Christiansborg Palace: tiaras all around! Plus, plenty of foreign royal guests to up the tiara count. A gift of sparkle for us all.

Award time:

Finest in Fringe

Princess Benedikte

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This event could go down as one of my all-time favorites just based on the number of fringe tiaras alone. Even a fringe from Liechtenstein – not a country we usually see represented at big Danish gatherings – showed up: the Habsburg Fringe Tiara on Hereditary Princess Sophie. Countess Sussie of Rosenborg (not pictured) added a Danish fringe to the pile with Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara.

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Crown Princess Victoria threw in the Baden Fringe Tiara, a nice contrast to her floral Camilla Thulin ballgown. The dress has been changed since we saw it at the King’s Dinner for Nobel laureates in December; it has sleeves now and I like them.

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Much as I love a floral ballgown, my fringe queen of the evening has to be Princess Benedikte. The Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara is large and in charge and the dress seals the deal. She’s regal in her sleep, I’m pretty sure, so add in the built-in cape at the back of this and she soars off the charts.

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Probably the most notable fringe appearance of the night comes from Princess Maria-Olympia, in her very first tiara appearance. She’s wearing the fringe we usually see on her mother, Princess Marie-Chantal, but the story is that it was destined for Olympia all along. She had the biggest tiara of her grouping, followed there by Princess Theodora in the Antique Corsage Tiara.

Highest Achievement in Headbands

Princess Marie-Chantal

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What’s a mom to do when her daughter claims her tiara back? And when it’s not really a big gun occasion, leaving Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara off the table? While I don’t normally approve of teensy headbands at big tiara occasions, it would be Princess Marie-Chantal that would make it work. This piece pairs really well with the delicate necklace and the hair works around it to make it more than a headband.

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Unlike this one, which is Crown Princess Mette-Marit just totally giving in to her tendency to use the Diamond Daisy Tiara in the same way she'd use a plastic headband. Girl, I guess. (This dress is a repeat from King Harald and Queen Sonja’s birthday celebrations.)

Most Radiant in Red

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

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Queen Silvia added some red to her repeated magenta gown by wearing the Edward VII Ruby Tiara. Queen Mathilde’s red gown was accompanied by her Laurel Wreath Tiara and Queen Fabiola’s fringe brooch. The one shoulder on her dress was positioned so that it holds her sash, which is great except…

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...all the interest was happening on her sleeve and we don’t really get to see it on the parade into the banquet because she’s arm in arm with King Philippe. According to ModeKoningin Mathilde, the dress is by Esmeralda Ammoun and that sleeve detail is art by Belgian artist Paula Raiglot. Let’s see it again another time.

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All of that leaves me to crown Grand Duchess Maria Teresa the ruler of the reds. Playing catch up to Queen Máxima’s red caftan from earlier in the week suits her well. And she finally gave us a different tiara – but only because this one was already out of the vault from the state banquet, let’s not get too crazy. She’s wearing the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara with the pearls back on top.

Most Satisfying Tiara Sightings

Countess Alexandra and the Duchess of Castro

We don’t get to see these two tiaras that often, three cheers for any appearance at all: the Alexandrine Drop Tiara on the Countess of Frederiksborg and the Ancona Tiara on the Duchess of Castro.

Most Intriguing Designer Introduction

Princess Marie

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Princess Marie’s sporty n' sparkly blue dress is from Elie Saab (per Laura). Elie Saab! Not a designer we see on Marie or really in the Danish royal house. So…more, please? From the department of no surprises at all, on the other hand, Marie wore her Diamond Floral Tiara. (Also: Prince Nikolai joined Princess Maria-Olympia and Prince Constantine-Alexios in making their gala debuts.)

Most Complicated Accessorizing

Queen Máxima

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Several of you have noted that Queen Máxima’s purple dress from King Willem-Alexander’s 50th birthday celebrations had been borrowed back from the ongoing Jan Taminiau exhibition, and were anxiously awaiting its appearance. Did she pick the right event for it, though? The dress has so much going on that I actually hate to see the sash over top of any of it. The Dutch Diamond Bandeau was probably her safest tiara choice.

Most Dubious Tiara Pairing

Queen Margrethe

Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset

Queen Margrethe had to plan ahead for the Naasut Tiara; it, along with Princess Benedikte’s Floral Tiara worn by Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and the Khedive of Egypt Tiara worn by Queen Anne-Marie (neither pictured here) were on display in Koldinghus. And I can’t help but wonder…why? Looks-wise, I mean. That yellow gold doesn’t look its best with the settings on these diamonds. Oh well. It worked out alright with her new pink party dress. She still can’t resist a big sleeve, can she? Bless.

Prettiest in Pink, and Best of the Evening

Crown Princess Mary

Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset

 This dress. Crown Princess Mary's dress. Oh my. This is a piece of art by Lasse Spangenberg. Mary paired it perfectly with her Diamond, Ruby, and Spinel Necklace Tiara, the matching earrings, and even a brooch at the back of her hair. That brooch was a gift to her from the late Prince Henrik.

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Time to get out those future Best of 2018 lists and ink some things in, methinks.

Do you spy any Best of 2018 prospects here? 

Who takes home your best dressed awards for the night?

Royal State Visit of the Day: More from the Dutch in Luxembourg

Summer is almost here. Do you have your luxurious caftans ready for all the cocktail parties you shall be hosting on your yacht?

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a concert in Luxembourg, Máxima wearing a repeated Valentino caftan gown
RVD/Barney's

Queen Máxima's caftans come in the form of gowns and they are always ready, darling, whether for cocktails on a yacht or hosting a return event on the second day of the Luxembourg state visit.

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Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's looking ready for a little holiday glam too, with all the tropical foliage happening on her bespoke Elie Saab dress (per Heaven).

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And just a little tip for you from these ladies: Use those flowing garments as a showcase for your strongest necklace game. Queen Máxima wore the Ruby Peacock Necklace previously on this red gown; last night, she followed up on her Stuart Surprise with her Tutti Frutti-style necklace and bracelet. I wouldn't have thought that set would work so well with red, and yet it does. Just one reason that set belongs to her and not me, I guess. One of about 66,419 rea$on$.

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Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie may not have sported a caftan - her flowy dress is another Elie Saab nabbed from her mother-in-law's wardrobe - but she too came to play in the necklace department. One of the diamond rivière necklaces from the Luxembourg collection! Making up for the giant diamonds missing from the Lux side of the state banquet, are we? (Luxarazzi posted a video of these arrivals, worth a view if you're interested in Stéphanie's updo. Some impressive hair architecture going on there.)

Shall we hit the day events from days 1 and 2, briefly?

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For day 2, the Grand Duchess looked super cute - a great jacket in bold jewel tone, neatly paired with cropped trousers and a statement necklace. That is all I have to say about the day outfits on day 2. Moving on...

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Moving back, actually, to the arrivals and another can't-miss-it outfit from Queen Máx. If she'd leaned more into the green side of this and less into the yellow, she would have come pretty close to one of my all-time favorite QEII ensembles. But she didn't.

Speaking of hats, if you've ever wondered how royal women manage to greet each other when they're all hatted up, well:

Sometimes it doesn't work out so well. The Hereditary Grand Duchess won the prize for best welcome outfit anyway.

Psst: Check in over the weekend, fingers crossed we'll have some fun stuff to look at from Crown Prince Frederik's birthday!

Breaking Tiara News: Queen Máxima Wears the Stuart Tiara

It's the moment many have been waiting for since King Willem-Alexander took the throne: Queen Máxima wore the Stuart Tiara for the state banquet in Luxembourg tonight!

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It's a smaller version of that elusive Dutch big gun, to be clear; the setting has been lowered, the namesake pear-shaped Stuart Diamond has been removed from the top center with a smaller substitute in its place and other large diamonds from the top have been removed. Which was predictable, really; it is a massive tiara that comes with smaller settings, so easing into it is logical. Queen Máxima is wearing two of the removed large diamonds as earrings.  Read the tiara's full story here.

The Stuart Tiara in its full setting, as worn by Queen Juliana

There's the full version, as worn by Queen Juliana. The tiara was created for Queen Wilhelmina in 1897 and was regularly worn by Juliana, her daughter. Once Juliana's daughter, Beatrix, took over the throne, the tiara went unworn. Unworn for more than 40 years. Until now!

Royal reporter Rick Evers shared a fantastic video of the occasion, with some drool-worthy close ups and oh so much sparkle:

There is also a set of mega diamond jewels, the Stuart or House Diamond jewels, that Juliana wore with the Stuart Tiara. Máxima debuted the necklace from that set last year. Here, she wears the large bow brooch from the set, which she's used before. Her dress is a Jan Taminiau repeat.

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Also, other people were there! Let's do a quick sash check (left to right): Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume in the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Netherlands, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, King Willem-Alexander in Luxembourg's Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, Queen Máxima in the same, Grand Duke Henri in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Blauw Bloed screencap. Click here for more sparkly video.

The Luxembourg ladies doubled up on their Elie Saab, Maria Teresa in a repeat and Stéphanie borrowing another dress from her mother-in-law's closet. The Hereditary Grand Duchess is giving us a double tiara appearance, technically, and a debut; she's wearing the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara for the first time (without the pearls), and her sapphire and diamond necklace can also be used as a tiara.

Cour grand-ducale/Cyril Moreau

I must say, I'm a little disappointed in Maria Teresa when it comes to the tiara department. If there was ever a time for the Luxembourg Empire Tiara, right? Instead, the Grand Duchess stuck to her current favorite, the Belgian Scroll Tiara. Good thing her dress is divine, easily my favorite of the evening.

The Dutch arrived for their state visit to Luxembourg earlier today. The visit continues through Friday.

Tiara Watch of the Day: A Second Night of Nobel Sparkle

They’ve gone and done it again, those Swedish royal ladies. For the second night in a row, I am charmed by one and all. And they’re going for the title of Year’s Most Color Coordinated Family while they’re at it.

The royal family with laureate Kazuo Ishiguro and wife Lorna MacDougall.
Kungahuset.se

A pastel spring palette for all, anchored by the deep blue of Queen Silvia's Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure. The whole thing starts with Crown Princess Victoria's floral dress by Camilla Thulin. Man, I love a floral ball gown.

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And that is a BALL GOWN, make no mistake! Grand with a bit of whimsy. With a nature-themed tiara in Princess Lilian’s Laurel Wreath, she’s perfectly coordinated.

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Princess Sofia’s throwing in the greens with a caped (!) dress and the return of the emeralds on her wedding tiara. The elastic (or whatever) at the waist seems a little flimsy for the rest of the drama, though I'm prepared to overlook it since we have a case of Tiara Hair Worn Down done right.

Kungahuset.se

It's good, right? As is Princess Madeleine (another member of the list of royals that can handle a tiara worn with hair down, incidentally). Madeleine’s appearance at Carl Philip and Sofia’s wedding in this Elie Saab gown is one of my all-time favorite maternity gala appearances; it’s just as grand the second time, paired again with the Modern Fringe Tiara.

Shall we catch up with the Norway Nobel crew, while we're at it? For their second night, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. You'll never guess what she wore...

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It's more Erdem x H&M! We knew it was going to be popular, we just didn't know how popular. We should have made Bingo cards with these pieces, guys. Missed opportunity.

Erdem x H&M

Tiara Watch (and Baby Announcement!) of the Day: March 24

In 2015, Crown Princess Victoria announced her second pregnancy the day of an official dinner at the palace. When she showed up for the dinner, there seemed to be a reason for the timing of the announcement: she simply couldn't hide it any longer.

So yesterday was a bit of repeat show.

Kungahuset.se

The royal court had some happy news to share on Thursday: Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia are expecting their second child in September, a baby brother or sister for Prince Alexander. (Yay!) Then yesterday evening, the court held one of their regular white tie official dinners at the palace, and...

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...yup, that announcement came just in time. This is one of Sofia's best gala gowns so far, which is why I am so glad she saved everyone from the speculation. She also made her second appearance in the Cut Steel Bandeau. I'm gonna say diamonds would have been better and rubies would have been better yet. The dress is screaming for the Edward VII Ruby Tiara, at least as a necklace.

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Two airy tiaras with nature motifs rounded out the group: Crown Princess Victoria in Princess Lilian's Laurel Wreath Tiara, which she inherited from Lilian in 2013, and Queen Silvia in the looped forget-me-not garland of the Connaught Tiara.

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Victoria gave her Nobel 2012 appearance a do-over, once again sporting that Elie Saab number which has been so lovingly dubbed the Kermit Dress by many of you (we're going with "lovingly"), and the Bernadotte Emerald Necklace.

At the Nobel Prize Ceremony in 2012

She's swapped the Four Button Tiara for Lilian's Laurel Wreath Tiara this time, and WOW does that make me love this look so much more. My fondness for her using the Bernadotte emeralds again and my affection for her making Lilian's Laurel Wreath a regular part of her tiara rotation are strong, but boy, my aversion to the Four Button is eternal.

Check out a gallery from the evening here, or a quick Instagram video of the royal family arriving here.

Royal Wedding Flashback of the Day: October 21

The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg are celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary this week. Let's celebrate too, by getting lost in this dreamy dress all over again:

Christian Aschman/Cour grand-ducale

It's been a while since I looked back at this wedding, and I really have found myself freshly falling in love with this dress. It's not just that it's Elie Saab Couture - although, fair enough, that alone is a bit of kryptonite for me - it's that it was so perfectly made for this occasion and for this cathedral. It really is a royal wedding dress.

Guests start arriving at 12:00; the bride arrives at 40:00.

After luxuriating in the information coming out of the Swedish royal wedding gown exhibition, I'm now dying to see this one given similar treatment. If there was ever a creation that deserved a closer look, right?

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This wedding was a feast above and beyond the wedding gown, though. Tiaras galore, guests and hats and more! You can relive the whole thing with the full roundup of our coverage here.

Christian Aschman/Cour grand-ducale

Happy weekend!

Royal Fashion Awards: Prince Alexander’s Christening

It just wouldn’t be a royal year without a Swedish christening, and we’re lucky enough to get a double dose this year. Prince Alexander – son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, latest addition to King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia’s growing pile of grandchildren – is up today, so put on your replica baby sash and get ready. (Missed the christening? You can watch it here, and you can revisit our open post here.)

Best in Callbacks

Princess Sofia

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Callbacks to Carl Philip and Sofia’s wedding were found in the floral color scheme and in Sofia’s designer choice for the day. Wedding gown designer Ida Sjöstedt created this custom lace suit, continuing to prove that white is a pretty foolproof selection for a christening outfit.

Princess Sofia continues to be a bit hat-averse, but there weren’t too many guests that wore anything more than a fascinator or headband. The pearl look here is a nice touch, adding some textural contrast to the ensemble. Sofia's brooch - which all the ladies of the family wore - is the King's portrait, Sweden's version of a royal family order.

Best in Mini Me

Crown Princess Victoria (and Princess Estelle)

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It was Elie Saab and coral guipure lace for godmother Victoria today, with a low ponytail and a matching lace headband. The lace on the headband was a little bit of lace overkill for me, especially in this color. I was very glad to see we didn’t get shoes to match. (You know I don’t love a color when it’s even testing my Elie Saab adoration.)

On the other hand, there is no limit to the amount of this color I can tolerate when it means that Estelle gets to be her mother’s mini me for the day. (Second christening in a row that calls for a mini me reference, mind you. They’re a fully coordinated act.)

Best in Kid Wrangling Attire

Princess Madeleine

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I’m still waiting for my promised sleeve-off, but given that it’s pretty obvious Chris and Madeleine have their hands full with toothbrush-chewing Prince Nicolas and squirmy Princess Leonore, I’m not surprised Madeleine opted for an outfit without anything that might get in her way.

This is one stylish kid wrangling outfit, though. I love the way the sharp collar on this Erdem dress works against the softer floral motif, and accessorizing with a simple bow at the back of her updo was just right. Once again, she might be my christening best dressed.

Best in Color Traditions

Queen Silvia

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We’ve seen Silvia in soft pink for the christenings of both of Crown Princess Victoria’s children and in blue for both of Princess Madeleine’s children. New kid, new color, moving into the magenta/purple spectrum now. Could we get a nice rich purple sometime? Just putting my request in early, Your Maj.

Best of the Best

The Kids

These are royal events, sure, but the Swedes also makes sure that they are family events above all. Meaning: the kids run the show! Prince Alexander was happy to display the ins and outs of an heirloom christening gown, as it was visible that it was left a little open in the back (common, since the gown has to fit multiple babies in multiple sizes). The King gave him the Order of the Seraphim, which he promptly used as a little post-baptism snack – just in case you wondered why we see the Swedish baby sashes at christenings and never again.

Awwww. And that’s why we love a Swedish christening!

Who's winning your awards today?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, SVT screencaps, Moda Operandi, Lyst

Potential Royal Couture of the Day: July 11

Let's ease our way into the week with some pretty, courtesy of the Fall 2016 Couture shows. As always, we're previewing just a few designers that happen to be royal faves. Click the names to go to the full collection:

Valentino

Valentino flashed back a cool four centuries or so with a collection filled with ruffs and puffed sleeves and everything else that would have been at home in the time of Shakespeare. Will Crown Princess Mette-Marit's love of high collars and ruffles see her turn into a player at the Globe Theatre? We shall see.

Elie Saab

Elie Saab's New York-inspired collection included some of his signature embellished gowns, along with some lush fall colors and rich fabrics. There were even a few matching gowns for the littlest fashionistas, because scoring points in adorableness never hurts. I would love to see some of these velvets interpreted on the Nobel stage by our Swedish ladies, or gracing the steps of the Luxembourg palace.

Armani Privé

Armani's collection is the one most easily transferred to the royal runway, with lots of jacket and trouser combinations. I fully expect to see Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Queen Mathilde scoop up some of these looks, and I think they'll suit MT particularly well.

And a few more:

• Giambattista Valli was particularly...fluffy this season.
• Fendi's venue is a sight to behold, even if they aren't among those we often see on our regulars.
• Chanel was maybe more for Princess Caroline and less for her kids this season.
• Ralph & Russo's show made me pine for their line to be better represented on the royal stage (same thing I wish most seasons, really). Until then, Sheikha Mozah can rock their capes by herself.

Photos: Vogue

Tiara Thursday (on a Friday): The Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara, with Bonus National Day Fun

One of the most distinctive pieces in the vast Luxembourg tiara collection is the Chaumet Emerald Tiara, with its pointy shape and an egg-sized emerald front and center. Another Chaumet piece in their collection is also quite distinctive, though perhaps in a quieter way: the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara.

Cour grand-ducale

This particular Chaumet tiara features ribbons of diamonds and diamond garlands weaving around each other, topped by diamonds alternating with taller round pearls. Some say a classic diamond fringe tiara is like a fence on top of the head, but - thanks to that lattice-style design - this might be the tiara that gives me the most fence-like feel. (In a lovely, delicate way, mind you.)

The tiara, shown with sapphires on top

As the name suggests, the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara is a flexible piece. The diamonds and pearls along the top are detachable, meaning the tiara can be worn more than one way; the lattice portion can also be used as a choker style necklace (as shown on the Grand Duchess below, along with the Belgian Scroll Tiara).

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The tiara has been worn by several grand ducal ladies. Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte (mother of the current Grand Duke) wore it at least once, as did her daughter her daughter Princess Margaretha; Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has been wearing it since her days as the Hereditary Grand Duchess. National Day 2016, celebrated this week in Luxembourg, added another princess to the list.

Cour grand-ducale/Olivier Polet/tous droits réservés

Luxarazzi: Lovely Ladies, Dashing Gentlemen and a Tiara Parade https://t.co/qy1xvB7yP1 pic.twitter.com/EONC0atC0K

— Sydney Luxarazzi (@SydneyLux) June 23, 2016

For more gala pictures: Wort, Tageblatt

A rousing round of tiara switcheroo (which we love) at the National Day gala gave us a few debuts. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa looked amazing, repeating the Elie Saab dress she wore to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding with a new wrap orientation and the Belgian Scroll Tiara; Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie wore a small butterfly tiara first seen in 2014; Princess Claire wore Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde’s Tiara for the first time; Princess Tessy wore the Diamond Vine Leaves Tiara for the first time, along with quite a dress in the Nassau colors. And Princess Alexandra, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess' only daughter, made her debut in the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara. She wore it without the pearls.

Earlier, the family attended the traditional Te Deum. (See a gallery here.)

RTL video; see the Te Deum here

Stéphanie and Tessy provided all the hat interest the whole family needed with a sampling of fancy napkin fold couture. Which was excellent, because the day's best dressed was MT, impeccable but maybe a wee bit bland in her gray. Claire also livened things up by unknowingly wearing the same dress as Crown Princess Mette-Marit on the very same day - but M-M is another story for another day.

Other National Day events were also happening, and Luxarazzi has you covered there.