Year in Review: 2018’s Tiara Happenings

Yes, it’s time to begin wrapping up 2018. We’ll start with a round up of this year’s tiara happenings. It’s been an eventful year in diadems! There were quite a few developments beyond the royal tiaras we saw worn this year; tiaras were sold (Queen Alexandrine's Russian Sapphire Tiara, the whole Bourbon-Parma auction, and more), tiaras went on display (the trio of Fife tiaras at Kensington Palace!), and unfortunately, certain things also disappeared (shame on you, thieves of Swedish royal regalia and the Portland Tiara).

This year also gave us plenty of opportunities to see tiaras in action, from a big tiara’d up royal gathering (that marvelous festival of fringes at Frederik’s 50th birthday party) to wedding tiara surprises and more. You can scroll back through alllllll the tiara appearances we covered in 2018 here.

And those events produced some notable tiara happenings…

The Reappearances

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Any 2018 tiara round up has to start with the reappearance of the Stuart Tiara, right?! Some of us have been waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for Queen Máxima to resurrect the biggest of all the Dutch big guns, unseen since Queen Juliana’s reign. She delivered twice: debuting a smaller version in Luxembourg and the whole monster in the United Kingdom.

BBC/ITV

Weddings brought even more reappearances – and, in the case of the British royal family, confirmation that two mysterious tiaras do indeed still exist in the vault: the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara (worn by Princess Eugenie) and Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau Tiara (worn by the Duchess of Sussex). Slightly outside of the royal realm, another wedding also gave us an opportunity to see the Spencer Tiara in action once again.

A New Tiara

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Princess Marie’s tiara access finally increased in 2018, with the addition of the Nuits Claires Tiara courtesy of an arrangement with Mauboussin. It’s a rare treat to see a newly made tiara in action.

The Debuts

House of HM the King

Queen Letizia headlined last year’s tiara happenings by wearing the Fleur de Lys Tiara for the first time. She followed that up in short order by debuting the two other largest tiaras in the Spanish collection: the Cartier Diamond and Pearl Tiara and Queen Maria Christina’s Cartier Loop Tiara. Elsewhere, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie continued her run through the Luxembourg vaults by debuting the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara.

What was your favorite tiara surprise of 2018?

Vote in the poll below! (If you can't see the poll, try using a different browser.) 

Monday Tidbits for September 17: Monarchs and Regalia

Let's start with some awwws:

--Remember Princess Madeleine's tea party, where she donned a full tiara getup to entertain kids dealing with serious illness? Last week, it was King Carl Gustaf's turn. Seven-year-old Akram, who has leukemia, was welcomed to the palace with the full ambassador treatment - including meeting a king in uniform with a sword and the whole deal. The visit was also coordinated through Min Stora Dag (My Big Day). The royal court's Instagram has a video and more pics.

Raphael Stecksén/Kungahuset.se

--Another Swedish update: Swedish authorities arrested someone in connection with the theft of royal regalia that happened in August. The stolen goods - two crowns and an orb - have not been recovered. [AP]

--Certainly you want to see some footage of Queen Margrethe in crafty mode, including trying on the hat/mask things she's making. She is a treasure. The Danish royal court released the footage in advance of an exhibition of the scenery and costumes created by the Queen. "Eventyrdronningen" ("Adventure Queen") opens later this month at the Amalienborg Museum. [YouTube]

--And finally, Luxembourg's grand ducal family released a new group family photo! There are also photos of the little kids here. [Twitter]

Cour grand-ducale/Lola Velasco

Coming up this week: A formal dinner in Sweden, 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! 

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!

Tuesday Tidbits for July 24: A Tiara and Some Birthdays

Sparkle and cuteness, coming right up:

--Royal wedding in Germany: Princess Theodora of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg married Count Nikolaus Bethlen de Bethlen, of Hungarian nobility, over the weekend. The bride wore a small diamond fringe tiara that we've previously seen worn by her sister, Princess Anna of Bavaria, to the weddings of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. The bride's father is a cousin of the late Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, husband of Princess Benedikte of Denmark. [Vanity Fair, Zimbio]

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--Prince George turned 5, so Kensington Palace shared a snap of him cheesin' for the camera at his little brother's christening. Awww.

Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace

--Crown Prince Haakon turned 45, so the Norwegian royal family shared a few pictures of him celebrating his big day with the family at Mågerø.

A post shared by Det Norske Kongehus (@detnorskekongehus) on Jul 20, 2018 at 10:24am PDT

--And finally, Luxembourg on parade in the U.K.: Prince Sébastien, a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, participated in the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace as flag-bearer of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards. His proud parents, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, attended the ceremony. Sébastien's grandfather, Grand Duke Jean, served in the Irish Guards in World War II and was later appointed Colonel. That's Jean in the portrait behind them (and regimental mascot Domhnall hanging out in front). The court's Twitter account has more from the day.

Cour grand-ducale/Collection privée

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!

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.

RTL Screencap

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?

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.

Monday Tidbits for May 7: Little Ones of Today and Yesterday

A-tidbiting we will go:

--The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released two photographs of Prince Louis, one with Princess Charlotte that was taken on her third birthday. Charlotte's wearing a cardigan previously worn by Prince George and it looks like Louis is wearing the white outfit Charlotte wore in her first pics. [Photos: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge]

--There's a new exhibition at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht showcasing the work of Jan Taminiau - and it features some of Queen Máxima's Taminiau dresses! The video below (in Dutch) gives you a peek inside.

--Sister act: To mark their first time sailing together on the royal yacht in over 20 years, Queen Margrethe, Princess Benedikte, and Queen Anne-Marie recreated a picture they took on board as kids. CUTE. (Great outfits all around, too.) They opened the new jewelry exhibition at Koldinghus that features some of their own pieces; you can see that and several pictures of some of the tiaras on display on the Danish royal family's Instagram.

Kongehuset

--And finally, Luxembourg's grand ducal family gathered for the closing of the Octave this weekend. I am a wee bit concerned that Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie's hat is about to slide on down and turn itself into a necklace. [Luxarazzi]

Cour grand-ducale/Claude Piscitelli

Coming up this week: Mary in Seattle, a Mathilde and Máxima update, 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!

Tiara Thursday: The Belgian Scroll Tiara, Revisited

Luxembourg’s doing their best to make up for a tiara-less state banquet earlier this week. They brought along an unexpected number of family members for the return dinner, and they released a glittering new portrait of the Grand Duchess to celebrate her birthday! (Which is today; she is 62. Happy birthday, Maria Teresa!)

Lola Velasco/Cour grand-ducale

Splendid, right? She’s wearing the tremendously flattering Yves Dooms evening gown she wore for the 2017 National Day gala. She’s also repeating the Belgian Scroll Tiara, and it’s about time we refreshed our thoughts on this gem. Especially since, for the past few years, it has been Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s unequivocal favorite.

The Belgian Scroll Tiara

The Belgian Scroll Tiara is a diamond tiara of palmette, crescent, and scroll motifs made by Henry Coosemans in 1953. There are 854 diamonds here, all set in platinum, with a total weight of 46.42 carats. The center stone is an 8.1 carat diamond that can be removed and worn as a ring, and the central element can be worn as a brooch. It was a gift from the Sociéte Générale to Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium when she married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg that same year.

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte on her wedding day

Joséphine-Charlotte wore this for her wedding portrait, having already worn the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara for the ceremony. (If you can’t pull a two tiara day on your wedding day, when can you?) She continued to wear the tiara throughout her years as the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, even after her husband had abdicated in favor of their son, Henri. She did allow her daughter-in-law, Princess Sibilla, to borrow it.

Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte

Several years ago, the Belgian Scroll Tiara came terribly close to losing its place in the family collection. The diadem was Joséphine-Charlotte’s personal property; when she died in 2005, her five children seemed to have had some difficulty dividing up her assets. In 2006, an auction through Sotheby’s was announced. A large quantity of her personal jewels and other valuable possessions were to be sold by the family. Among the loot: this tiara, her other wedding tiara, and jewels from her parents, King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of the Belgians.

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Princess Sibilla borrows the tiara in 2002

The jewels were private property, so it was completely within the family’s rights to do as they pleased with them. Nevertheless, the auction caused a public outcry. Rumors of tension among siblings and in-laws popped up, as well as all the old talk of the damaged relationship between Joséphine-Charlotte and her daughter-in-law Maria Teresa. Not only that, but the family’s finances and judgment were called into question by some. In other words: all the things that a royal house does not want questioned were suddenly a point of discussion. In light of this, the auction was cancelled.

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Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, also wearing the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara around her neck

The Belgian Scroll Tiara was thus salvaged, along with several other major pieces of jewelry. (The family still sold off some more minor pieces; they just did it in a quieter fashion.) The tiara is now a firm favorite with Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. She’s worn it for the past two National Day galas, plus a state visit and the Norwegian birthday gala in 2017, among other occasions. I’d love to see it on Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie (who is Belgian), should MT decide to release her grip.

Does this rank among your favorite Luxembourg tiaras?

Tuesday Tidbits for March 20: A State Banquet and More

Let's see what we've got here...

--ICMYI, we covered the wedding of Prince Christian of Hanover and Alessandra de Osma (and the big ol' tiara that came out to play) over the weekend.

--The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg embarked on a state visit to France yesterday. I am sorry to report that the French president is still keeping the dress code for state banquets below the point at which tiaras are worn, so boo. Luxarazzi has all from the banquet and from the arrival.

Cour grand-ducale / Bertrand Rindoff / Getty Images

--Over at the Jewel Vault, a delighted QEII brought back her favorite aquamarine brooches.

--The Belgian royal palace announced that Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, will begin studies at UWC Atlantic College in Wales this summer. King Willem-Alexander also attended the school. [Twitter]

Belgian Monarchy

--Queen Margrethe has returned to work after the end of the official period of court mourning for Prince Henrik. [Instagram]

--And finally, let's keep that theme of Very Good Dogs running for one more day: Here's the Prince of Wales meeting Ned, a 9-week-old puppy and future sniffer dog, while visiting Heathrow's Terminal 5 last week.

A post shared by Clarence House (@clarencehouse) on Mar 13, 2018 at 7:29am PDT

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!

Tuesday Tidbits for February 20: Blue Velvet Moments and More

Other stuff:

--Tributes to the late Prince Henrik continue, including a service and reception for patronages and close friends hosted by Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, with Henrik's three dogs among the mourners. The funeral is held today. [Twitter]

--Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel traveled to Lithuania to help mark the country's 100th anniversary of independence last week. (Crown Princess Mary was also supposed to travel to the country, but her trip was cancelled due to Prince Henrik's death.) I'm liking Victoria's blue velvet dress more than her choice of hat for the outside portion, although I'm sure she was nice and toasty. [ParisMatch]

Kungahuset.se

--A little coronet brooch for the Duchess of Cornwall while visiting Yorkshire! Cute. Also, she looks good in this pink. [ITV]

ITV screencap

--Birthday = new portrait, you know the drill! Luxembourg joins in this week with a new picture of Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie for her 34th birthday. (Princess Marie also owns this Paule Ka coat.) Stéphanie also appears to have had her own blue velvet moment recently. [Pinterest, Twitter]

© 2017 Cour grand-ducale/Lola Velasco Tous droits réservés

--And finally, over at the Jewel Vault: A double brooch day, yay!

Coming up this week: Fashion comes to Buck Pal, 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!

Monday Tidbits for January 15: More New Year's Fun

We are not done with the royal New Year's festivities, but first, a documentary update:

--The Coronation documentary, featuring commentary from Queen Elizabeth II herself on her coronation, aired for the first time last night. Highlights and chat are over at the Vault. Also over at the Vault: a splash of purple and pink on the way to church, with a sneaky ruby brooch.

--Luxembourg's grand ducal family held a New Year's reception last week. I get that Stéphanie pulled the black accents from the dress, but still would have loved to see something less heavy. [Facebook, via Luxarazzi]

Cour grand-ducale/Claude Piscitelli

--A shiny Queen Mathilde joined King Philippe for a New Year's reception for European institutions at the Royal Palace, wearing a repeated Natan ensemble.

Belgian Monarchy

--The Japanese imperial family held their traditional New Year's Lectures and their traditional New Year's Poetry Reading last week, both with a dress code of long day dresses and hats for the imperial princesses. The Lectures this year were a special treat, because Crown Princess Masako attended for the first time in 15 years (after withdrawing due to her illness). [Imperial Family of Japan Blog]

Crown Princess Masako, Princess Kiko, and Princess Mako at the Lectures
ANN screencap

Coming up this week: More of your 2017 favorites revealed...

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!

Readers' Favorite Outfits of 2017, Evening Division: Place Your Votes!

And now, it's time for the sparkle. Twenty-five gowns worn in 2017 are here for your evaluation and ranking fun in the evening division, a (hopefully) well-rounded selection of those that were popular in your comments on our Best of 2017 posts and throughout the year.

Links to past coverage are included below. You may select up to three outfits to vote for. Vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. (If you're unable to see the poll, try a different browser.) Voting will be open through noon Eastern time on January 3rd.

UPDATE: The poll is now closed.

One quick programming note before we dig in: Our next post will feature the first gowns of 2018 at the sparkling New Year's event in Denmark (and Japan!) on the evening of the 1st. See you then!

CasaReal, NRK, RVD, Italian presidency, Palais Princier

1. Queen Letizia at the Spanish/British State Banquet in Felipe Varela

2. Queen Mathilde at the Norway Birthday Gala in Armani

3. Queen Máxima at the Italian State Banquet in Jan Taminiau (also worn for King Willem-Alexander's Birthday)

4. Princess Charlene at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Carolina Herrera

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5. Queen Letizia at King Willem-Alexander's Birthday in Stella McCartney

Royal Family/Belgian Monarchy

 6. The Duchess of Cambridge at the Spanish/British State Banquet in Marchesa

7. Queen Mathilde at the Danish/Belgian State Banquet in Armani Privé

8. Crown Princess Mary at the Danish/Belgian State Banquet in Jesper Høvring (also worn for the New Year's Gala Banquet)

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9. Queen Máxima at the Argentina State Banquet in Jan Taminiau

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10. Princess Sofia at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Ida Lanto

Instagram/NRK/Belgian Monarchy

 11. Princess Tatiana at the Norway Birthday Gala in Celia Kritharioti

12. The Countess of Wessex at the Norway Birthday Gala in Suzannah

13. Queen Margrethe at the Danish/Belgian State Banquet (also worn for the Norway Birthday Gala)

British Embassy/CasaReal/NRK

14. The Duchess of Cambridge in Paris in Jenny Packham

15. The Princess Royal at the Spanish Guildhall Banquet

16. Queen Letizia at the Spanish Guildhall Banquet in Carolina Herrera (originally identified as Armani)

17. Crown Princess Victoria at the Norway Birthday Gala in Elie Saab

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18. Crown Princess Mary at the New Year's Reception in Lasse Spangenberg (though this was a day event, the cape was debuted in the evening at the New Year's Gala Banquet and the overall look seems destined to be repeated for a gala, so let's call it evening)

Palais Princier/Kongehuset/SVT/Instagram

19. Princess Charlene at the Princess Grace Awards in Ralph Lauren

20. Queen Máxima at the Norway Birthday Gala in Jan Taminiau

21. Princess Madeleine at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Séraphine

22. Princess Tatiana in Australia in Celia Kritharioti

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23. Crown Princess Mary at the Norway Birthday Dinner in Erdem

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24. Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie in Cannes in Ralph Lauren

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


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