Royal Fashion Awards: The Nobel Prizes, 2018

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

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

Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna

Most Notable Repeat

Crown Princess Victoria

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

One Nina Ricci gown, two royal appearances

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

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

Best Continuation of a Theme

Queen Silvia

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

Best in Tiara Wrangling, Again

Princess Christina

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

Best Dressed

Princess Sofia

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

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

And a Special Nod to…

Donna Strickland and Frances Arnold

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

Meanwhile, in Oslo…

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

Who makes your best dressed list for Nobel 2018?

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

Tiara Watch of the Day: And Now for Norway

Tiara Week continues! The Norwegian royal family hosted their annual gala dinner for parliament last night, and it might actually be the best showing of Norwegian tiaras in quite some time?! I mean, when it comes to my personal favorites for each lady, at least.

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A post shared by 👑Royal Family👑 (@rroyalfamilyy) on Oct 25, 2018 at 1:51pm PDT

Queen Josephine's Diamond Tiara is my favorite of the tiaras worn by Queen Sonja, and she delivered it with a whole bunch of extra diamonds for good measure. (Even a piece out of another tiara: the brooch I believe is one of the crosses from the Malteser Tiara.) With a soft and swishy pink skirt, this look's a winner.

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A post shared by Det Norske Kongehus (@norwegianroyalfamily) on Oct 25, 2018 at 12:25pm PDT

Princess Astrid wore the Vasa Tiara, an absolute classic that's maybe my fave from her eclectic collection. (I do have a certain affection for Queen Maud's Turquoise Tiara, though.) After many years of what felt like nothin' but the Diamond Daisy Tiara, I'm really enjoying Crown Princess Mette-Marit's newfound affection for the Amethyst Necklace Tiara and its parure. This dress is her best gala one in a while, too - a sophisticated spin on her beloved ruffles.

NRK screencap

It is also just nice to see her, plain and simple, after the news the Crown Princess shared this week. After years of health issues, she and Crown Prince Haakon went public with her diagnosis of chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. They chose to share because it will sometimes affect her workload. Haakon, Mette-Marit, and Mette-Marit's doctor discussed her condition; they said that the cause is unknown, that she was diagnosed early, and that they're optimistic about her prognosis. We definitely wish her all the best.

Royal Events of the Day: Denmark & Norway Open Parliament

Two more monarchies checked the opening of parliament off their autumn to do list yesterday:

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In Denmark, the primary members of the royal family watch the proceedings from a balcony (rather than the monarch giving a speech, as happens in other countries). Queen Margrethe's cheery blue outfit provided a welcome dash of color on a rainy day.

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Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie seemed appropriately bundled up, Marie even adding a turtleneck under her repeated Paule Ka coat (which Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie also owns). Mary is channeling Jackie O in this jacket and pillbox hat - with some skirt color to pep things up - which is pretty much a foolproof strategy.

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My winner for the day, though, is the perpetually elegant Princess Benedikte. She arrived in a brown wrap over a pumpkin dress with a feather in her hat. If autumn itself needed a parliament opening outfit, this is the outfit autumn would wear. Perfection.

Hans Kristian Thorbjørnsen/Stortinget/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (cropped)

For Norway's parliament opening, King Harald reads the speech; he's accompanied by Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon. The gentlemen steal the show here as always in their uniforms. Queen Sonja pretty much has her own uniform, usually wearing black and/or white with some red thrown in some years. Can't really argue with that.

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!

Wednesday Tidbits for September 5: Anniversaries and More

Here we go again:

--As noted last week, King Harald and Queen Sonja celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a church service, plus a later private dinner. Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore an Emilia Wickstead dress also owned by the Countess of Wessex; Queen Sonja wore her gift from the King, a gold rose brooch. The royal ladies wore commemorative bow medallions designed by Sonja. [NRK]

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--From an earlier Mette-Marit engagement, this made me laugh: How do those royal ladies cope with high heels on duty? By throwing a pair of UGG slides in the car for immediate relief. [Twitter]

--Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia released a new picture of little nugget Prince Gabriel for his first birthday!

Erika Gerdemark, Kungahuset.se

--This is devastating: Brazil's National Museum, one of the largest museums of natural history in the Americas, was gutted in a major fire on Sunday night. Officials say almost 90% of their priceless collection has been destroyed. The building itself is another big loss; its rich history includes use as a residence for the Portuguese royal family and later for the Brazilian imperial family. [Guardian, BBC]

--Over at the Jewel Vault, QEII enjoyed a giggly day out with Anne and Chaz, and brought one of her famous diamonds along for the summer holiday.

--And finally, a little respect for another kind of queen: The Band of the Welsh Guards played "Respect" during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace on Friday, the day of Aretha Franklin's funeral.

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

Royal Flashback of the Day: King Harald and Queen Sonja's Wedding

It took 9 years for Crown Prince Harald of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen to walk down the aisle, and now the King and Queen are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

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Harald's father, King Olav, and the government had objections to Harald marrying the commoner he met at a party in 1959 instead of making a royal match. So Harald eventually stood up to his father and said that he wouldn't marry anyone if he couldn't marry Sonja - a significant problem since Harald was the sole heir to the throne - and the King gave his consent. The couple finally tied the knot on August 29, 1968. As a show of acceptance and support for Sonja, whose father passed away some years before, King Olav walked her down the aisle. (That's right, the Duchess of Sussex was not the first royal bride to get a helping hand from her father-in-law on her big day.)

Queen Sonja's wedding gown was made by Norwegian brand Molstad & Co. It was a structured silk shape with simple pearl ornamentation on the collar and cuffs, with a long train extending from her shoulders. Although Sonja would soon have access to Norway's biggest tiaras - King Olav was a widower, so then-Crown Princess Sonja stepped right into a role as Norway's first lady - she opted for a simple floral-style headpiece to top her veil.

Sonja's dress is easily identified with the decade in which she married, yet five decades on, one of its closest royal comparisons may be something a little more recent: Queen Máxima's 2002 Valentino wedding gown. Does that make it timeless? Maybe so.

A post shared by Det Norske Kongehus (@detnorskekongehus) on Aug 27, 2018 at 11:54am PDT

The golden couple isn't having a huge celebration, since the last couple years have seen them celebrate the Silver Jubilee and their 80th birthdays. There are a few things going on, though; they opened Queen Sonja's childhood home - where they spent a lot of time in the years before they could marry - as a museum and recreated a photo from their engagement while they were at it (click through the Instagram gallery above for the original). They'll also have a celebratory church service on their anniversary.

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!

Monday Tidbits for June 11: Birthdays and Anniversaries

ICYMI, on Saturday we covered Trooping the Colour and on Friday we covered Princess Adrienne's christening. This weekend was also packed with some big birthdays and anniversaries, but first, some sad news:

--I expect you have already heard this tragic news: Inés Zorreguieta, younger sister of Queen Máxima, passed away at the age of 33. A spokesperson for the Dutch government information service said it was likely a suicide. Inés Zorreguieta was one of her sister's bridesmaids and was godmother to Princess Ariane. Arriving last night for the Dutch royal couple's planned state visit to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania - which he will now undertake alone - King Willem-Alexander said: "The death has been a big shock to us and has very much taken us in. Inés was unique and deeply dear to us, so the grief is great." I hope the family gets the privacy they need at this sad time. [BBC, NOS]

--We're going to make a hard pivot now to a much happier subject: BOOKS. Crown Princess Mette-Marit was in her happy place last week on her annual literature train tour, riding through scenic Norway and talking about books. (So, living the dream.) She shared this lovely photo as she was getting ready. [Instagram]

Christian Lagaard, Det kongelige hoff

--One more Norway thing: Queen Sonja's next exhibit at the Queen Sonja Art Stable will include some of the royal family's bunads! The exhibition is called Tradition and Inspiration and includes traditional dress and other artworks. It opens June 20. [Kongehuset]

--As noted, there were a bunch of wedding anniversaries and birthdays marked this weekend. The Duke of Edinburgh, whose presence was truly missed at Trooping the Colour, celebrated his 97th birthday on Sunday. [Express]

--Princess Madeleine celebrated her 36th birthday on Sunday. The royal court released a beautiful new picture taken at Friday's christening. (A teaser for the official christening photos, which have now been added to the christening post.)

Erika Gerdemark, Kungahuset.se

--King Abdullah and Queen Rania celebrated their silver wedding anniversary on Sunday. Rania married in a Bruce Oldfield gown back in 1993, and it's quite a difference from her current style.

--Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako also celebrated their silver wedding anniversary this weekend, answering some questions from the press and releasing some new photos with their dog. The couple are set to become Emperor and Empress next year, following Emperor Akihito's abdication on April 30, 2019. [Mainichi]

--And finally, over at the Jewel Vault: A day out with Camilla and some doggos, another opportunity to snoop around the pictures in QEII's audience room, and a day out with Charles to see a cool new gallery.

Coming up this week: We'll cover Meghan's day with the Queen, 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 Watch of the Day: A State Banquet & Dress Remix in Norway

New week, new tiaras: Norway's royal family welcomed the President of Slovakia for a state visit yesterday.

A post shared by Scandinavian/ British (@royalnews3) on Jun 4, 2018 at 10:27am PDT

The welcome ceremony is much as we've come to expect from Crown Princess Mette-Marit, meaning something white + a headband. Queen Sonja's tangerine suit added some welcome warmth to the group.

Kongehuset screencap

The evening's state banquet was pretty much as we've come to expect from Sonja, who picked up the white dress flag from her daughter-in-law. She added Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara on top, one of her favorites, with plenty of additional pearls. Princess Astrid was there also, wearing her winged aigrette.

Kongehuset screencap

Seems to me that Mette-Marit has found a new appreciation for her Amethyst Necklace Tiara and parure (she's wearing the brooch/necklace pendant on her bodice here), and I need hardly tell you (again) that I am all for that. Especially here, because this gray dress needs the extra color from the gems.

A post shared by The Royal Family of Norway (@theroyalfamilyofnorway) on Jun 4, 2018 at 9:36pm PDT

This gray dress is really interesting, actually, because it appears to be a remix of some existing pieces. The flower appliqué skirt was previously seen...

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2010

...eight years ago in Denmark for the celebrations of Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday, where it was part of a dress with a white top with flounce sleeves.

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The top she's now added to the skirt is a lot like the one she wore in the portrait above with different sleeves; as Heaven points out, the same collection also offered different but similar tops with larger sleeves. The top(s) are from a 2013 collection from Biyan and feature an embellished neckline.

The result of this dress remix leaves me longing for the 2010 original, I'll admit; the white top did a lot to balance out the gray and all the embellishment of the skirt. Embellishment and gray all over ends up cluttered. But I'm totally intrigued by her process of mixing and matching with her gala gowns. Infinite possibilities!

Tuesday Tidbits for May 29: Birthday Leftovers and More

How's your sparkle hangover doing? Let's treat it with some leftover bits and pieces from that big Danish birthday bash plus other stuff:

--A highlight of Crown Prince Frederik's 50th birthday banquet - beyond, you know, the sparkle we so enjoyed - was Crown Princess Mary's speech. A sweet and funny tribute to her husband. Below is a video with English subtitles.

--The Danish royal family shared a clip of the documentary made for Crown Prince Frederik's birthday on YouTube. Really short, but interesting insights.

--One more leftover tidbit from the banquet: Did you notice that Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the Order of the Elephant for the first time? According to Kjell Arne Totland, the Danish honor was bestowed upon Mette-Marit by Queen Margrethe in 2014 during the bicentennial celebrations of the Norwegian Constitution. This was her first opportunity to wear it. [Twitter]

--Princess Madeleine brought Princess Leonore along for Childhood Day on Sunday and they had a blast. She wore a baby blue suit and Princess Sofia wore a pale pink trouser suit yesterday, and between the two, I'm not sure I'm on board with the pastel suit revival. [Svenskdam, Instagram]

A post shared by Princess Madeleine of Sweden (@princess_madeleine_of_sweden) on May 27, 2018 at 10:58am PDT

--The Countess of Wessex has a new dress from Zimmerman, and she must really like it; she wore it twice in very short order, for a performance at the Newbury Spring Festival and for the Chelsea Flower Show. It's the perfect canvas for a long pendant necklace, even a bigger statement piece than the one she wore at the flower show. [Countess of Wessex Blog]

Royal Family

--Another new grandchild for Princess Caroline, in case you missed it: Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo welcomed Francesco Carlo Albert on May 21st. The couple's first son, Stefano, was born last year.

Coming up this week: I suppose we're due for a Letizia catch up, 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!

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?

Monday Tidbits for May 21: So, the Rest of the World...

I regret to inform those of you that are salty about the amount of royal wedding posts that we still have a tiara to cover and this week will also bring the first post-wedding appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But the big events move out of Britain by the end of the week, with the promise of some tiara action to pull you through. Check out the "Coming up this week" section at the end of Tidbits for more.

In the meantime, bits and bobs from elsewhere:

--The Norwegian royal family joined in the annual May 17 celebrations, and you know what that means: bunad time! And shades! And top hats! And dogs! [ParisMatch]

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NRK screencap

--Isn't this a cute dress for Queen Margrethe? Super breezy even with the addition of her order brooches (she's receiving credentials from ambassadors).

A post shared by DET DANSKE KONGEHUS (@detdanskekongehus) on May 18, 2018 at 7:37am PDT

--Spring greetings to you from Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar at Haga Palace! [Photos: Linda Broström / Kungahuset.se]

--And finally, the festivities for Crown Prince Frederik's 50th birthday are kicking off. He and Crown Princess Mary hosted a dinner Friday celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Crown Prince Frederik Fund. Mary repeated a Temperley gown. Speaking of Fred's bday...

Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset

Coming up this week: A lot! Coverage of the Netherlands/Luxembourg state visit (state banquet, yay!), British royal garden fun including the newlyweds, and hopefully another busy weekend ahead with Frederik's birthday on Saturday (a balcony appearance and a gala dinner with foreign royal friends are on the books).

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!