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

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

#10. Queen Mathilde in Portraits in Armani Privé

Royal Palace

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

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

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

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

Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset

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

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

Sara Friberg, Kungl. Hovstaterna

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erika Gerdemark, Kungahuset.se

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

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

Belgian Monarchy

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

#7. Crown Princess Mary in Seattle in Preen

Preen/Danish Ambassador

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

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

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

Stay tuned for the top 5 in Part 2!

Year in Review: 2018's Honorable Mentions

Did you fall in love with a 2018 royal outfit from someone not yet featured? Here, my friends, is the place to proclaim your love. The honorable mentions begin...

...right after this programming note: Our next post will be the Christmas round up, probably on the 26th, and then you'll want to stay tuned to cast your votes for your 2018 favorites!

Princess Eugenie in Zac Posen at her Wedding Reception

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

Our one limited glimpse of this gown in action is all I need to call it one of the most interesting - and intricately made - dresses of this royal year.

Princess Beatrice in Ralph & Russo at Princess Eugenie's Wedding

MOD Crown copyright 2018

Satisfying my need for more royal Ralph & Russo, this was a stunning turn for Princess Beatrice. Another contender for the year's best was her faux bow Gucci dress.

Lady Sarah Chatto in Jasper Conran at Princess Eugenie's Wedding

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Eugenie's wedding offered a few bests for the year. Sarah broke from her usual color schemes in a big way, to delightful effect. Another nod from the event goes to Lady Gabriella Windsor, who combined her blues in a fun way.

Princess Charlene in Oscar de la Renta at the Ocean Gala

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What, like a sparkly caped thing wasn't making this list?

Princess Sofia in Zetterberg Couture at the Nobel Prize Ceremony

Kungahuset/SVT

This high-impact gown won my heart at the Nobels. Sofia also impressed earlier in the year with her green halter top dress at the Polar Music Prize.

Princess Madeleine in Giambattista Valli at Princess Adrienne's Christening

Erika Gerdemark, Kungahuset.se

Did this floral really win me over, or was it just the fact that Madeleine wore pieces of the Cameo parure for the first time? Probably the latter, but hey, whatever makes it memorable.

Charlotte Casiraghi in Saint Laurent at the Rose Ball

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Listen, I just love the fact that what was arguably the most fun evening ensemble of the year came from Charlotte. Feathers for everybody!

Beatrice Borromeo at...a Bunch of Events

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I think I loved everything we covered Beatrice wedding this year, which is some kind of record: black velvet maternity from Alberta Ferretti at the Rose Ball, fur and fringe at the Ocean Gala, the delicious Armani Privé ensemble above from National Day, and the liquid gold number she wore to the National Day gala. 

What other royal outfits made your list of 2018 favorites?

Year in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge and Crown Princess Victoria's 2018 Bests

Our next two ladies in the spotlight ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum for my personal 2018 favorites.

The Duchess of Cambridge in Erdem at the V&A

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For my end of the year favorites, I usually draw heavily from the year's tiara appearances - but weirdly enough, my top Kate outfits for the year stayed on the less formal side of things. The accessory interest on this Erdem tops my list.

Runners up:

• Two outfits from two related events earlier this month take my runner up spots: an Emilia Wickstead skirt and cardigan, followed by a wide leg trouser and blazer appearance.

Crown Princess Victoria in Nina Ricci at the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony

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Victoria, on the other hand, ended up with a list completely taken from the year's tiara appearances. It was a bit of a three-way tie, but I'm giving top prize to the go big or go home spirit of her foray into Queen Silvia's closet for the Nobel ceremony.

Runners up:

• Killer perfection in red from night two of the Nobel festivities makes my list...
• ...as does her sleek green gown with emeralds and diamonds from November.

What were your favorite 2018 outfits from Kate and Victoria?

Monday Tidbits for December 17: Holiday Cheer and Poll Results

More 2018 wrap up fun awaits us, but first, the results from last week's two polls and some of the usual holiday cheer:

--In the vote for your favorite 2018 tiara surprise, who rose to the top but the one and only Queen Máxima and her use of the Stuart Tiara! Máxima took home 47% of your votes, easily holding off your runner up with 34%, Princess Eugenie and the debut of the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. Another big British tiara moment, the Duchess of Sussex in Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara, took third place with 10% of your votes.

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--Princess Eugenie missed her chance to take the tiara prize, but the love for her wedding look carried her to victory as your favorite 2018 royal wedding gown! Eugenie and her Peter Pilotto gown grabbed 49% of your votes. Meghan followed her with 31% of the tally, while Alessandra took 14% and Ayako nabbed the remaining 6%.

Alex Bramall/Princess Eugenie Instagram

--The usual parade of royal Christmas cards is in full swing! The Windsors contributed with the release of cards from Chaz and Cams, the Cambridge fam, and the Sussex pair.

Taken by Hugo Burnand in the gardens at Clarence House over the summer.

Taken by Matt Porteous at Amner Hall.

Taken by Chris Allerton during their Frogmore House wedding reception.

--Over in Denmark, Queen Margrethe and the crown princely family held a Christmas event at Christiansborg Palace. The Queen's little elves are still finding family treasures around the palace on the family's Instagram, including a pair of Prince Henrik's monogrammed shoes. [Instagram]

Keld Navntoft, Kongehuset

--And in Sweden, the royal court shared a picture taken by Crown Princess Victoria of Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar celebrating St. Lucia Day last week.

HRH The Crown Princess/Royal Court, Sweden

--And finally, over at the Jewel Vault: a little holiday party fun for Her Maj, plus a vibrant pink outfit.

Coming up this week: We continue finishing up 2018 with plenty of outfit favorites. Get your memories rolling and your suggestions ready.

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: More Sparkle in Sweden and the Netherlands

The Dutch and Swedish ladies are here to squeeze in the last tiara events of 2018, bless 'em.

The King and Queen of the Netherlands welcomed the President and first lady of Cape Verde to the Netherlands for a state visit on Monday, including a state banquet.

RVD

Queen Máxima continued her recent Claes Iversen streak with this burnt orange gown for the state banquet. This is the third time we've seen this dress and the second time with a tiara - to be honest, it would be neither my first pick for a triple repeat nor my first pick for one tiara appearance, let alone two. Máx clearly disagrees. Fair enough.

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Anyway, she's provided ample distraction by loading herself up with the biggest diamonds worn in the most amusingly casual fashion. The Dutch Diamond Bandeau's tossed on like an afterthought (I mean, it's a good hairdo, this is just one of those times when she really is wearing it like any old headband, which I find hilarious). And she's continuing to find new-to-her treasures in the family vault; this mega brooch with a big fat yellow diamond in the center belonged to Queen Emma. The brooch was one of Queen Emma's wedding gifts, part of a set that also included the diamond rivière that was later made into the Diamond Bandeau. It's a diamond reunion!

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We also have some Bonus Beatrix, yay. Princess Beatrix wore the Antique Pearl Tiara, a diadem I enjoy more each time we see it. 

The Swedish royal family hosted the King's Dinner for Nobel laureates last night.

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Meanwhile in Sweden: another killer red gown! This is a drop dead gorgeous moment for Crown Princess Victoria. She paired this fab dress with Princess Lilian's Laurel Wreath Tiara, one of a full diamond tiara line up for the ladies on this evening. (Including Princess Christina wearing the Six Button Tiara again, as you can see if you click through that gallery.)

Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna

Princess Sofia's custom gown from Valerie by Valerie Aflalo was a bit fussy for my tastes (the sleeves, I blame the sleeves). Like most things, it could have been improved by an amethyst tiara - she was already wearing the earrings, bracelet, and brooch from Queen Josephine's Amethyst Parure. Swap out the all-diamond version of your Emerald and Diamond Tiara while you're at it, Sofia!

Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna

Queen Silvia wore a pink Jacques Zehnder dress - itself a former Nobel ceremony selection - with a refreshing tiara choice: the Baden Fringe. We've seen her wear it in 2016, 2017, and now 2018. (And before that, obvs, this is just a seeming renewal of enthusiasm.) No one wears it like Crown Princess Victoria does, but I must say, I enjoy seeing other takes on it. Fringes (or amethysts) for everyone!

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

SVT

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

SVT

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.

SVT

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: Sweden's State Visit from Italy

The Swedish royal family welcomed the President of Italy and his daughter for a state visit yesterday with all the appropriate pomp and circumstance - glittering state banquet included.

Quirinale

Welcome ceremony first, though. This is a loose blue color scheme for the ladies and I like the assortment very much. I don't often have a lot to say about Queen Silvia but there's some frills here and some accent teal and I'm digging the combo. Crown Princess Victoria's blue is nicely detailed; I won't be surprised if some other royal Hugo Boss aficionados pick up Princess Sofia's dress.

By Malina Ginger Dress in Dove Blue for Victoria; Hugo Boss Contoured Business Dress in Blue for Sofia (per Heaven)

For the state banquet, some pretty big jewels came out to play. (Yay!)

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Queen Silvia's not about to let the fact that she chose a blue stone (the luscious Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure) stop her from wearing purple. Atta queen. Her sash is the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, same as the other members of the royal family are wearing.

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Crown Princess Victoria was the one that really surprised me. The Bernadotte Emerald Demi-Parure is a big set and I love seeing these pieces become a more regular part of her repertoire, combined with a new gown and the Six Button Tiara. This is, like, Nobel-level dressing up. I APPROVE.

Zetterberg Couture for Sofia (also per Heaven)

Princess Sofia's skirt is actually from a wedding collection, yet it doesn't ping overly bridal to me. I'm always game to see how a ball skirt is styled. She left the green gems to her sister-in-law and wore her Wedding Tiara without emeralds.

Is this a warm up for next month's Nobels? Because I'm ready.

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: Máxima, Victoria, Rania, Charlene

Checking in with a few other leading ladies before we head back to Sussexland...

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited Zeeland this week.

Shockingly enough, Máxima has been up to a bunch of hats and bright colors. (Warming up for her state visit to the UK next week, I hope.) This skirt reminds me of aerial photos of tulip fields. Claes Iversen shared a little Instagram look at these skirts from his Spring/Summer 2017 collection and how they're made. Very delicate and detailed.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel visited Jordan, where they were received by King Abdullah and Queen Rania. The Swedish couple are also visiting Lebanon.
Royal Hashemite Court

Is it possible to avoid overdoing the design details on a dress by simply overloading it so much that your eyes have no choice but to gloss over some of the fussier bits? Victoria's dress is an experiment seeking an answer. (Mermaid scales. That's all I can get from this whole thing.) She does end up sort of pleasingly color-coordinated with Queen Rania's Ralph & Russo ensemble, though.

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Princess Charlene attended the 2018 Princess Grace Awards Gala.

Charlene doesn't do the big toothy grin thing in posed photos (which is her prerogative! I'm over people demanding smiles at all times) - and you don't even need one here to tell that she's quite pleased with her sassy Ralph Lauren evening suit. Blazers slung over the shoulders remain on my pet peeves list, but if there's someone who can pull this look off, it's Char.

Monday Tidbits for October 15: Babies & Weddings & Tours, Oh My

The busy royal month continues:

--If you missed any of our coverage from Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding this weekend, you can find it all here. For those that missed the wedding or want to rewatch, the royal family has now uploaded the whole thing here. [YouTube]

--The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Australia ahead of their tour and the Invictus Games. Obviously the tour is something you'll be seeing around here, mixed in with everything else. Also there's this tiny bit of news:

Congrats to the couple! (For those wondering about the upcoming tour portions in Fiji and Tonga - where the Zika virus is a risk - they've taken medical advice and decided to go ahead as planned. Please do not second guess their medical decisions here.) [YouTube, Telegraph]

--The Court Circular revealed a new honor for Harry: "The Queen has been pleased to appoint The Duke of Sussex as a Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty with effect from 13th October, 2018." The Queen has bestowed this honorary designation on several senior royal men (Philip, Charles, William, Andrew, Edward, Tim). It doesn't come with a bunch of extra duties, really, but it does mean that Harry will add an aiguillette (ornamental gold braids at the shoulder) to his uniform, like the Duke of Cambridge has below.

The aiguillette (gold braids) on William's shoulder marks him as a Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen. We'll now see Harry with the same.
Royal Family Channel screencap

--The Danish crown princely family showed their support for the Invictus Games on social media last week. Crown Prince Frederik's making the trip to Australia to attend.

Kongehuset

--Frederik and Mary and the kids also paid a visit to the Amalienborg Museum exhibition showcasing Queen Margrethe's design, sharing a video of the kids following in their crafty grandma's footsteps. [Instagram, YouTube]

HRH The Crown Princess

--The Swedes got in on the quality family museum time last week, too. King Carl Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria, and Princess Estelle made a special visit to the National Museum before the King officially reopened it after a lengthy renovation. [Instagram]

Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna

Coming up this week: Some Sussex, some Spain, some Netherlands probably, etc...

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

Royal Outfits of the Day: Swedish Royals at Parliament & More

It was Sweden's turn to open parliament this week, with the Swedish royal family present as always.

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The ladies do a black and white (and shades thereof, in this case) dress code, which is reminiscent of the black and white court dress worn decades ago. This year that led to Crown Princess Victoria wearing a Paule Ka top she's worn previously to this same event. I'm half wishing Princess Sofia's jacket had a beige bottom, thereby completing the fake out crop top effect. Just for kicks.

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The looks were likewise tame for the evening's concert. Feels a little more day attire than it usually does, really just shiny fabrics here to differentiate. Except for Victoria's metallic Escada dress, which has been worn multiple times in the past.

Kungl. Hovstaterna

While we're in Sweden: Princess Sofia attended a board meeting for Sophiahemmet yesterday and this look might have caught my eye more than the parliament stuff did. Nothing says cozy like a giant smocked velvet turtleneck, amirite? Cozy or claustrophobic, depending on your turtleneck tolerance. You be the judge.

Top by Rodebjer, per UFO No More