Tiara Thursday: The Meander Tiara

Let's talk about the most distinctive piece from Princess Anne's jewel collection: the Meander Tiara.

This is an all-diamond piece featuring large Greek key designs. The central element is a laurel wreath surrounding a large brilliant cut diamond, and there are honeysuckle motifs on the side.

The Greek design is appropriate since this tiara belonged to Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark (above, born Princess Alice of Battenberg), mother of Prince Phillip. Alice gave the tiara to her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, as a wedding gift. The Queen never wore it publicly. Personally, I think it would have looked quite out of place on the Queen, given her unchanging hairstyle.

Sometime in the early 1970s, the Queen gave the tiara to Princess Anne, and it's been on frequent display ever since.

The design of this tiara is quite modern, and far from girlish or romantic. As such, it's an excellent match for the Princess Royal. It suits her perfectly, right down to the way it nests in her famous hairdo.

Personally, I'd love to see this one on Zara. I'd rather she wear this than something from her grandmother, or one of Anne's other pieces. Like her mother, she has the right personality to carry off the design. And I'm telling you, ladies like that are few and far between.

What do you think?

Photos: Munn/BigPicturesPhoto.com/Daily Mail

Tiara Thursday: The Meander Tiara

Let's talk about the most distinctive piece from Princess Anne's jewel collection: the Meander Tiara.

This is an all-diamond piece featuring large Greek key designs. The central element is a laurel wreath surrounding a large brilliant cut diamond, and there are honeysuckle motifs on the side.

The Greek design is appropriate since this tiara belonged to Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark (above, born Princess Alice of Battenberg), mother of Prince Phillip. Alice gave the tiara to her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, as a wedding gift. The Queen never wore it publicly. Personally, I think it would have looked quite out of place on the Queen, given her unchanging hairstyle.

Sometime in the early 1970s, the Queen gave the tiara to Princess Anne, and it's been on frequent display ever since.

The design of this tiara is quite modern, and far from girlish or romantic. As such, it's an excellent match for the Princess Royal. It suits her perfectly, right down to the way it nests in her famous hairdo.

Personally, I'd love to see this one on Zara. I'd rather she wear this than something from her grandmother, or one of Anne's other pieces. Like her mother, she has the right personality to carry off the design. And I'm telling you, ladies like that are few and far between.

What do you think?

Photos: Munn/BigPicturesPhoto.com/Daily Mail

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 17-23 July

Here's what Catherine wore from 17-23 July:

1. Viewing the summer exhibition at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, 22 July, in a Joseph dress and Jimmy Choo heels. I got nothing. Bored to tears. Thank heavens the Queen pepped things up with her candor.

As you've no doubt heard by now, the Queen finds the headless display of Kate's wedding gown at Buckingham Palace "horrid" and "creepy", God love her.

I'll take a weird floating tiara over one of those mannequins that look possessed any day, myself. No, you won't find me voluntarily visiting a Madame Tussaud's museum...ever. (Pictures of the dress on display have been added to the wedding gown post.)

Photos: Daily Mail/Getty Images/Daylife

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 17-23 July

Here's what Catherine wore from 17-23 July:

1. Viewing the summer exhibition at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, 22 July, in a Joseph dress and Jimmy Choo heels. I got nothing. Bored to tears. Thank heavens the Queen pepped things up with her candor.

As you've no doubt heard by now, the Queen finds the headless display of Kate's wedding gown at Buckingham Palace "horrid" and "creepy", God love her.

I'll take a weird floating tiara over one of those mannequins that look possessed any day, myself. No, you won't find me voluntarily visiting a Madame Tussaud's museum...ever. (Pictures of the dress on display have been added to the wedding gown post.)

Photos: Daily Mail/Getty Images/Daylife

Tiara Thursday: The Festoon Tiara

Next up in our review of the Princess Royal's jewels is a jewel that no one else in the royal family has owned.

The Festoon tiara was a gift to Anne from the World Wide Shipping Group when she christened one of their ships in 1973. (A fact which makes me truly sad that such gifts would be frowned upon in today's public relations-obsessed world.)

It's a lovely, delicate diamond piece that Anne has worn frequently. One imagines it must be quite light, and the design is fairly short, which should make it easy to wear.

By my own guesstimation, this is tiara is probably the second most worn in Anne's collection (#1 is obviously coming up next week). It was, of course, the piece she loaned her daughter-in-law, Autumn Phillips, on her wedding day.

While Autumn's hair underneath could've used some help, I think it was the perfect piece for her.

This reminds me of Crown Princess Mary's wedding tiara, actually, but because the smaller upright elements are not so sparse - and there is more design happening horizontally - it avoids that spiky look. What do you think?

Photos: Hello/Fields

Tiara Thursday: The Festoon Tiara

Next up in our review of the Princess Royal's jewels is a jewel that no one else in the royal family has owned.

The Festoon tiara was a gift to Anne from the World Wide Shipping Group when she christened one of their ships in 1973. (A fact which makes me truly sad that such gifts would be frowned upon in today's public relations-obsessed world.)

It's a lovely, delicate diamond piece that Anne has worn frequently. One imagines it must be quite light, and the design is fairly short, which should make it easy to wear.

By my own guesstimation, this is tiara is probably the second most worn in Anne's collection (#1 is obviously coming up next week). It was, of course, the piece she loaned her daughter-in-law, Autumn Phillips, on her wedding day.

While Autumn's hair underneath could've used some help, I think it was the perfect piece for her.

This reminds me of Crown Princess Mary's wedding tiara, actually, but because the smaller upright elements are not so sparse - and there is more design happening horizontally - it avoids that spiky look. What do you think?

Photos: Hello/Fields

Week in Review: Princess Beatrice, 3-9 July and 10-16 July

Here's what Beatrice wore from 3-16 July:

1. On holiday in the south of France. Well, that's a kicky hat.

Photos: Xclusive/Xposure/Daily Mail

Wedding Wednesday: Autumn Phillips' Gown

 Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly

May 17, 2008

St. George's Chapel, Windsor, England

The wedding of the Queen's eldest grandchild, Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips, was both a royal and non-royal affair. In royal fashion, they were married at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle with a reception at Frogmore House; in non-royal fashion, the wedding was not televised (and was instead covered by Hello! in a paid exclusive, but that's a different story). In royal fashion, Autumn turned to British bridal designer Sassi Holford for a bespoke wedding gown.

 

Holford's creation was made of Italian duchesse satin and Chantilly lace with an A-line skirt and a three-tiered sash at the waist. A beaded bolero of ivory Chantilly lace was included to cover the bride's shoulders (in royal fashion).

Autumn seems to be a traditional, modest girl when it comes to fashion - after all, this is a girl that has publicly admitted to seeking out fashion advice from her utilitarian mother-in-law - and so her direction to the designer was that she didn't want to stand out too much on her wedding day. The solution was a dress with a simple front and more interest in the back in the form of a 2 yard cathedral train with Chantilly lace inserts and hand-tied bows.

The whole affair was topped by a Swiss silk tulle veil with a beaded Chantilly lace border, echoing the panels and the bolero.

Autumn borrowed the Festoon Tiara from her mother-in-law, Princess Anne, and accessorized with a necklace and earrings given to her by her groom.

The bride paid an estimated £2,000 - £3,000 for her custom dress (certainly less than what most royal gowns would cost these days, one assumes). Her pistachio bridesmaids wore strapless Vera Wang gowns.

I think the gown is lovely and it certainly suits this happy bride well; but it is, to me, more on the non-royal side of the spectrum. It may have the train and the tiara, but it lacks that certain je ne sais quoi I've come to look for - that mark that sets it apart from something you or I could buy at the local bridal shop. What do you think?

Photos: Hello/BBC/PA/Life

Week in Review: Princess Beatrice, 3-9 July and 10-16 July

Here's what Beatrice wore from 3-16 July:

1. On holiday in the south of France. Well, that's a kicky hat.

Photos: Xclusive/Xposure/Daily Mail

Wedding Wednesday: Autumn Phillips' Gown

 Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly

May 17, 2008

St. George's Chapel, Windsor, England

The wedding of the Queen's eldest grandchild, Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips, was both a royal and non-royal affair. In royal fashion, they were married at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle with a reception at Frogmore House; in non-royal fashion, the wedding was not televised (and was instead covered by Hello! in a paid exclusive, but that's a different story). In royal fashion, Autumn turned to British bridal designer Sassi Holford for a bespoke wedding gown.

 

Holford's creation was made of Italian duchesse satin and Chantilly lace with an A-line skirt and a three-tiered sash at the waist. A beaded bolero of ivory Chantilly lace was included to cover the bride's shoulders (in royal fashion).

Autumn seems to be a traditional, modest girl when it comes to fashion - after all, this is a girl that has publicly admitted to seeking out fashion advice from her utilitarian mother-in-law - and so her direction to the designer was that she didn't want to stand out too much on her wedding day. The solution was a dress with a simple front and more interest in the back in the form of a 2 yard cathedral train with Chantilly lace inserts and hand-tied bows.

The whole affair was topped by a Swiss silk tulle veil with a beaded Chantilly lace border, echoing the panels and the bolero.

Autumn borrowed the Festoon Tiara from her mother-in-law, Princess Anne, and accessorized with a necklace and earrings given to her by her groom.

The bride paid an estimated £2,000 - £3,000 for her custom dress (certainly less than what most royal gowns would cost these days, one assumes). Her pistachio bridesmaids wore strapless Vera Wang gowns.

I think the gown is lovely and it certainly suits this happy bride well; but it is, to me, more on the non-royal side of the spectrum. It may have the train and the tiara, but it lacks that certain je ne sais quoi I've come to look for - that mark that sets it apart from something you or I could buy at the local bridal shop. What do you think?

Photos: Hello/BBC/PA/Life