The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Gentlemen, Part 1

Men, men, manly men, let's do our regular thing and appreciate them in their dashing morning suits and uniforms! Part 1, the men at the religious wedding:

The men and affiliated men of Monaco (I'll work on the name before I put the calendar out), from left to right:

1. Andrea Casiraghi, oldest son of Princess Caroline. Anybody know what Andrea gets up to these days? I know as of last year he was working/interning at the Qatari Embassy in France.
2. Pierre Casiraghi, second son of Princess Caroline. I don't know what he does either. I think he lives in Italy.
3. Alex Dellal, boyfriend of Charlotte Casiraghi, and gallery owner in London.
4. Louis Ducruet, son of Princess Stephanie and the bodyguard.
5. Prince Ernst August (VI) of Hanover, and his brother...
6. Prince Christian of Hanover, sons of Caroline's estranged husband Ernst August (V). Nice that her stepsons came out in support, even though one imagines their father wasn't welcome!

Despite the white shoes being a touch too "elderly golfer", you have to love a tropical white uniform, right? Sweltering soldiers, left to right:

1. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, grumpy-looking as ever. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa blew him a kiss when he came to his seat. Or maybe that was for Silvia...yeah, that seems more likely.
2. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, fresh off a Mediterranean vacation with his parents the King and Queen and his girlfriend, the pin-up.
3. Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, well color-coordinated to his wife, Princess Máxima.
4. The Earl of Wessex, representing Queen Elizabeth.

I bet these men were wishing they had a white uniform instead, outside in that heat. Those that melted, left to right:

1. King Albert II of the Belgians. His sword slipped and bumped wife Queen Paola at one point, and he got a look, I'm telling you. Oh, the perils of the fancy uniform.
2. Prince Philippe of Belgium, looking rather out of place in blue at this black and white uniform party.
3. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, escorting the lovely kiss-blowing Maria Teresa.
4. The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Those poor Lux boys, I think they had it worst for uniform hotness. (Hotness as in overheating, not as in hawtness. That's a different story.)
5. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. I've seen him in a white uniform before, I wonder why he didn't bring that one along? I don't know the rules.

And now for our non-uniformed friends, left to right:

1. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. We should probably just be glad he didn't opt for red trousers to round the look out.
2. Prince Joachim of Denmark. Where are the uniforms, Danish boys?
3. Prince Laurent of Belgium. Yes, he fell down on the red carpet. Must resist the urge to laugh...
4. Prince Daniel of Sweden, gamely sporting a baby blue tie to match his wife's blue outfit.
5. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein. Alois acts as regent of Liechtenstein for his father Prince Hans-Adam II.
6. Prince Michael of Kent, sort of a surprise attendee.
7. Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, who was divorced after 20 years of marriage and four kids in 2008 and remarried last year.

And now for some non-ruling house gentlemen, left to right:

1. The Duke of Braganza. Duarte Pio is a claimant to the throne of Portugal.
2. The Duke of Anjou. Louis Alphonse is a claimant to the throne of France.
3. The Count of Paris, a.k.a. Prince Henri of Orléans, a.k.a the Duke of France, is also a claimant to the French throne. So...that's awkward.
4. The Duke of Castro. Prince Carlo is one of two claimants to the head of the House of Bourbon Two-Sicilies, and is married to everybody's favorite over the top Barbie princess, Camilla.
5. The Prince of Naples. Vittorio Emanuele is a claimant to the head of the House of Savoy. At a dinner the night before Felipe and Letizia's wedding, he punched his rival for that title (his cousin Amedeo, who had to be caught from falling over by poor Queen Anne-Marie of Greece). He should probably just be glad he got another royal wedding invitation.
6. The Prince of Venice and Piedmont. Emanuele Filiberto is Vittorio Emanuele's son, lucky him.
   

And the last of the non-ruling gentlemen, left to right:

1. The Margrave of Baden. Maximilian is the Duke of Edinburgh's nephew. First cousin to fellow attendee the Earl of Wessex!
2. The Hereditary Prince of Baden. Bernhard is Maximilian's son.
3. Prince Georg Friederich of Prussia is the head of the house of Hohenzollern. His marriage to Princess Sophie of Isenburg in August of this year will also be a celebration of 950 years of Hohenzollern.
4. Prince Leopold of Bavaria, who used to be a champion race car driver.
5. Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia is one of Queen Elizabeth's godchildren, and was christened in Westminster Abbey.
6. Prince Radu of Romania is married to Crown Princess Margarita.
7. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia is the son of that flamboyant Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna that we've all gotten to know and love in the past few days.

Which gentleman takes your prize for Most Dapper?

And don't miss part 2, the men at the evening ball, here!

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Newscom

The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Gentlemen, Part 1

Men, men, manly men, let's do our regular thing and appreciate them in their dashing morning suits and uniforms! Part 1, the men at the religious wedding:

The men and affiliated men of Monaco (I'll work on the name before I put the calendar out), from left to right:

1. Andrea Casiraghi, oldest son of Princess Caroline. Anybody know what Andrea gets up to these days? I know as of last year he was working/interning at the Qatari Embassy in France.
2. Pierre Casiraghi, second son of Princess Caroline. I don't know what he does either. I think he lives in Italy.
3. Alex Dellal, boyfriend of Charlotte Casiraghi, and gallery owner in London.
4. Louis Ducruet, son of Princess Stephanie and the bodyguard.
5. Prince Ernst August (VI) of Hanover, and his brother...
6. Prince Christian of Hanover, sons of Caroline's estranged husband Ernst August (V). Nice that her stepsons came out in support, even though one imagines their father wasn't welcome!

Despite the white shoes being a touch too "elderly golfer", you have to love a tropical white uniform, right? Sweltering soldiers, left to right:

1. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, grumpy-looking as ever. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa blew him a kiss when he came to his seat. Or maybe that was for Silvia...yeah, that seems more likely.
2. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, fresh off a Mediterranean vacation with his parents the King and Queen and his girlfriend, the pin-up.
3. Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, well color-coordinated to his wife, Princess Máxima.
4. The Earl of Wessex, representing Queen Elizabeth.

I bet these men were wishing they had a white uniform instead, outside in that heat. Those that melted, left to right:

1. King Albert II of the Belgians. His sword slipped and bumped wife Queen Paola at one point, and he got a look, I'm telling you. Oh, the perils of the fancy uniform.
2. Prince Philippe of Belgium, looking rather out of place in blue at this black and white uniform party.
3. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, escorting the lovely kiss-blowing Maria Teresa.
4. The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Those poor Lux boys, I think they had it worst for uniform hotness. (Hotness as in overheating, not as in hawtness. That's a different story.)
5. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. I've seen him in a white uniform before, I wonder why he didn't bring that one along? I don't know the rules.

And now for our non-uniformed friends, left to right:

1. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. We should probably just be glad he didn't opt for red trousers to round the look out.
2. Prince Joachim of Denmark. Where are the uniforms, Danish boys?
3. Prince Laurent of Belgium. Yes, he fell down on the red carpet. Must resist the urge to laugh...
4. Prince Daniel of Sweden, gamely sporting a baby blue tie to match his wife's blue outfit.
5. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein. Alois acts as regent of Liechtenstein for his father Prince Hans-Adam II.
6. Prince Michael of Kent, sort of a surprise attendee.
7. Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, who was divorced after 20 years of marriage and four kids in 2008 and remarried last year.

And now for some non-ruling house gentlemen, left to right:

1. The Duke of Braganza. Duarte Pio is a claimant to the throne of Portugal.
2. The Duke of Anjou. Louis Alphonse is a claimant to the throne of France.
3. The Count of Paris, a.k.a. Prince Henri of Orléans, a.k.a the Duke of France, is also a claimant to the French throne. So...that's awkward.
4. The Duke of Castro. Prince Carlo is one of two claimants to the head of the House of Bourbon Two-Sicilies, and is married to everybody's favorite over the top Barbie princess, Camilla.
5. The Prince of Naples. Vittorio Emanuele is a claimant to the head of the House of Savoy. At a dinner the night before Felipe and Letizia's wedding, he punched his rival for that title (his cousin Amedeo, who had to be caught from falling over by poor Queen Anne-Marie of Greece). He should probably just be glad he got another royal wedding invitation.
6. The Prince of Venice and Piedmont. Emanuele Filiberto is Vittorio Emanuele's son, lucky him.
   

And the last of the non-ruling gentlemen, left to right:

1. The Margrave of Baden. Maximilian is the Duke of Edinburgh's nephew. First cousin to fellow attendee the Earl of Wessex!
2. The Hereditary Prince of Baden. Bernhard is Maximilian's son.
3. Prince Georg Friederich of Prussia is the head of the house of Hohenzollern. His marriage to Princess Sophie of Isenburg in August of this year will also be a celebration of 950 years of Hohenzollern.
4. Prince Leopold of Bavaria, who used to be a champion race car driver.
5. Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia is one of Queen Elizabeth's godchildren, and was christened in Westminster Abbey.
6. Prince Radu of Romania is married to Crown Princess Margarita.
7. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia is the son of that flamboyant Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna that we've all gotten to know and love in the past few days.

Which gentleman takes your prize for Most Dapper?

And don't miss part 2, the men at the evening ball, here!

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Newscom

Royal Fashion Awards: The Prince & Princess of Monaco's Wedding Ball

I suppose you could call the evening event after the religious wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene a dinner or something, but isn't "ball" so much more glamorous? And fitting, since we finally have gowns and bling to drool over! Feast your eyes on this lovely rainbow of royal ladies:

Best of the Monaco Bunch

Charlotte Casiraghi

Left to Right: Princess Caroline of Hanover (and Monaco), Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Charlotte Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo, Beatrice Borromeo

A fairly typical evening all around for the lovely ladies of Monaco, no? Caroline added headgear but kept her nonchalant stance with a tea length dress, Stephanie continued her headgear aversion, Beatrice sparkled, and Tatiana scowled. But Charlotte won the night for me: she has a cape! Capes are awesome! Add gloves and you've got something Princess Grace would have worn back in her heyday. (Though I am sad that this pretty much confirms what I've been afraid of: I don't think we'll ever see Charlotte in a tiara.)

Worst in Black and/or Navy

The Duchess of Braganza

L to R: the Countess of Paris, the Hereditary Princess of Baden, the Duchess of Braganza, Princess Sara al Faisal of Jordan, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia

The evening ranged from not-so-banner to meh for these ladies. I'm a little concerned about Princess Sara on account of the giant ruffle streaking across her body (never a good idea, you know), but the Duchess of Braganza is the cause of my greatest sadness. She just seems like such a cute lady, but with the same dressing problems as Maria Teresa tends to have. (Speaking of which: I haven't yet found a picture of Maria Teresa from this evening yet.)

Best in Royal Blue

Queen Silvia

L to R: the Countess of Wessex, Princess Virginia Ira von Fürstenberg, Queen Silvia of Sweden, the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, Queen Paola of the Belgians

Love a strong royal blue on a lady, even when it is a little matronly (Sophie of Wessex, I'm looking at you), or a little hidden (poor Sophie of Liechtenstein - hopefully a better shot of her will turn up soon). Madame Silvia and her crystal ball clutch win this category for me, and I absolutely picked the one shot that made it look like a fortune teller situation. Perhaps she was the evening entertainment...or perhaps she was just engaging in what I'm sure a lot of the guests were doing: some serious speculation.

Best in Blues and Grays

Princess Madeleine

L to R: Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, the Duchess of Anjou, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Here we have some serious contenders representing the lighter blue/silver end of the rainbow, my favorite being Princess Madeleine in her frilly wonder gown. Mette-Marit's very typical, the Duchess of Anjou's brought a version of the princess-y dream that Tatiana Blatnik wore to Victoria's wedding, and Máxima's worn a tiered lampshade. (And I totally love it. Lampshades are great for boogying and shimmying.)

Worst in Prints

Princess Sophie of Isenburg

L to R: Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand, Princess Sophie of Isenburg, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia

As with the wedding ceremony, the ladies in traditional dress are showing the rest of them how it's done. Our Russian friend came dangerously close to winning another award, but since I believe in sharing the love, I'm giving this one to Sophie. Once I saw the loose fabric around the waist, I couldn't see anything else. Let's hope for a better fit on her wedding gown!

Best in Pale Pinks and Such

Empress Farah Pahlavi

L to R: Princess Claire of Belgium, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Ursula of Bavaria

Here's a category of dresses that I really want to like, but can't quite wrap my brain around. Claire and Ursula are looking a little bunched up, and Marie and Victoria look like their dress designers took inspiration from the princess dress-up section of the store. So I'll go with Farah Pahlavi for the win, because her spin on menswear is kinda cute and kicky.

Best in Hot Pink and/or Red

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: the Margravine of Baden, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the Princess of Naples, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania

Much better results on the stronger end of the color range! (Save the Margravine of Baden, sadly. See: my concerns about ruffles with Princess Sara, above.) The Princess of Naples made a strong comeback from earlier in the day with this simple red sheath, and Margarita of Romania looks perfectly appropriate. Mathilde and Mary are the ones stealing my heart here. Mathilde, for her giant water slide of a dress from the wedding master himself, Armani: so bold! Mary's my best of the night in the boldest color yet - hot pink and purple. Rarely a good color combo, and yet I will love this dress forever. Go figure!

Worst Dressed

The Duchess of Castro

L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Princess of Venice and Piedmont, the Duchess of Castro, Princess Michael of Kent

And now, drumroll please, the worst of the evening. Astrid, my dear, that is a LOT of yellow. Clotilde, I'm sure that's high fashion and all, but don't you have any love for simply looking pretty? Marie Christine, you need to size up that deconstructed fifties ball gown before your cups actually runneth over. And Camilla, the Barbie...you were almost the worst of the day at the wedding ceremony, and now you've sealed the deal. This is like a prison uniform from hell.

UPDATE: With many thanks to those that sent her in, here's Luxembourg's own Grand Duchess Maria Teresa!

And another entry for the navy/black/meh category. The wait to see her was a little anti-climactic, I must say.

Also, here is Lalla Soukaina of Morocco:

Usually, I find the caftans so elegant, but not this time. And it has nothing to do with the caftan.

Tiaras deserve their own recognition, so click here to see all the bling.

Who made your best- and worst-dressed at the evening party?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/PPE/Newscom/Svenskdam/Hola/Hello

Royal Fashion Awards: The Prince & Princess of Monaco's Wedding Ball

I suppose you could call the evening event after the religious wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene a dinner or something, but isn't "ball" so much more glamorous? And fitting, since we finally have gowns and bling to drool over! Feast your eyes on this lovely rainbow of royal ladies:

Best of the Monaco Bunch

Charlotte Casiraghi

Left to Right: Princess Caroline of Hanover (and Monaco), Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Charlotte Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo, Beatrice Borromeo

A fairly typical evening all around for the lovely ladies of Monaco, no? Caroline added headgear but kept her nonchalant stance with a tea length dress, Stephanie continued her headgear aversion, Beatrice sparkled, and Tatiana scowled. But Charlotte won the night for me: she has a cape! Capes are awesome! Add gloves and you've got something Princess Grace would have worn back in her heyday. (Though I am sad that this pretty much confirms what I've been afraid of: I don't think we'll ever see Charlotte in a tiara.)

Worst in Black and/or Navy

The Duchess of Braganza

L to R: the Countess of Paris, the Hereditary Princess of Baden, the Duchess of Braganza, Princess Sara al Faisal of Jordan, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia

The evening ranged from not-so-banner to meh for these ladies. I'm a little concerned about Princess Sara on account of the giant ruffle streaking across her body (never a good idea, you know), but the Duchess of Braganza is the cause of my greatest sadness. She just seems like such a cute lady, but with the same dressing problems as Maria Teresa tends to have. (Speaking of which: I haven't yet found a picture of Maria Teresa from this evening yet.)

Best in Royal Blue

Queen Silvia

L to R: the Countess of Wessex, Princess Virginia Ira von Fürstenberg, Queen Silvia of Sweden, the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, Queen Paola of the Belgians

Love a strong royal blue on a lady, even when it is a little matronly (Sophie of Wessex, I'm looking at you), or a little hidden (poor Sophie of Liechtenstein - hopefully a better shot of her will turn up soon). Madame Silvia and her crystal ball clutch win this category for me, and I absolutely picked the one shot that made it look like a fortune teller situation. Perhaps she was the evening entertainment...or perhaps she was just engaging in what I'm sure a lot of the guests were doing: some serious speculation.

Best in Blues and Grays

Princess Madeleine

L to R: Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, the Duchess of Anjou, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Here we have some serious contenders representing the lighter blue/silver end of the rainbow, my favorite being Princess Madeleine in her frilly wonder gown. Mette-Marit's very typical, the Duchess of Anjou's brought a version of the princess-y dream that Tatiana Blatnik wore to Victoria's wedding, and Máxima's worn a tiered lampshade. (And I totally love it. Lampshades are great for boogying and shimmying.)

Worst in Prints

Princess Sophie of Isenburg

L to R: Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand, Princess Sophie of Isenburg, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia

As with the wedding ceremony, the ladies in traditional dress are showing the rest of them how it's done. Our Russian friend came dangerously close to winning another award, but since I believe in sharing the love, I'm giving this one to Sophie. Once I saw the loose fabric around the waist, I couldn't see anything else. Let's hope for a better fit on her wedding gown!

Best in Pale Pinks and Such

Empress Farah Pahlavi

L to R: Princess Claire of Belgium, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Ursula of Bavaria

Here's a category of dresses that I really want to like, but can't quite wrap my brain around. Claire and Ursula are looking a little bunched up, and Marie and Victoria look like their dress designers took inspiration from the princess dress-up section of the store. So I'll go with Farah Pahlavi for the win, because her spin on menswear is kinda cute and kicky.

Best in Hot Pink and/or Red

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: the Margravine of Baden, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the Princess of Naples, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania

Much better results on the stronger end of the color range! (Save the Margravine of Baden, sadly. See: my concerns about ruffles with Princess Sara, above.) The Princess of Naples made a strong comeback from earlier in the day with this simple red sheath, and Margarita of Romania looks perfectly appropriate. Mathilde and Mary are the ones stealing my heart here. Mathilde, for her giant water slide of a dress from the wedding master himself, Armani: so bold! Mary's my best of the night in the boldest color yet - hot pink and purple. Rarely a good color combo, and yet I will love this dress forever. Go figure!

Worst Dressed

The Duchess of Castro

L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Princess of Venice and Piedmont, the Duchess of Castro, Princess Michael of Kent

And now, drumroll please, the worst of the evening. Astrid, my dear, that is a LOT of yellow. Clotilde, I'm sure that's high fashion and all, but don't you have any love for simply looking pretty? Marie Christine, you need to size up that deconstructed fifties ball gown before your cups actually runneth over. And Camilla, the Barbie...you were almost the worst of the day at the wedding ceremony, and now you've sealed the deal. This is like a prison uniform from hell.

UPDATE: With many thanks to those that sent her in, here's Luxembourg's own Grand Duchess Maria Teresa!

And another entry for the navy/black/meh category. The wait to see her was a little anti-climactic, I must say.

Also, here is Lalla Soukaina of Morocco:

Usually, I find the caftans so elegant, but not this time. And it has nothing to do with the caftan.

Tiaras deserve their own recognition, so click here to see all the bling.

Who made your best- and worst-dressed at the evening party?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/PPE/Newscom/Svenskdam/Hola/Hello

Royal Fashion Awards: The Prince & Princess of Monaco's Religious Wedding

Another Monaco event, another curious dress code! What, oh what, to wear to an outdoor wedding (in the blazing hot sun, yet still a religious, Catholic affair), at 5 p.m. (normally a tiara or cocktail time of day, but with an invitation that said hats for ladies)? Let's see what everybody came up with, shall we?

As always, click the pictures to enlarge...

Best in Monaco

Princess Caroline

 Left to Right: Pauline Ducruet, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Camille Gottlieb, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Princess Caroline of Hanover (and Monaco), Charlotte Casiraghi, Beatrice Borromeo, Tatiana Santo Domingo

I'm starting to think Stephanie is allergic to headgear. No tiaras, no hats, and a trait she's clearly passing on to her daughters. Seems more concerned with showing off her tattoos. (Why yes, I am clutching my pearls. Nothing against tattoos, but if I were going to a royal wedding, I'd cover 'em up. That's all.) Charlotte wore Chanel's version of that thing Chelsy Davy wore to The Other Wedding without any more success, mostly because she put THIS on her head. Is it a funeral flower arrangement? Is it a washed-up piece of fisherman's net from the sea? The guessing fun never ends. Also sporting remnants from the sea: Beatrice, in her sparkly fishnets, and Tatiana in her deflated khaki beach ball hat. Thus, I give my prize to Princess Caroline: well coordinated with her youngest child, a little bit sparkly, and an understated big ass hat (which is the way to do big ass hats if it's a big ass hat you must do).

Best in Un-Throned Royals

Crown Princess Margarita

L to R: Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, the Duchess of Braganza, the Duchess of Anjou, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, the Princess of Venice and Piedmont, the Hereditary Princess of Baden, the Margravine of Baden

I love the events where they're not picky about who gets an invitation (ahem, Brits). Just because you don't technically have a throne to sit on anymore doesn't mean you can't bring something fun for us to chat about. Case in point: all these lovely ladies. We've got Crown Princess Katherine, happy as ever (if you thought she wanted to gossip about the London wedding, just think what she'd have to say about this one!); Farah Pahlavi, elegant as ever; the Duchess of Braganza, understated but classy; and the Duchess of Anjou, a little bit sparkly and out to show those Brits the hat they missed when they didn't invite her to their wedding. My best goes to Crown Princess Margarita - how cute is she in her little yellow ensemble? Sublimely ladylike. I was also surprisingly impressed by Clotilde Courau (Princess of Venice and Piedmont) for leaving behind her usual attention-grabbing starlet style for the moment. I loved the Hereditary Princess of Baden, though I wish she would have investigated a little more support for the affair, and her mother-in-law the Margravine was classic as well.

Worst in Un-Throned Royals

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

L to R: Princess Ursula of Bavaria, the Countess of Paris, Princess Virginia Ira von Fürstenberg, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, the Duchess of Castro, the Princess of Naples, Princess Sophie of Isenburg

Another reason you should invite the un-royals: look what else they bring to chat about! Oh, ladies. Princess Ursula looks hot - literally. How did she not pass out in that suit and that wackadoodle hat? Just look at what the heat is doing to the Countess of Paris' chapeau. (Oh, that's the way it's supposed to be? Well, then.) Speaking of strange hats...a von Fürstenberg was there. The prize, though, clearly belongs to our Russian friend, Maria. You see, she's taken the muumuu and claimed it for Russia by adding a kokoshnik on top, though I think the muumuu was up for nationality grabs to start with. She had steep competition from Plastic Princess Barbie herself, Camilla from Castro, who wore THIS on her head. A giant foam-esque heart. Like something you might wear to a sporting event to cheer on your favorite team by supporting the mascot, except this is a wedding and she's backing the mascot of love. (Blech.) We also have Marina from Naples in an outfit she shares with Tina Turner, and Sophie of Isenburg wearing snowflakes and a skunk hat. (You should get acquainted with Sophie and her snowflake-in-July style, by the way: she's having a royal wedding of her own in August.)

Best in Blues, Pinks, and Such

Queen Silvia

L to R: Princess Sara al Faisal of Jordan, the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Michael of Kent

Now, back to some more familiar faces and ruling monarchies. Pure elegance from Sara and Sophie, and I especially like the added satellite flair from Liechtenstein. Mathilde brought her bling again with that wonderful brooch, but a little more of the try-hard (and a hat out of Sophie Wessex's closet), and Princess Michael must have parachuted in on her sleeves, so I'll go with Queen Silvia. Good old Silvia, she always classes the joint up.

Best in Pale

Princess Madeleine

L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Princess Marie of Denmark, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Another royal that must have died in the heat: Princess Astrid, a.k.a. The Talking Hat (Update: here's a full view). But she looks elegant, as do the rest of these ladies; fine, nothing spectacular I must say, though I obviously love Maria Teresa's sparkly number there. The best for me turns out to be Madeleine, who I think is even repeating her dress. And why not? She looks good, and she's added a jaunty touch with her upright feather. A daring touch too: that thing defies gravity. One doesn't want to risk a flaccid feather situation, though I'm sure it happens to everyone...

Worst in Sparkly

Crown Princess Victoria

L to R: Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, Princess Lalla Soukaina of Morocco, Queen Paola of the Belgians, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand

With a 5 p.m. wedding time, it's understandable to drift towards something sparkly. I'm prone to it no matter what the clock says. But there are right ways and wrong ways to do that, you see. Right way: stick to your national dress, like the ladies of Morocco and Thailand. (I want a caftan. They make it look so good! Is it wrong to want a sparkly caftan just for wearing around the house?) Wrongish way: to do it with an ill fit, like Paola, who is not at all flattered by that skirt length. Totally wrong way: Victoria. She's wearing a tinsel dress and a tinsel Amish bonnet. (I don't think the Amish would approve.) And baby blue shoes. V, you were my best at April's wedding! What happened?! Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Best of the Best

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: the Countess of Wessex, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Claire of Belgium

I had a hard time picking a favorite, I'm telling you. I loved the Countess of Wessex: so elegant, and weather-appropriate to boot! I loved Máxima in the mustard too, she made a colorful picture with Willem-Alexander and she always brings her A+ wedding game. Princess Claire was a surprising front runner in her fifties glam Natan outfit (she's like the Sarah Chatto of Monaco!), but in the end Mary won it for me. I don't care for the Sophie Wessex hat (seriously, Sophie, lock your hat box), but the dress - the dress! I want need it. In this Mediterranean turquoise, and also the purple that Princess Haya has it in. But it's Prada, so I'll be taking up a collection. Start digging for spare change, kids.

Who made your best- and worst-dressed at the religious wedding?

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Newscom/Bekia/PPE

Royal Fashion Awards: The Prince & Princess of Monaco's Religious Wedding

Another Monaco event, another curious dress code! What, oh what, to wear to an outdoor wedding (in the blazing hot sun, yet still a religious, Catholic affair), at 5 p.m. (normally a tiara or cocktail time of day, but with an invitation that said hats for ladies)? Let's see what everybody came up with, shall we?

As always, click the pictures to enlarge...

Best in Monaco

Princess Caroline

 Left to Right: Pauline Ducruet, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Camille Gottlieb, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Princess Caroline of Hanover (and Monaco), Charlotte Casiraghi, Beatrice Borromeo, Tatiana Santo Domingo

I'm starting to think Stephanie is allergic to headgear. No tiaras, no hats, and a trait she's clearly passing on to her daughters. Seems more concerned with showing off her tattoos. (Why yes, I am clutching my pearls. Nothing against tattoos, but if I were going to a royal wedding, I'd cover 'em up. That's all.) Charlotte wore Chanel's version of that thing Chelsy Davy wore to The Other Wedding without any more success, mostly because she put THIS on her head. Is it a funeral flower arrangement? Is it a washed-up piece of fisherman's net from the sea? The guessing fun never ends. Also sporting remnants from the sea: Beatrice, in her sparkly fishnets, and Tatiana in her deflated khaki beach ball hat. Thus, I give my prize to Princess Caroline: well coordinated with her youngest child, a little bit sparkly, and an understated big ass hat (which is the way to do big ass hats if it's a big ass hat you must do).

Best in Un-Throned Royals

Crown Princess Margarita

L to R: Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, the Duchess of Braganza, the Duchess of Anjou, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, the Princess of Venice and Piedmont, the Hereditary Princess of Baden, the Margravine of Baden

I love the events where they're not picky about who gets an invitation (ahem, Brits). Just because you don't technically have a throne to sit on anymore doesn't mean you can't bring something fun for us to chat about. Case in point: all these lovely ladies. We've got Crown Princess Katherine, happy as ever (if you thought she wanted to gossip about the London wedding, just think what she'd have to say about this one!); Farah Pahlavi, elegant as ever; the Duchess of Braganza, understated but classy; and the Duchess of Anjou, a little bit sparkly and out to show those Brits the hat they missed when they didn't invite her to their wedding. My best goes to Crown Princess Margarita - how cute is she in her little yellow ensemble? Sublimely ladylike. I was also surprisingly impressed by Clotilde Courau (Princess of Venice and Piedmont) for leaving behind her usual attention-grabbing starlet style for the moment. I loved the Hereditary Princess of Baden, though I wish she would have investigated a little more support for the affair, and her mother-in-law the Margravine was classic as well.

Worst in Un-Throned Royals

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

L to R: Princess Ursula of Bavaria, the Countess of Paris, Princess Virginia Ira von Fürstenberg, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, the Duchess of Castro, the Princess of Naples, Princess Sophie of Isenburg

Another reason you should invite the un-royals: look what else they bring to chat about! Oh, ladies. Princess Ursula looks hot - literally. How did she not pass out in that suit and that wackadoodle hat? Just look at what the heat is doing to the Countess of Paris' chapeau. (Oh, that's the way it's supposed to be? Well, then.) Speaking of strange hats...a von Fürstenberg was there. The prize, though, clearly belongs to our Russian friend, Maria. You see, she's taken the muumuu and claimed it for Russia by adding a kokoshnik on top, though I think the muumuu was up for nationality grabs to start with. She had steep competition from Plastic Princess Barbie herself, Camilla from Castro, who wore THIS on her head. A giant foam-esque heart. Like something you might wear to a sporting event to cheer on your favorite team by supporting the mascot, except this is a wedding and she's backing the mascot of love. (Blech.) We also have Marina from Naples in an outfit she shares with Tina Turner, and Sophie of Isenburg wearing snowflakes and a skunk hat. (You should get acquainted with Sophie and her snowflake-in-July style, by the way: she's having a royal wedding of her own in August.)

Best in Blues, Pinks, and Such

Queen Silvia

L to R: Princess Sara al Faisal of Jordan, the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Michael of Kent

Now, back to some more familiar faces and ruling monarchies. Pure elegance from Sara and Sophie, and I especially like the added satellite flair from Liechtenstein. Mathilde brought her bling again with that wonderful brooch, but a little more of the try-hard (and a hat out of Sophie Wessex's closet), and Princess Michael must have parachuted in on her sleeves, so I'll go with Queen Silvia. Good old Silvia, she always classes the joint up.

Best in Pale

Princess Madeleine

L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Princess Marie of Denmark, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Another royal that must have died in the heat: Princess Astrid, a.k.a. The Talking Hat (Update: here's a full view). But she looks elegant, as do the rest of these ladies; fine, nothing spectacular I must say, though I obviously love Maria Teresa's sparkly number there. The best for me turns out to be Madeleine, who I think is even repeating her dress. And why not? She looks good, and she's added a jaunty touch with her upright feather. A daring touch too: that thing defies gravity. One doesn't want to risk a flaccid feather situation, though I'm sure it happens to everyone...

Worst in Sparkly

Crown Princess Victoria

L to R: Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, Princess Lalla Soukaina of Morocco, Queen Paola of the Belgians, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand

With a 5 p.m. wedding time, it's understandable to drift towards something sparkly. I'm prone to it no matter what the clock says. But there are right ways and wrong ways to do that, you see. Right way: stick to your national dress, like the ladies of Morocco and Thailand. (I want a caftan. They make it look so good! Is it wrong to want a sparkly caftan just for wearing around the house?) Wrongish way: to do it with an ill fit, like Paola, who is not at all flattered by that skirt length. Totally wrong way: Victoria. She's wearing a tinsel dress and a tinsel Amish bonnet. (I don't think the Amish would approve.) And baby blue shoes. V, you were my best at April's wedding! What happened?! Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Best of the Best

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: the Countess of Wessex, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Claire of Belgium

I had a hard time picking a favorite, I'm telling you. I loved the Countess of Wessex: so elegant, and weather-appropriate to boot! I loved Máxima in the mustard too, she made a colorful picture with Willem-Alexander and she always brings her A+ wedding game. Princess Claire was a surprising front runner in her fifties glam Natan outfit (she's like the Sarah Chatto of Monaco!), but in the end Mary won it for me. I don't care for the Sophie Wessex hat (seriously, Sophie, lock your hat box), but the dress - the dress! I want need it. In this Mediterranean turquoise, and also the purple that Princess Haya has it in. But it's Prada, so I'll be taking up a collection. Start digging for spare change, kids.

Who made your best- and worst-dressed at the religious wedding?

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Newscom/Bekia/PPE

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 19-25 June

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 19-25 June:

1. At a dinner for the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors, 20 June, a) on Mette-Marit and b) from Valentino.
2. At an event related to the "Til topps" event, 24 June. "Til topps" is an event in which people climb to the top of Norway's highest mountain, and this is just right. Precisely what a von Trapp would have worn.
3. Participating in the "Til topps" event, 25 June. A little family walk to the top of Norway! Well, that's kind of adorable.

Look who else showed up for the UN dinner:

Absolutely love that white on Rania, but I think Sonja might win my prize for this mini-gathering of royals. Surprisingly chic, that simple dress and the scarf thrown just so, no?

Photo: AP/Style.com/side2

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 19-25 June

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 19-25 June:

1. At a dinner for the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors, 20 June, a) on Mette-Marit and b) from Valentino.
2. At an event related to the "Til topps" event, 24 June. "Til topps" is an event in which people climb to the top of Norway's highest mountain, and this is just right. Precisely what a von Trapp would have worn.
3. Participating in the "Til topps" event, 25 June. A little family walk to the top of Norway! Well, that's kind of adorable.

Look who else showed up for the UN dinner:

Absolutely love that white on Rania, but I think Sonja might win my prize for this mini-gathering of royals. Surprisingly chic, that simple dress and the scarf thrown just so, no?

Photo: AP/Style.com/side2