Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 3 - 9 July

Here's what Máxima wore from 3 - 9 July:

1. Posing on holiday in Italy for the annual family photo opportunity, 4 July. I totally love this. Also, this is how you do family coordination without looking like von Trapps! So glad she didn't dress the A-team all alike again.

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 3 - 9 July

Here's what Máxima wore from 3 - 9 July:

1. Posing on holiday in Italy for the annual family photo opportunity, 4 July. I totally love this. Also, this is how you do family coordination without looking like von Trapps! So glad she didn't dress the A-team all alike again.

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 26 June - 2 July

Here's what Máxima wore from 26 June - 2 July:

1. Attending a conference for Importante, a project for female ambition, 28 June. Being married to the Prince of Orange and all, I'm really quite surprised she didn't go for orange in this like Mathilde did. But I'm glad, too, because I think I like the blue better.
2. Arriving in Monaco, 1 July. Love. This. Perfect waist for Máx! I also think I saw some pics of her mucking about Monaco casually, but wouldn't you know, I can't find them now...alas.
3. Attending the concert/reception before the religious wedding, 1 July. Greek goddess, or bathing beauty...your choice.
4. At the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Monaco, 2 July. Classic Máxima.
5. At the evening ball, 2 July. Classic again - it's all about the jewels, and you know what that means: gratuitous bling time!

Aquamarines for the win - bonus Máxima expression included free of charge.

WAIT - one more thing. Did you see Máxima's shoes at the wedding?

Lolz. What would we do without our Máx to give us a daily giggle?


Photos: Newscom/Getty Images/Daylife/Dutch Photo Press/Hola/Svenskdam

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 26 June - 2 July

Here's what Máxima wore from 26 June - 2 July:

1. Attending a conference for Importante, a project for female ambition, 28 June. Being married to the Prince of Orange and all, I'm really quite surprised she didn't go for orange in this like Mathilde did. But I'm glad, too, because I think I like the blue better.
2. Arriving in Monaco, 1 July. Love. This. Perfect waist for Máx! I also think I saw some pics of her mucking about Monaco casually, but wouldn't you know, I can't find them now...alas.
3. Attending the concert/reception before the religious wedding, 1 July. Greek goddess, or bathing beauty...your choice.
4. At the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Monaco, 2 July. Classic Máxima.
5. At the evening ball, 2 July. Classic again - it's all about the jewels, and you know what that means: gratuitous bling time!

Aquamarines for the win - bonus Máxima expression included free of charge.

WAIT - one more thing. Did you see Máxima's shoes at the wedding?

Lolz. What would we do without our Máx to give us a daily giggle?


Photos: Newscom/Getty Images/Daylife/Dutch Photo Press/Hola/Svenskdam

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

The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Gentlemen, Part 2

What a wedding, huh? Not only do we get a feast of tiaras, we get men in two uniform changes. Just delightful. See part 1, the men in uniforms and morning coats at the religious wedding, here, and here's part 2, the men at the evening ball:

 The contingent with the Monegasque royals, from left to right:

1. Pierre Casiraghi.
2. Andrea Casiraghi. Is it just me, or do the Casiraghi boys usually look more James Bond-ish in their evening wear?
3. Alex Dellal, Charlotte's boyfriend.
4. Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Caroline's stepson. Have not found a picture of his brother Prince Christian from the ball, maybe he didn't attend. It also appears that Stephanie's son Louis wasn't in attendance either.

Father and son acts, left to right:

1. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his son...
2. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, who was clearly in a party mood.
3. King Albert II of the Belgians and his sons...
4. Prince Philippe of Belgium and...
5. Prince Laurent of Belgium, having some sort of weird vest situation.
6. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his son...
7. The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Guillaume. As you may know, a weakness of mine. (I have a lot of weaknesses).

More princes in evening uniforms and white tie glory, left to right:

1. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his brother...
2. Prince Joachim of Denmark, both of whom miraculously found their uniforms for the evening portion of the festivities.
3. The Earl of Wessex, demonstrating that one of the problems with those tropical white uniforms is the maitre d' factor.
4. Prince Michael of Kent, another that only brought an evening uniform.
5. Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
6. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
7. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, who managed to be photographed while his lovely wife, Sophie, seems to have escaped the cameras. 
8. Prince Daniel of Sweden, a son-in-law supplement to Carl Gustaf and Carl Philip's father-son act.

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

1. The Duke of Braganza, who is 21 years older than his wife. They have three kids.
2. The Duke of Anjou has three children with his wife Margarita, including twin boys born last year.
3. The Count of Paris is currently married to his second wife; their marriage, not celebrated in the Catholic Church, caused serious tension with his father. (They were later able to marry in the Church after he received an annulment from the first wife.)
4. The Duke of Castro is a godfather to Princess Josephine of Denmark, one of Frederik and Mary's twins.
5. The Prince of Naples. In addition to being part of a royal knockout at the Spanish royal wedding, he also has a significant police record, including an acquittal for charges of unintentional homicide. He's a gem, this one.
6. The Prince of Venice and Piedmont is married to Clotilde Courau, a French actress, who was six months pregnant when they wed.
   

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

1. The Margrave of Baden has four children with his wife the Margravine, a.k.a. Archduchess Valerie of Austria.
2. The Hereditary Prince of Baden has three children with his wife Stephanie.
3. Prince Georg Friederich of Prussia has known his future bride, Princess Sophie of Isenburg, since childhood.
4. Prince Leopold of Bavaria is Prince Carl Philip's godfather.
5. Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia. His jolly wife Katherine is actually his second wife; he was married and divorced previously.
6. Prince Radu of Romania, a graduate of Bucharest's University of Drama and Film, was once involved with developing the first project in Romania for art therapy for orphans.
7. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was once intended to study at a Russian naval college, but those plans were abandoned over fears he'd be bullied. 

Any favorites in the eveningwear division?

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Newscom/Belga

The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Gentlemen, Part 2

What a wedding, huh? Not only do we get a feast of tiaras, we get men in two uniform changes. Just delightful. See part 1, the men in uniforms and morning coats at the religious wedding, here, and here's part 2, the men at the evening ball:

 The contingent with the Monegasque royals, from left to right:

1. Pierre Casiraghi.
2. Andrea Casiraghi. Is it just me, or do the Casiraghi boys usually look more James Bond-ish in their evening wear?
3. Alex Dellal, Charlotte's boyfriend.
4. Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Caroline's stepson. Have not found a picture of his brother Prince Christian from the ball, maybe he didn't attend. It also appears that Stephanie's son Louis wasn't in attendance either.

Father and son acts, left to right:

1. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his son...
2. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, who was clearly in a party mood.
3. King Albert II of the Belgians and his sons...
4. Prince Philippe of Belgium and...
5. Prince Laurent of Belgium, having some sort of weird vest situation.
6. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his son...
7. The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Guillaume. As you may know, a weakness of mine. (I have a lot of weaknesses).

More princes in evening uniforms and white tie glory, left to right:

1. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his brother...
2. Prince Joachim of Denmark, both of whom miraculously found their uniforms for the evening portion of the festivities.
3. The Earl of Wessex, demonstrating that one of the problems with those tropical white uniforms is the maitre d' factor.
4. Prince Michael of Kent, another that only brought an evening uniform.
5. Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
6. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
7. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, who managed to be photographed while his lovely wife, Sophie, seems to have escaped the cameras. 
8. Prince Daniel of Sweden, a son-in-law supplement to Carl Gustaf and Carl Philip's father-son act.

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

1. The Duke of Braganza, who is 21 years older than his wife. They have three kids.
2. The Duke of Anjou has three children with his wife Margarita, including twin boys born last year.
3. The Count of Paris is currently married to his second wife; their marriage, not celebrated in the Catholic Church, caused serious tension with his father. (They were later able to marry in the Church after he received an annulment from the first wife.)
4. The Duke of Castro is a godfather to Princess Josephine of Denmark, one of Frederik and Mary's twins.
5. The Prince of Naples. In addition to being part of a royal knockout at the Spanish royal wedding, he also has a significant police record, including an acquittal for charges of unintentional homicide. He's a gem, this one.
6. The Prince of Venice and Piedmont is married to Clotilde Courau, a French actress, who was six months pregnant when they wed.
   

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

1. The Margrave of Baden has four children with his wife the Margravine, a.k.a. Archduchess Valerie of Austria.
2. The Hereditary Prince of Baden has three children with his wife Stephanie.
3. Prince Georg Friederich of Prussia has known his future bride, Princess Sophie of Isenburg, since childhood.
4. Prince Leopold of Bavaria is Prince Carl Philip's godfather.
5. Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia. His jolly wife Katherine is actually his second wife; he was married and divorced previously.
6. Prince Radu of Romania, a graduate of Bucharest's University of Drama and Film, was once involved with developing the first project in Romania for art therapy for orphans.
7. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was once intended to study at a Russian naval college, but those plans were abandoned over fears he'd be bullied. 

Any favorites in the eveningwear division?

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Newscom/Belga

The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Tiaras

Oh, bliss! There hasn't been this much bling on parade since Crown Princess Victoria got hitched last year, and I have been longing for a good show ever since. With many due thanks to Al and Char, let's dive in:

Left to Right: Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Paola of the Belgians, Queen Silvia of Sweden

Strange to include Charlene with the sovereign consorts now, isn't it? She's moving on up, but not in bling...yet. This is a new piece, the Diamond Foam Tiara, and a stretch to call it a tiara methinks. Paola is sporting her bandeau tiara which once belonged to Queen Elisabeth, and Queen Silvia wore the Nine Prong Tiara. I can never decide if that one is a little too comical, or just jolly enough, if that makes any sense. (Probably not.)

L to R: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Victoria wore the Baden Fringe Tiara, which is one of the pieces that made me love fringe tiaras. It frames her like a halo! Mary wore her wedding tiara without the pearls she had added last time, so now we know that she has indeed made a convertible piece (well played, Your Royal Highness). Máxima wore the aquamarine parure, Mathilde wore her laurel wreath (the only tiara she has, poor love), and Mette-Marit wore the same diamond daisy tiara she wore at her own wedding.

L to R: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Claire of Belgium, the Countess of Wessex

Like the ladies above, Madeleine wore one of her favorite and most frequently worn pieces: Sweden's modern fringe tiara. I love how this one just seems to float, with no real connection between the diamonds or the wearer's head. Marie's wedding tiara (also her only one) has the same effect. Tiara magic! Princess Claire wore the diamond and pearl tiara that she debuted at the Swedish royal wedding. Many people wondered if the piece was a loan at the time, since the Belgians aren't so prone to adding to their jewel collection, but now it looks like it's hers to have and to hold. And the Countess of Wessex joined the ranks of the ladies paying nostalgic tributes to their own bridal days by wearing her wedding tiara.

L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, Princess Caroline of Hanover (and Monaco), Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Astrid is married to Prince Lorenz, the Archduke of Austria-Este, and this is a tiara from his side of the family: the Savoy-Aosta tiara. It's lovely, though that picture of Astrid is not (many apologies to HRH!). Caroline wore a sapphire necklace in her hair in tiara fashion, perhaps because so many of the family's other tiaras are on display? (And one doesn't know how she feels about wearing her husband's family tiaras nowadays - Ernst was notably absent from all of the wedding festivities.) And Princess Michael, who has quite an impressive collection, showed off her jewel creativity by wearing diamond daisy brooches in her hair. The pieces were inherited from her late mother-in-law, Princess Marina.

L to R: Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, the Duchess of Braganza, the Duchess of Castro, the Hereditary Princess of Baden

Representing the non-ruling houses, Margarita wore the same Greek key motif tiara she wore at the Swedish royal wedding, and Maria Vladimirovna wore a tremendously grand kokoshnik. (I can't help but wonder if that's all real? I have doubts.) The Duchess of Braganza's tiara looks like it could also be a necklace, and is quite modest. The Duchess of Castro's tiara is made of diamonds and rubies in a dragonfly motif, which might creep me out a bit. (Bugs!) And the Hereditary Princess of Baden is wearing some kind of brooch/button affair that I know nothing about.

UPDATE: A few last tiara pictures have popped up!

L to R: the Margravine of Baden, the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein (circled), Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

The Margravine of Baden wore a diamond and ruby tiara in a wreath motif, which strikes me as almost a cross between Mathilde's laurel wreath tiara and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece's ruby wreath tiara. Sophie of Liechtenstein has still managed to avoid photographers, but here at least we can see the magnificent Liechtenstein Fringe Tiara, which is one majorly tall and sparkly fringe (she also wore it to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding). And Maria Teresa dipped into her amazing collection and pulled out her favorite, Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide's Tiara, as well as a diamond and sapphire necklace that can also be worn as a tiara.

Delicious, isn't it? Can we have more parties like this? Who do we need to talk to about this?

(See the gowns on these ladies right here!)

Do you have a favorite?

Photos: Newscom/Svenskdam

The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Tiaras

Oh, bliss! There hasn't been this much bling on parade since Crown Princess Victoria got hitched last year, and I have been longing for a good show ever since. With many due thanks to Al and Char, let's dive in:

Left to Right: Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Paola of the Belgians, Queen Silvia of Sweden

Strange to include Charlene with the sovereign consorts now, isn't it? She's moving on up, but not in bling...yet. This is a new piece, the Diamond Foam Tiara, and a stretch to call it a tiara methinks. Paola is sporting her bandeau tiara which once belonged to Queen Elisabeth, and Queen Silvia wore the Nine Prong Tiara. I can never decide if that one is a little too comical, or just jolly enough, if that makes any sense. (Probably not.)

L to R: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Victoria wore the Baden Fringe Tiara, which is one of the pieces that made me love fringe tiaras. It frames her like a halo! Mary wore her wedding tiara without the pearls she had added last time, so now we know that she has indeed made a convertible piece (well played, Your Royal Highness). Máxima wore the aquamarine parure, Mathilde wore her laurel wreath (the only tiara she has, poor love), and Mette-Marit wore the same diamond daisy tiara she wore at her own wedding.

L to R: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Claire of Belgium, the Countess of Wessex

Like the ladies above, Madeleine wore one of her favorite and most frequently worn pieces: Sweden's modern fringe tiara. I love how this one just seems to float, with no real connection between the diamonds or the wearer's head. Marie's wedding tiara (also her only one) has the same effect. Tiara magic! Princess Claire wore the diamond and pearl tiara that she debuted at the Swedish royal wedding. Many people wondered if the piece was a loan at the time, since the Belgians aren't so prone to adding to their jewel collection, but now it looks like it's hers to have and to hold. And the Countess of Wessex joined the ranks of the ladies paying nostalgic tributes to their own bridal days by wearing her wedding tiara.

L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, Princess Caroline of Hanover (and Monaco), Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Astrid is married to Prince Lorenz, the Archduke of Austria-Este, and this is a tiara from his side of the family: the Savoy-Aosta tiara. It's lovely, though that picture of Astrid is not (many apologies to HRH!). Caroline wore a sapphire necklace in her hair in tiara fashion, perhaps because so many of the family's other tiaras are on display? (And one doesn't know how she feels about wearing her husband's family tiaras nowadays - Ernst was notably absent from all of the wedding festivities.) And Princess Michael, who has quite an impressive collection, showed off her jewel creativity by wearing diamond daisy brooches in her hair. The pieces were inherited from her late mother-in-law, Princess Marina.

L to R: Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, the Duchess of Braganza, the Duchess of Castro, the Hereditary Princess of Baden

Representing the non-ruling houses, Margarita wore the same Greek key motif tiara she wore at the Swedish royal wedding, and Maria Vladimirovna wore a tremendously grand kokoshnik. (I can't help but wonder if that's all real? I have doubts.) The Duchess of Braganza's tiara looks like it could also be a necklace, and is quite modest. The Duchess of Castro's tiara is made of diamonds and rubies in a dragonfly motif, which might creep me out a bit. (Bugs!) And the Hereditary Princess of Baden is wearing some kind of brooch/button affair that I know nothing about.

UPDATE: A few last tiara pictures have popped up!

L to R: the Margravine of Baden, the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein (circled), Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

The Margravine of Baden wore a diamond and ruby tiara in a wreath motif, which strikes me as almost a cross between Mathilde's laurel wreath tiara and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece's ruby wreath tiara. Sophie of Liechtenstein has still managed to avoid photographers, but here at least we can see the magnificent Liechtenstein Fringe Tiara, which is one majorly tall and sparkly fringe (she also wore it to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding). And Maria Teresa dipped into her amazing collection and pulled out her favorite, Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide's Tiara, as well as a diamond and sapphire necklace that can also be worn as a tiara.

Delicious, isn't it? Can we have more parties like this? Who do we need to talk to about this?

(See the gowns on these ladies right here!)

Do you have a favorite?

Photos: Newscom/Svenskdam

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