Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 3 - 9 July

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

1. Visiting Villa Rose Red, 7 July. Fantastic silhouette for her, though once again I wish it wasn't so matchy-matchy.
2. Yearly family photo opportunity, 8 July. And speaking of matchy-matchy, here's the annual photo op! That Philippe is one good sport.

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 3 - 9 July

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

1. Visiting Villa Rose Red, 7 July. Fantastic silhouette for her, though once again I wish it wasn't so matchy-matchy.
2. Yearly family photo opportunity, 8 July. And speaking of matchy-matchy, here's the annual photo op! That Philippe is one good sport.

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 26 June - 2 July

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

1. Family photocall, 27 June.
2. Audience and a hospital visit, 29 July. Instant reminders of Máxima's comical red and white check outfit, no? Except I think MT did it better.
3. Attending the Prince and Princess of Monaco's wedding, 2 July.
4. At the evening ball, 2 July....not the best evening wear choice for our Grand Duchess.

Two things make me happy this week: first, the whole family turned out for that photo op. Cuteness in the form of dogs, kids, and princes, people.

And second, I finally found a decent picture of Maria Teresa's jewels from the evening wedding ball!

Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide's tiara, sapphire and diamond earrings, a diamond brooch, and a sapphire and diamond necklace that can also be converted to a tiara. She has been added to the mass tiara festival post from that evening (as have the other two ladies I was missing, so go check it out again).

Photos: Wort/Cour gr ducale/Newscom/Belga/Bekia

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 26 June - 2 July

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

1. Family photocall, 27 June.
2. Audience and a hospital visit, 29 July. Instant reminders of Máxima's comical red and white check outfit, no? Except I think MT did it better.
3. Attending the Prince and Princess of Monaco's wedding, 2 July.
4. At the evening ball, 2 July....not the best evening wear choice for our Grand Duchess.

Two things make me happy this week: first, the whole family turned out for that photo op. Cuteness in the form of dogs, kids, and princes, people.

And second, I finally found a decent picture of Maria Teresa's jewels from the evening wedding ball!

Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide's tiara, sapphire and diamond earrings, a diamond brooch, and a sapphire and diamond necklace that can also be converted to a tiara. She has been added to the mass tiara festival post from that evening (as have the other two ladies I was missing, so go check it out again).

Photos: Wort/Cour gr ducale/Newscom/Belga/Bekia

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 Groom, Bridal Party, and Bride's Family

Because you know we never miss a chance for a uniform, a cute kid, or a well-dressed non-royal...

Prince Albert finalized his marriage to Princess Charlene in the cream summer uniform of Monaco's Palace Guards, which includes gold leaf and crown embroidery on the sleeves and epaulettes. The buttons feature the Prince's monogram, and he wore medals of the Order of Saint Charles, the Order of Grimaldi, and the French Legion of Honor. Personally, I would have liked to see him in some color, and can't stop giggling at the white shoes. Not his choice, I'm sure, but it's all very Boca Raton shuffle board tournament.

For her attendants, Charlene chose two friends to be by her side: Isabell Kristensen and Donatella Knecht de Massy (who is married to one of Albert's cousins, and served as one of the witnesses for the marriage).

Left to Right: Isabell Kristensen, Donatella Knecht de Massy

She was also accompanied by seven young bridesmaids, all around the age of seven. Instead of sticking to the traditional bridal party composed of friends and family, Albert and Charlene chose local girls from around Monaco, and dressed them in costumes inspired by traditional Monegasque wear.

Interestingly, it was Princess Caroline that took the reins in the bridesmaid outfits, asking the Ballets de Monte-Carlo to create the costumes and working together with Jean-Christophe Maillot, director of the ballet, to design them.

The result included plenty of personal touches, such as silk stockings embroidered with the couple's monogram, and aprons that feature both the couple's monogram and the name of the area of Monaco that each girl is from. Each outfit took more than 120 hours to create. The girls are also wearing necklaces of black velvet ribbon with gold crosses given to them by Prince Albert.

This is the kind of detail that can risk coming off as kitschy, but when the sentiment starts by selecting girls from around the country, I think the end result is a touching tribute to the culture of Monaco. I'm sure it was well appreciated by the Monegasque people! 

Last but not least, we must save some praise for the bride's family. The Wittstocks were well turned out yesterday, and they once again showed up some of the other wedding guests today:

Mother of the bride Lynette Wittstock looked extremely elegant, and Charlene's brothers Gareth and Sean are certainly two very handsome men, if I may say so.

What did you think of the bride's accompanying party?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/PPE/Newscom
Source: Mariage Princier

The Prince and Princess of Monaco's Wedding: The Groom, Bridal Party, and Bride's Family

Because you know we never miss a chance for a uniform, a cute kid, or a well-dressed non-royal...

Prince Albert finalized his marriage to Princess Charlene in the cream summer uniform of Monaco's Palace Guards, which includes gold leaf and crown embroidery on the sleeves and epaulettes. The buttons feature the Prince's monogram, and he wore medals of the Order of Saint Charles, the Order of Grimaldi, and the French Legion of Honor. Personally, I would have liked to see him in some color, and can't stop giggling at the white shoes. Not his choice, I'm sure, but it's all very Boca Raton shuffle board tournament.

For her attendants, Charlene chose two friends to be by her side: Isabell Kristensen and Donatella Knecht de Massy (who is married to one of Albert's cousins, and served as one of the witnesses for the marriage).

Left to Right: Isabell Kristensen, Donatella Knecht de Massy

She was also accompanied by seven young bridesmaids, all around the age of seven. Instead of sticking to the traditional bridal party composed of friends and family, Albert and Charlene chose local girls from around Monaco, and dressed them in costumes inspired by traditional Monegasque wear.

Interestingly, it was Princess Caroline that took the reins in the bridesmaid outfits, asking the Ballets de Monte-Carlo to create the costumes and working together with Jean-Christophe Maillot, director of the ballet, to design them.

The result included plenty of personal touches, such as silk stockings embroidered with the couple's monogram, and aprons that feature both the couple's monogram and the name of the area of Monaco that each girl is from. Each outfit took more than 120 hours to create. The girls are also wearing necklaces of black velvet ribbon with gold crosses given to them by Prince Albert.

This is the kind of detail that can risk coming off as kitschy, but when the sentiment starts by selecting girls from around the country, I think the end result is a touching tribute to the culture of Monaco. I'm sure it was well appreciated by the Monegasque people! 

Last but not least, we must save some praise for the bride's family. The Wittstocks were well turned out yesterday, and they once again showed up some of the other wedding guests today:

Mother of the bride Lynette Wittstock looked extremely elegant, and Charlene's brothers Gareth and Sean are certainly two very handsome men, if I may say so.

What did you think of the bride's accompanying party?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/PPE/Newscom
Source: Mariage Princier

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

Oh, those Grimaldis. They always seem to look like they just couldn't quite get the whole picture pulled together. Case in point: the absurdly curious dress code at today's civil wedding ceremony for Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock. Let's all hold hands and figure it out together:

Best in Balcony

Princess Alexandra

 Left to Right: Pauline Ducruet, Princess Alexandra, Camille Gottlieb

The dress code confusion, you see, starts young. Stephanie's daughter Pauline and Caroline's daughter Alexandra look appropriate for a summer wedding, while Stephanie's other daughter Camille has come dressed for a costume cocktail party. We'll give this one to Alexandra, on account of the fact that I like her fancy little hairdo.

Best Beach Outfit

Charlotte Casiraghi

What a perfect outfit for a beach stroll, picnic basket in hand, maybe a dog or two tagging along. Well, maybe a beach wedding, if you want to get picky about your tulle usage. But a royal wedding in a palace? Not so much! (Also, memo to Charlotte: we know you like to do your pouty thing so we're sure to know that you're too cool for your surroundings, but you might want to pack it away for a wedding at which everybody already thinks the bride's about to bolt. People talk, you know.)

Worst Combination

Princess Caroline

Chanel dress: love it. Chanel dress a few inches too short with those shoes and a straw hat the size of Monaco: oh, no. Another recipient of the beach party dress code invitation, apparently.

Best of the Day

Princess Stephanie

Mark this down. Write it on your calendars: Princess Stephanie's got the best outfit of the day. It's hard to get past, you know, the tan, but this is completely classy. Clearly she received the covered up cocktail hour dress code.

Best Dress Code

The Gentlemen

 L to R: Andrea Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi, Louis Ducruet

Men have it so easy sometimes. Suit, tie, go. Le sigh. (No, I don't know what Andrea is smelling there.)

Most Questionable Bridal Dress Code

Princess Charlene

Kudos to Charlene for forging new territory in the land of civil wedding dresses, I guess - that territory being the land of half-formal, half-nightie pant suits, apparently! Charlene went to Chanel for her civil wedding look, and it's a head scratcher for sure. A strapless gown/jumper/romper underneath the traditional Chanel jacket in a most curious length and with one button undone, adding to my confusion. (She took the jacket off for the evening concert, see it here.) It's curiously matronly.

But since she is the bride, we can't deny her some praise: the brand-new Princess of Monaco was rocking some seriously fantastic hair and makeup. Also, this color is amazing on her. Mediterranean blue!

And she did look radiant. Perhaps a wee bit awkward with Albert (I'm not going to post the pics of them kissing, you're welcome), but absolutely glowing. My eyebrows are half raised and ready to see what new religious wedding gown territory she feels like blazing!

Who was your best- and worst-dressed for the civil wedding? And what's your take on the wedding trousers?

Still to come: concert fun, and tomorrow's religious wedding! Stay tuned!

Photos: Reuters/AP Photo/Daylife/Getty Images/Shaun Botterill/PP

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

Oh, those Grimaldis. They always seem to look like they just couldn't quite get the whole picture pulled together. Case in point: the absurdly curious dress code at today's civil wedding ceremony for Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock. Let's all hold hands and figure it out together:

Best in Balcony

Princess Alexandra

 Left to Right: Pauline Ducruet, Princess Alexandra, Camille Gottlieb

The dress code confusion, you see, starts young. Stephanie's daughter Pauline and Caroline's daughter Alexandra look appropriate for a summer wedding, while Stephanie's other daughter Camille has come dressed for a costume cocktail party. We'll give this one to Alexandra, on account of the fact that I like her fancy little hairdo.

Best Beach Outfit

Charlotte Casiraghi

What a perfect outfit for a beach stroll, picnic basket in hand, maybe a dog or two tagging along. Well, maybe a beach wedding, if you want to get picky about your tulle usage. But a royal wedding in a palace? Not so much! (Also, memo to Charlotte: we know you like to do your pouty thing so we're sure to know that you're too cool for your surroundings, but you might want to pack it away for a wedding at which everybody already thinks the bride's about to bolt. People talk, you know.)

Worst Combination

Princess Caroline

Chanel dress: love it. Chanel dress a few inches too short with those shoes and a straw hat the size of Monaco: oh, no. Another recipient of the beach party dress code invitation, apparently.

Best of the Day

Princess Stephanie

Mark this down. Write it on your calendars: Princess Stephanie's got the best outfit of the day. It's hard to get past, you know, the tan, but this is completely classy. Clearly she received the covered up cocktail hour dress code.

Best Dress Code

The Gentlemen

 L to R: Andrea Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi, Louis Ducruet

Men have it so easy sometimes. Suit, tie, go. Le sigh. (No, I don't know what Andrea is smelling there.)

Most Questionable Bridal Dress Code

Princess Charlene

Kudos to Charlene for forging new territory in the land of civil wedding dresses, I guess - that territory being the land of half-formal, half-nightie pant suits, apparently! Charlene went to Chanel for her civil wedding look, and it's a head scratcher for sure. A strapless gown/jumper/romper underneath the traditional Chanel jacket in a most curious length and with one button undone, adding to my confusion. (She took the jacket off for the evening concert, see it here.) It's curiously matronly.

But since she is the bride, we can't deny her some praise: the brand-new Princess of Monaco was rocking some seriously fantastic hair and makeup. Also, this color is amazing on her. Mediterranean blue!

And she did look radiant. Perhaps a wee bit awkward with Albert (I'm not going to post the pics of them kissing, you're welcome), but absolutely glowing. My eyebrows are half raised and ready to see what new religious wedding gown territory she feels like blazing!

Who was your best- and worst-dressed for the civil wedding? And what's your take on the wedding trousers?

Still to come: concert fun, and tomorrow's religious wedding! Stay tuned!

Photos: Reuters/AP Photo/Daylife/Getty Images/Shaun Botterill/PP