Monday, June 17, 2013

Royal Fashion Awards: Trooping the Colour 2013

The Queen celebrated her official birthday this weekend, participating as she always does with the rest of the royal family at Trooping the Colour, her official birthday parade.

Video: Trooping the Colour summary
Though a larger selection of the royal family was out on the Buckingham Palace balcony earlier, a slightly smaller group came out to view the flypast as they always do, and that's the group we're checking in with today...

Best in Birthday Girls
The Queen
I do love a strong blue, and this is a perfect background for her complex brooch (details over at the Jewel Vault). She was the clear standout on the balcony, and she wins all the things.

Best in Ladies
...A Tie?
Left to Right: The Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, the Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella Windsor
Though there were royal ladies dressed in stronger colors there, the only ones that popped out alongside the Queen were dressed in a terribly pale palette, Princess Anne's festive uniform excepted. ("You, in the polka dots, don't even think about it. Is that red? Are you kidding me?" - Her Maj. Or not.) Despite the love of baby pink that has swept me away the past few weeks, I'm feeling quite lackluster about this bunch. Everyone's pretty standard, right down to Bea and Eug's misses. I'll call it a tie...six of one, half a dozen of the other. 

Best in Gents
The Duke of Kent and Viscount Severn
L to R: The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Tim Laurence, the Earl of Wessex, Viscount Severn, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent
We have two subcategories here, I suppose: uniform and non-uniform. Uniform, it's got to go to the Duke of Kent (sorry, Harry), who took the place of the hospitalized Duke of Edinburgh at the Queen's side. The Duke had his own health issues earlier this year - a mild stroke in March, meaning it was best for him to sit by her instead of riding as he usually does anyway - and it was good to see him in a featured spot. Non-uniform, it has to be James, a.k.a. Viscount Severn, the son of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. I know some of you have been waiting for him to be included at these royal events, and here he is! (Bonus points for inventive binocular use. He can see you.)

Who was your Trooping best dressed?

Photos: AP/Getty Images/PacificCoastNews