Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: May 20-25

Best in Turbans

Queen Máxima

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sophia Children's Hospital; at the University of Utrecht; meeting with the Deputy-General of the U.N.; paying a one day visit to Luxembourg

Máx sure did have a turban-y week, didn't she? I don't mind turbans on her, really. Only her. I'm more bothered by the stiff construction of her green suit in Luxembourg, which I think is letting her down in major structural ways.

Best in Fresh

Princess Letizia, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Mathilde

Letizia visiting the APROCOR Foundation and holding audiences at Zarzuela Palace; Kate attending a garden party; Mathilde at the King Baudouin International Development Award Ceremony and supporting Philippe at the Brussels 20K run

There's something refreshing in all of these, I think: Letizia's cropped trousers (which I happen to love on the right royal, and she's it - plus, it's a nice break from things like her audience outfit), Kate's sunny yellow (which is an Emilia Wickstead I actually like as much as I usually want to like Wickstead on her), and Mathilde in casual wear for a change.

Best in Pastel

Crown Princess Victoria

Attending the release of Princess Estelle's Prayer Book; celebrating Enskilda Upper Secondary School's 100th anniversary; at the OECD environmental conference; visiting the Italian Cultural Center; attending a World Wildlife Fund meeting

The pastels are where Victoria's really been shining lately, I think. (And maybe it's catching: Crown Princess Mary was snapped wearing Victoria's pretty pink dress from earlier this month.) I will give her a non-pastel tip of the fascinator for the Missoni dress she wore to the Italian Cultural Center - see what she did there, eh?

Who was your best dressed last week? 

Photos: Getty Images/DutchPhotoPress/WPA Pool/AllOverPress/Stella Pictures/IBL/Kungahuset

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: April 22-27

Best in Events

The Duchess of Cambridge

Video: At the inauguration of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden

What does it take for an event to overshadow the clothes? Well, Harry.Potter.OMG for one. Lucky royals. (But okay, for the record, my sartorial thoughts on the Week in Kate - polka dots: super cute, Erdem: fabulous, Emilia Wickstead: needs a little something, and Topshop in video: cute.) Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that some of the blogs following Kate have joined forces for the Baby Cambridge Fundraiser (click here for their Facebook page). A brilliant idea to raise funds for EACH, and I suggest you check it out!

Best in Fancy, Part 2

Princess Letizia

A lunch at the palace for the Cervantes Award and at the ceremony

Hey, we've got a little streak going. I like it!

Best in Mix and Match

Crown Princess Mary

Opening the Finn Juhl Hall at the United Nations in New York. Click here for video from TV 2, click here for pictures.

This is a nice combo of pieces we've seen before, the skirt multiple times and the top from the Luxembourg wedding. Now I'm wishing she'd worn the top with the printed skirt from the start.

Best in Almost Queens

Princess Máxima

Visiting Show Band (with and without coat); attending a concert; opening the King's Games in celebration of the inauguration; launching national Girlsday

The last review before she becomes the only queen on our weekly list! {Pause for nostalgia.} After this post...it's inauguration festivities time!

Best in Estelle

Crown Princess Victoria

Let's be real: the other thing that overshadows the clothes is an Estelle sighting. Other engagements, schmother engagements.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/PacificCoastNews/TV2/DutchPhotoPress/ANP/PPE/Kate Gabor/Kungahuset

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: February 17-23

Best in I'm Not Gonna Say It

The Duchess of Cambridge

Visiting Hope House treatment center

Seriously, please, I'm begging you. Don't say it, that word, the one everyone has to use when talking about our friend Kate these days. My former pet peeve with the b-word (you know, that one that starts with a b and ends with a p) has blossomed into...whatever's bigger than a pet peeve. A farm animal peeve. I don't like talking about people's stomachs, but I do like this wrap dress.

Best in Fancy

Princess Letizia

Attending a cultural awards ceremony

My my, aren't we looking fancy with our little beading and whatnot?

Best in Purse

Crown Princess Mary

Attending events for a conference on global inequality

Purple Prada alert! Best thing about the week.

Best in Hats

Princess Mathilde and the Belgian Royal Family

Attending the annual mass to remember deceased family members

Well done on your anti-fascinator turnout, Belgian royals. It's been quite some time since we've seen this many legit hats in one royal gathering, no? 

Best in Institutions

Crown Princess Victoria

At a palace reception

It should just be a basic shift dress, one of those can't-go-wrong pieces...and yet I'm detecting a flair of institutional nurse, circa 1948.

And an Honorable Mention to...

Princess Estelle

Somebody turned the big 0-1 this week! Expressive as ever, Estelle's cuteness is multiplied because she is wearing the same dress her mother wore to celebrate her first birthday. Double awwws.

Who did you like last week?

Photos: Getty Images/BestImage/Abaca/Stella/Kungahuset

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: September 16-23

With Catherine and Mary out on tour, the rest of our regular line up was very tame last week. Very tame indeed…

Best in Wee Interactions

Princess Letizia

Opening a scholarship course and hanging out with cute kids; at the opening ceremony for the "Circulo de Lectores" 50th anniversary; audiences at Zarzuela Palace

Hanging out with the kids is obviously the highlight of the week - but then again, it usually tends to be. 

Best in Sparkle

Princess Mathilde

Visiting College Saint-Hubert; at the reopening of the Théâtre Royal de Liège; gala for the King Baudouin Foundation

Outfit 2 there entertains me. Sparkly, but all wrapped up - what a proper girl wears to disco.

Best in Print

Princess Máxima

Attending a meeting for Women on Wings; opening a new mother and child center at Máxima Medical Center; visiting a playground for Neighbors' Day

I'm partial to the middle number - for Máxima at the Máxima Medical Center. Royal life must be so odd some (most) of the time.

Best in Brooch

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Attending the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York with son Marius; visiting the Norwegian Seamen's Church in New York

Interesting jewels, no? Especially from a lady that isn't prone to the day gems.

Best in Parliament

Crown Princess Victoria

The Swedish royals are really the only ones with a notable calendar event this week with the opening of Parliament. The dress code for the event is black and white, a nod to the days of yore when proper Swedish court dress was worn, like so:

(I know all the reasons why this is not used today but...anyone want to join me in a petition to those dresses back? I mean, how fabulous would that be?! Give the Dutch a run for their money in the family Parliament visiting business, is what I’m saying.)

Concert on the evening of the opening

Thankfully Madeleine brought a needed splash of color along for the concert, though Victoria’s sweetly tied lace dress is lovely as well.


Photos: MujerDelite/Getty Images/Europa/LeSoir/DutchPhotoPress/Máxima Medical Center/PPE/Kjendis/PacificCoastNews/Aftonbladet/Scnpix/Kongehuset

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 3-9 June

1. Attending a meeting of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition with Hillary Clinton, 3 June.
2. National Day, 6 June. Delightful national costumes as always, and a special double dose this year as Princess Madeleine turned up for the annual palace opening in one too!

Photos: Daylife/Kungahuset

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 4-10 September

Here's what Victoria wore from 4-10 September:

1. Meeting with the President of the European Court of Justice, 6 September.
2. Representation dinner, 8 September.

Which was your favorite outing of this gown on Victoria?

Left: Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's wedding, 2008; Right: Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana's wedding, 2010

I'm partial to the 2010 outing, myself. Just not sure about this kind of dress with the sashes and stars.

Photos: Kungahuset/Svenskdam

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 28 August - 3 September

Here's what Victoria wore from 28 August - 3 September:

1.  Naming a paddle steamer boat, 29 August, in a symphony of beige.
2. Attending the 2011 Polar Music Prize ceremony, 30 August. I find this...questionable. Questionable sheerness, questionable hair...just questionable.
3. Visiting Gothenburg, 31 August, with (a) and without (b) the coat. SHOOTIES. Yes, I am having a conniption, you called it right. What a cute, swingy take on the sack dress she's favoring on account of the bébé...ruined by a dubious pair of boots. Le sigh.
4. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Swedish National Union of Local Governments, 2 September. A cute little tropical antidote to those horrible winter shooties.

Photos: Svenskdam/ANP

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 21-27 August

Here's what Victoria wore from 21-27 August:

1. Attending a memorial service for the Norway attacks, 21 August.


2. Meeting with WaterAidSweden to accept their patronage with Daniel, 22 August.


3. Awarding the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, 23 August.


4. Celebrating Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit's 10th wedding anniversary, 25 August. I applaud her for not going the safe route with her accessories...but snakeskin and polka dots? Not so much.


5. At their anniversary dinner, 25 August. This looks fabulous. Do you think if I stomp my feet loud enough, someone will produce a full length picture? No? Well, I tried.

So, it seems we have Victoria's maternity style: get a sack dress from Greta or Mayla, add some random necklaces and bracelets, call it good. Personally, I'm hoping that this is just the product of an emergency shopping trip because that baby grew too much for her to fit in her regular clothes, but not enough to make proper maternity wear work, and not a permanent staple until March. I don't think my attention span can handle it if that's not the case.

Anyway, let's end on some cuteness, no?

Victoria, a.k.a. Europe's godmother, and shy little godchild Ingrid Alexandra. Aww. At the service, Victoria read the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which I do believe is the same reading she gave at the wedding ten years ago.

Photos: PurePeople/Abaca/Kungahuset/Svenskdam

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 10-16 July

Here's what Victoria wore from 10-16 July:

1. Out for a walk.
2. Attending a ceremony to unveil trees that she and Daniel received as wedding gifts, 13 July, a) on Victoria and b) from Diane von Furstenberg with those YSL heels. This is one of those things that I hate on the hanger, but actually on her it looks pretty good. (And hey: no ponytail!)
3. Celebrating her 34th birthday, 14 July. Simple, but effective. 
4. At her birthday concert, 14 July. 

It was a very cute week in Victoria Land, from delight at wedding presents and birthday fans...

...right down to getting drenched with the family while enjoying her birthday concert. Gotta love the trash bag rain protection!

Photos: Getty Images/AP Photo/Daylife