Royal Outfit of the Day: January 10

Video: The Duke of Cambridge, sporting a suit and tie, arrived at Cambridge University earlier this week to start a 10-week executive course in agricultural management.

Men get a place in the outfits of the day too! Including kids all excited for their first day of school. It's just like when I was a student...everyone in suits and ties, VIPs waiting to greet me, bodyguards all around...oh, the good old days.

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: November 20-December 3

Most Improved

Queen Máxima

Visiting Colombia and Venezuela; returning home for more engagements including celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (4th, 5th, 6th from left). At far right, her mixed print look on the Spijkers en Spijkers runway.

Some of the things worn during Máx's tour of the Caribbean (her tour, yup - I think she may have brought a date) were a bit dubious - which was why I was happy to see her move on to a couple quick country visits and then home once again. I can't even get mad at her ridiculous, ridiculous sleeve action because I thought her makeup was so on point. Of course, she had to throw us a loop at the end, nabbing a look straight from the runway, unfortunate neck scarf and all.

Best in Fine

These Ladies

Letizia in Valencia and at an awards ceremony; Kate at a gala; Mathilde at a palace event and on an official visit to Luxembourg; Victoria at a seminar; Mary at a school

Well, this is obviously not comprehensive (none of it is, ever), but there was a lot of just fine work going on while I was on hiatus. I mean, fine. Nod. Approve. Forget. I did have a few favorites, including any sort of simple dress (Letizia, Mathilde), and Mary's turn there struck me with a spot of extra elegance. I also can't help but love Grand Duchess Maria Teresa for turning up the volume to welcome the Belgians - the hair! Now that's a thing of beauty. (See a video on the visit here.)

Tiara Watch!

Sweden warmed up for their sparkling Nobel festivities with an official dinner featuring Queen Silvia in the Connaught Tiara and some amethysts (YUM) and Crown Princess Victoria in the Cut Steel Tiara - with that repeated metallic Jenny Packham dress, she must have been one sparkly sight to see.

And that's all that happened in tiara news, I think. Right, guys? (Ha.) Anyway, discussion on the Duchess of Cambridge's front page-making tiara jaunt and which pieces she wore is happening over at the Jewel Vault.

And an Honorable Mention to...

Prince Harry

Video: Harry talks about breaking his toe in advance of his South Pole trek

Last but not least, here's a bearded Harry being cute in Antarctica, because I care.

Who's your best dressed?

Photos: ANP/PPE/Pool/DutchPhotoPress/Getty Images/Spijkers en Spijkers/Casa Real/PA/RTL/IBL/Abaca/Scanpix/Kungahuset

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: October 15-21

An Honorable Mention, For Starters...

The Duke of Cambridge

Video: Prince William carries out an investiture

Since Harry in uniform won the top spot a couple weeks ago, it only seems fair to offer the same to his big brother. Here's Wills looking dashing in uniform while taking a step forward in the world of senior royaldom by performing his first investiture on behalf of the Queen. (And of course his lovely wife was back in the game - see what I did there, lolz - this week as well, in repeated casual mode.)

Best in Hat

Queen Máxima

Left to Right: Mathilde continuing her visits around the country with the King; Máxima opening all kinds of stuff, really

Máx may have stuck to gray, but at least there were no visors. Also, she hilariously repeated her outfit from the Luxembourg wedding of 2012 just as we took a look back at her royal wedding guest appearances - minus the giant feather hat this time, though, because one doesn't have time to check ceiling heights and such for everyday use.

Best in Non-Hat

Princess Letizia

L to R: Mathilde at an AIDS and HIV event, at a fashion event, a concert, and an audience; Letizia in Totana and at an audience at Zarzuela; Victoria at a prize ceremony

Mathilde continued her foray into Belgian design variety with an outfit for her fashion event from Ann Demeulemeester, thankfully stopping short of the full runway version, and Victoria went for sparkle, but Letizia's simple black skirt and leopard blouse are winning this as far as I'm concerned. She looks good.

And a Final Honorable Mention to...

Princess Estelle

Princess Estelle attended a tennis tournament

And her parents were with her, I guess (details, details). Estelle! Automatic jumpy claps. You'll want to click here to see her big arrival, shaking hands, being awesome, etc.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Belga/Wort/ANP/PPE/DutchPhotoPress/VTM/Getty Images/Best Image/World Children's Prize Foundation

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: September 29-October 5, Plus a Double Tiara Watch!

An Honorable Mention, For Starters...

Prince Harry

Video: Harry visits Australia

Seemed right to start with Harry in uniform. Carry on.

Worst in Everyday

Crown Princess Mary

Mathilde visits Lamur and opens a festival; Mary attends an opening and an awards presentation (in By Malene Birger), Letizia marks Santos Angeles Custodios Day and attends a dinner

I left out a whole lot of regular events for our usual suspects this week, on account of boredom. Even some of these aren't so interesting (Letizia, serviceable as ever but a sartorially forgettable week overall). Mathilde's my favorite here, despite a hat that looks like she's been hit by a pumpkin pancake at certain angles (now I'm hungry), because of that lovely strong blue dress. And Mary, sadly, takes the prize of (dis-)honor for the most memorable outfit here, adapting the non-slip flower stickers from my grandma's shower for dress purposes.

Best in Parliament

The Danish Royal Family, and Their Flowers

Video: The Danish royals (Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and Princess Benedikte) attend the opening of Parliament

They've got a whole little coordinated color scheme going on here, and yet the thing I like best is how well each bouquet matches each lady's outfit. (Doesn't say much for the outfits, I suppose.)

Best in Visits

Crown Princess Victoria

During the state visit from Portugal to Sweden, and visiting the U.N. in New York (far right)

The fall state visit season delivers again, with a repeated blue Elie Saab that would have won but for the shoe match overkill and a black floral Dolce & Gabbana that needs no coat to improve it. So nice she wore it twice! And state visits give us more goodies too...

Tiara Watch!

All due snaps to Queen Silvia for coordinating her red sash with her ruby tiara (the Edward VII Ruby Tiara), but I feel deprived of an opportunity to see Victoria take the rubies out for the first time. She had on a red dress (repeated Escada) and everything! Oh well, she can never go too wrong with the Cut Steel Tiara anyway.

Worst in Visits (and Tiara Watch #2)

Queen Máxima

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a one day visit to Norway and were received by the Norwegian royal family, and they hosted the President of Israel for a visit including an official dinner

Not the Norwegian visit, everyone was looking shipshape there. But the dinner...well. On the plus side, she's playing in the jewel vault again (she's converted the Pearl Button Tiara back to the version with diamond stars she wore for her wedding, something we haven't seen in several years) and she's busting out a tiara at a black tie dinner (when others would go without). But on the other hand: WOE. That same Valentino gown that has previously sucked both Marie-Chantal and Mette-Marit into its vortex of frump has claimed another royal victim. I'd normally say a tiara makes everything better, but in this case I think it's done the impossible and made matters worse. Never has it been more clear that this should have been left in the one room schoolhouse.

MAN. I'm grumpy today, huh? I might be more in need of those pumpkin pancakes than I thought. Let me leave you with something that pleases me, before I tend to my urgent carbohydrate requirements:

And One Last Honorable Mention to...

Princess Caroline & Crew

Charlotte Casiraghi, Princess Caroline, Princess Stephanie, and Andrea Casiraghi attend an AMADE gala

There's no nightmare-inducing pedicure shoes. There's no need to search for some deep, artsy appreciation for the imagination of Karl Lagerfeld. They just look good, Caroline most of all. Just plain chic. Caroline has a level of elegance that's downright soothing when employed properly. (And yes, Charlotte's purse does have a tiara on it, and no, I don't have that in my closet, and no, I don't know why not.)

Who was your best dressed last week?

P.S.: We have a wedding to discuss tomorrow, so hang on to your comments for that!

Photos: Belga/Abaca/TV2/BT/Malene Birger/Getty Images/BestImage/Portugal Presidency/IBL/DutchPhotoPress/AP/Getty Images

Royal Fashion Awards: Prince Félix and Princess Claire’s Wedding

After marrying in a civil ceremony in Germany earlier in the week, Prince Félix of Luxembourg and the new Princess Claire headed to Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in the south of France (most hyphenated location ever? Discuss) for their religious wedding this weekend. It was a festival of hats, lace, and Saab – and no, we’re not talking about cars.

The Bride and Groom

Like the Hereditary Grand Duchess before her, Claire decided to marry in a custom gown from Elie Saab. The off white dress is a confection of floral Chantilly lace embroidery with accents of crystals, pearls, and silver thread. It features long sleeves, a high neckline with a dip in the back, and a three meter train. For his part, the groom sported a morning suit with a blue tie. Pinned on his lapel is the miniature of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau.

But back to the bride, who accessorized with a veil of ivory silk tulle decorated with more floral motifs and anchored by the larger of the diamond floral motif tiaras currently worn by the ladies of the grand ducal family. The tiara has a leafy vine motif with berries, and dates from the mid-19th century. We see it most often on the Grand Duchess, but it has been used as a wedding tiara in the past. (And I do suppose we’ll have to elaborate come Thursday.) Claire’s diamond earrings have plenty of wedding tradition as well, having been worn by the Grand Duchess and the Hereditary Grand Duchess on their respective wedding days. The bride also wore matching shoes with a rounded toe and ankle strap.

Dutch program Blauw Bloed has some nice footage; click above and zoom ahead to 22:00 and about 32:20 for the wedding.

I freely confess my deep weakness for Elie Saab, and this is no exception. In any other venue, this would be too much, but for a royal wedding I do love it – I mean, if you can’t look like a fairy godmother whipped you up something to wear then, when can you? (Speaking of which…anyone else think this kinda looks like the wedding gown Nanny McPhee conjures up at the end of the first movie? Anyone? Too much cheese? Okay, I’ll stop.)

The Guests

This was not a state occasion like some royal weddings we’ve seen, so the guests were friends and family and not so much designated representatives of royal houses. These are just a few (Luxarazzi has plenty more, including a guest list). And if there was any singular unifying theme, among the ladies at least, it would have to be this: HATS.

Best in Family

Princess Tessy

Left to right: the Grand Duchess, the Hereditary Grand Duchess, Princess Tessy, Princess Alexandra

Yet again, Maria Teresa has gone with a lot of look, as shiny as can be – but, and here’s a shocker, it’s not Natan this time, it’s Armani. Stéphanie went for lace from Stéphanie Le Grelle (are those froofy sleeves becoming a thing? Let’s not let them become a thing) and Tessy went with a sleeker look from Calvin Klein. Alexandra was one of the female witnesses, and they were all dressed alike in gowns from Tadashi Shoji (though you would be forgiven if you mistook it for Jenny Packham, as previously seen on Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and the Duchess of Cambridge, because yeah, that’s basically the same gown). I’m not that in love with any of this, so I’ll pick Tessy. When in doubt, go with purple.

Best in Other Hats

Beatrice Borromeo

L to R: Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (Grand Duke Henri's sisters), Beatrice Borromeo (longtime girlfriend of Pierre Casiraghi), Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, Countess Diane of Nassau and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg (both sisters-in-law of Grand Duke Henri)

The groom’s aunts brought plenty of interesting millinery, everything from the rather tame lily pad of Marie-Astrid and the rather elegant big brims of Sibilla and Diane to the craft bin leftovers of Margaretha. Then we have Isabelle, not a normal featured player here, but notable as she is also prepared for her next trip the Kentucky Derby. And then there’s Beatrice. I have so many questions about this. Question 1: What sort of sorcery is this? What happens if she bumps into a doorway? If someone cuts her off in the cake line, can she snap off a piece and take revenge? For the cake defense mechanism alone, she takes the prize.

Best in Family Gents

Grand Duke Henri

L to R: Prince Sébastien, the Grand Duke, the Hereditary Grand Duke, Prince Louis

The man matched his tie to his wife’s outfit. A fuchsia tie, just for her. Come on.

What did you think of the bridal gown? Who was your best dressed guest?

Photos: Cour grand-ducale/Guy Wolff/Getty Images/DutchPhotoPress/PPE/BestImage

Royal Fashion Awards: Prinsjesdag 2013

Prinsjesdag made me a little sad yesterday, guys. We're not only missing Queen Princess Beatrix from the festivities now, but Princess Margriet and her husband Pieter van Vollenhoven too. Such a small group, only the King, Queen, Prince Constantijn, and Princess Laurentien. Oh well. The pomp remains, and so do our (pared-down) awards.

Video: Prinsjesdag in action

Most Metallic

Queen Máxima

It was Jan Taminiau once again for Máxima, a gold frock with a studded diamond design that grew in size as her dress neared the floor. I'm all for sparkle and I'm all for covering oneself in gold, but I also think this looks like super fancy modern chainmail. Like, swap the clutch for a sword and she'd really be in business.

Most in Need of a Uniform

King Willem-Alexander

Video: The speech

Yes, I know. There are reasons the King has abandoned his military uniform-wearing ways. But I have reserved the right to be fully superficial in this space, and so I say: Booooo! Bring it back! Prince Constantijn was in morning dress too, as he always is, but I missed the presence of at least one royal gent with uniform and sash blazing. Nevertheless, he did do well with the speech and all. I mean, I don't speak the language or anything, but he's got a good voice, no? Kingly.

Most Evening

Princess Laurentien

Some of you remarked on our recent Prinsjesdag flashback that you felt the dresses were a little too obviously evening gowns with hats on top, and so they usually are - after all, we are out of the court dress habit these days. It usually doesn't bother me (why not get a gown that you can also wear later on?), but this one is a little too obviously evening for me. Maybe that's because we've already seen it in evening mode, during the inauguration festivities.

Who was your Prinsjesdag favorite?

Photos: Pool/Getty Images/ANP/NOS

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: September 8-14

Best in Brights

Queen Máxima

Video: Máxima in Malaysia

This dress appeared to legitimately be an eye-searing shade of highlighter yellow in some of the pictures. Happily for her audience, it appears slightly more tame in action.

Best in Prints

Crown Prince Haakon's Jacket

Letizia holds an audience; Mathilde visits Wavre and later a museum; Mette-Marit, Ingrid Alexandra, and Haakon open an environment house; Mette-Marit in Paris

Well, I do prefer Mette-Marit's family appearance to her head-to-toe reptile situation, which looks all kinds of stiff. And while we're at it, we can't forget Crown Prince "Not Just Another Navy Suit" Haakon there. (We must also give a nod to another kind of print entirely: Crown Princess Mary in camouflage, training with the Home Guard, which would be such an automatic winner for me I dare say it's not fair competition.) 

Best in Sparkle

Duchess of Cambridge

Video: William and Kate attend the Tusk Conservation Awards

When in doubt, go with glitter, that's what I always say. 

Best in Statement Accessories

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Máxima opens a museum; Mette-Marit in Paris

As relieved as I am that Máx has not busted out another of her bug jewels, I have to stick with Mette-Marit's shoes. They're not for everyone, but this Shoe Person loves 'em. I mean, not with this outfit, but just generally speaking. From the ankles down.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Psst: We'll have a glimpse at Prinsjesdag tomorrow.

Photos: Getty Images/Abaca/NTBScanpix/Kongehuset/Stella Pictures/ANP/Valentino

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: July 15-20, and a Bonus of Cute

Best in Cute

Prince George of Cambridge

Video: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave the hospital with their bundle of joy

Obviously this is outside of our date range, happening yesterday. Whatever. BABIES, amirite?! You could just pick him up and squeeze him. (But don't, because police.) They were one adorable, happy family in blue. Kate's bespoke Jenny Packham was great {insert your own required Diana polka dot comparison here}, but the warm fuzzies were better.

I do love any occasion that lets the headline writers run wild.

UPDATE: The baby's name is George Alexander Louis. Anybody guess right? (I certainly didn't!)

Best in Other Cute Things

The A-Team, ESTELLE, and Puppies

Left to right: the Dutch royal family poses for their annual family photoshoot, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Estelle meet scholarship winners, and the Norwegian crown princely family pose with their new puppies

Too. Much. Cute. This should hold us over for a while (it won't, though, because we're not reasonable like that).

Compared to all that, the rest of the week was kinda boring. Haakon tried to liven things up by parachuting into his 40th birthday music festival (because who just has a plain old party, come on).

This party caused a bit of a stir, I guess. First, there was fuss over increased police cost, then it emerged that the guests had been asked to contribute to the costs of the party. All this with a background of fuss over Mette-Marit accepting designer clothes and such for free. But on it went. Click here for a long video, and here for a picture gallery. There were some other royals there too.

Best of the Rest
Princess Letizia, Princess Mathilde, Crown Princess Mary

Princess Letizia attending a naval graduation and audiences; Princess Mathilde (this all happened pre-abdication, pre-Queen Mathilde) at a luncheon and other engagements

Here's a highlight of the rest, the actual business sort of events. But frankly, as far as this post is concerned, if you can't give me at least a puppy you get a meh.

Video: Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik attend a ballet

I suppose Mary and Frederik are my favorites. Fred, really. You gotta respect a man whose sartorial dictionary doesn't include the word blergh.

Who's your favorite?

Photos: The Sun/Getty Images/Abaca/Kongehuset

Royal Fashion Awards: Royal Ascot 2013

That five day festival of hats and horses and everything in between is well under way at Ascot. Let's check in with the fashion winners and losers so far, shall we?

Best in Day 1

The Countess of Wessex

Left to Right: the Queen (followed by the Duchess of Cornwall), the Countess of Wessex, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Princess Haya

I had my qualms about the shape of Sophie's dress, but in the end it can't be denied: she is positively owning that color. I also loved Haya's garden festival and Serena Linley's flood of pink (she, plus more stylish royals including a well turned out Princess Anne, can be seen here). And, just for kicks, I'm gonna own up and say that I was also digging Eugenie's striped affair. I think the horizontal stripes emphasize her skirt and not what's underneath and are totally cute. Yes, I dug the stripes. (Not you, Bea.)

Best in Day 2

Hmm...

The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall

Camilla's had quite the elegant streak recently, no? She matched her emerald brooch to the Queen's (which was new to me, all deets at the Jewel Vault!) and pulled off a lovely understated look which needs some love...except that this is Ascot and understated - even in a big hat - just isn't enough! I point you to "the coolest", apparently, Lady Helen Taylor and her explosion of color. I may wish she'd done a Coco (Chanel: take one thing off before you leave the house...or in this case, maybe two or three things), but I'm in love with the fun and unexpected color combo. Click here for more royal ladies and here for Lady Helen's competition for memorable Day 2 looks, Princess Haya and her portable chess set. 

Best in Day 3

The Queen

L to R: the Queen, Autumn Phillips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Princess Royal

I was ready to flip a coin between Autumn, who was simple but stunning, and Beatrice, who was awfully well recovered from that lace and polka dot raincoat thing earlier. And then the purple Queen stole the race, as did her horse Estimate, who won the Gold Cup. Actual royal jumpy claps! The Duke of York presented her with her cup (she was supposed to present it herself but was unavailable due to awesomeness), and I expect to see that bolted to the hood of the royal Bentley promptly. One's precioussssss. This has set a new level for Windsor cuteness. Your move, Baby Cambridge. (Click here for a full recounting of the jubilant Queen, and here for more pics and stuff from Ladies' Day.)

Best in Top Hats

The Prince of Wales and Prince Michael of Kent

L to R: the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of York and Prince Michael of Kent, the Prince of Wales, Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai (husband of Princess Haya), Peter Phillips

The Windsor Grays! Ha. Nothing says off to the races! quite like the pale color palette, don't you agree?

Updates:

And on the fourth day of Ascot Christmas, the royals gave to me... one Sophie recycling her maternity wear (but she isn't, though, and it's sad), one still delighted Queen, and two bonus Jordanian royals! Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath rode in the Queen's carriage. Also, it's important to note the box of wine handbag at the bottom of that linked article, which I've been delighting in on Twitter. I now suspect Her Maj might have a gin and tonic version. She is quite jolly these days...

And on day five...nada, basically. 

Ascot always winds down towards the end, but this one came to a particularly quiet end, royally speaking. The lovely Princess Sarvath was in the carriage next to the Queen again, though, which was the best bit.

Who wins your Ascot best dressed?

Photos: AP/AFP/Getty Images/PacificCoastNews/Reuters

Royal Fashion Awards: Garter Day 2013

Monday was Garter Day in Great Britain, the annual meeting of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The Knights and Ladies of the Garter swan about in the most royal outfits of the year and their guests get all hatted up - it's an irresistibly royal occasion.

Best in Escorts

Da Queen

Video: The Queen at Garter Day

What's a girl to do at a second big event without her hubby? Recruit a handsome gent for either side, of course: the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge walked with the Queen in the procession. She rode back in the open carriage with Charles and Camilla. (More details on the outfit and jewels can be found at the Vault.)

Best in Refreshment

The Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Cornwall

Left to Right: the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Gloucester

I was pretty starved for some non-blush, non-beige looks following the Trooping, and couldn't help but find some much-needed refreshment in Camilla's brights and Sophie's darks. (Wasn't quite starved enough to miss mentioning the Duchess of Gloucester's perma-repeat, though.)

Though they didn't give us much in the way of color, there were some interesting looks on Lady Sarah Chatto (in her standard retro schtick...a perma-repeat I don't mind at all, go figure), Viscountess Linley (in some serious skirt volume), and Lady Helen Taylor (in, wow, the best pair of hat antlers I have ever seen) - click here to see via my Twitter friend @gabeyslave, who was lucky enough to be present for the procession and shared some fun insider glimpses!

Best in Capes

The Prince of Wales

L to R: the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Kent. Not pictured but present: the Duke of Gloucester.

I usually end up giving this one to a royal lady (well, they are the only ones with serious earring bling), but I'm going with Charles this year...followed closely by Anne, because old habits die hard. All history aside, these sorts of getups can look silly unless you wear them with confidence, and I think the PR and the PoW do it best of this lot. 

Most Missed

Princess Alexandra of Kent

The Duke of Edinburgh was absent, of course - he was released from the hospital, though, so that's looking good - but we have another key royal missing here: Princess Alexandra, the Queen's cousin. She's been suffering from polymyalgia rheumatica and has been cancelling engagements for some time now. I miss her and her effortless royal elegance, especially in her Garter robes.

Who was your favorite Garter Day participant?

Photos: WPA Pool/Getty Images

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

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: June 2-8

Best in Non-Wedding

Queen Máxima

A two day visit to Germany and an engagement back home

Almost everyone was pretty low key last week, ahead of the wedding in Sweden. Not a lot of sartorial news to report from most of our regulars (Letizia made a rousing return to her trouser-ed ways, newsflash!), except for one: couldn't be anyone but Queen Máx. She didn't come to the wedding (and I missed her pizzazz, I really did), but she gave us a week of hats + gloves + day jewels + glam sunglasses, and I'll take it.

Best of the Week

Princess Estelle and Her Handlers

Victoria, Daniel, and Estelle opening the Royal Palace at the start of National Day and then celebrating with the rest of the royal family, including a new portrait of Estelle

Sweden stole the wedding show and the rest of the week, and you know I'm talking about Estelle. Come on. First she gets a baby sash, and then she gets a baby national costume and all the best dates and a WEE BOW?! But never fear: others were putting on a show of their own, including an affectionate bridal couple (click here for a full gallery of National Day fun), and Victoria in a great white dress (check out her necklace!), which was not even her only good wedding week appearance and a precursor to her fabulous wedding frock. Go on, Sweden.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/PPE/Aftonbladet/Kungahuset/K.Gabor/Scanpix

Royal Fashion Awards: Princess Madeleine's Wedding

Last but not least in our coverage of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill's wedding comes the guests, gowns and tiaras and all. Specific info on tiaras and orders/sashes will be below each category, since those are always popular questions. And before we get started, if you missed the wedding (or just want to watch again), it is streaming at SVT for a limited time. Okay, here we go:

Best in Trains

A Tie

Left to Right: Princess Marie of Denmark, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

These ladies set the stage for a pastel guest line up, but they get special recognition for bringing it in the form of lovely trains, despite this being a lower key affair. Marie didn't catch my eye in the broadcast, but on further review this is really quite lovely; Märtha Louise is surprisingly understated and also purple; and Mette-Marit has done the layered pastel thing a zillion times, but she gets me every time and resistance is futile. I like them all!

Tiara roundup (click here for a better look, and on the tiara names for a specific post if one exists): Marie - Marie's Diamond Floral Tiara, Märtha Louise - smaller version of Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara, Mette-Marit - Amethyst Necklace Tiara.
Sashes: Marie - Order of the Elephant (Denmark), Märtha Louise and Mette-Marit - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden).

Best in Haga Princesses

Princess Margaretha

L to R: Princesses Christina, Margaretha, Birgitta, and Désirée of Sweden

A mixed bag from the bride's aunts, an extension of our post on the royal family. I pick...Margaretha, I guess, because she let us see the Baden Fringe Tiara, and she wore purple. Last pass just because of purple, honest.

Tiara roundup: Christina - Six Button Tiara, Margaretha - Baden Fringe Tiara, Birgitta - Connaught Tiara, Désirée - Cut Steel Tiara.
Sashes: Order of the Seraphim (Sweden) for all.

Best in Tiara Intrigue

Princess Anna

L to R: the Countess of Wessex, Princess Theodora of Greece, Princess Anna of Bavaria, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg

We had a rousing round of tiara guessing in advance of this wedding, and there were several ladies with interesting choices to make. Sophie did indeed opt for her Five Aquamarine Tiara, though she paired it with a pretty blah dress I'd say. Theodora borrowed her sister Princess Alexia's diamond tiara, though once again I think we need to talk about dress fit. Stéphanie picked another new-to-her tiara from the Luxembourg vault, the Citrine (or Topaz) and Pearl Tiara, and could have made an interesting pair with her shimmery dress, but the execution is...lacking. So I'm giving it to Princess Anna; the ladies from Bavaria were a question mark because the tiara they usually wear was recently sold, but both Anna and her mother-in-law Princess Ursula wore tiaras anyway, unknown (to me) diamond numbers. (And that really is the last purple pass. I really promise this time.)

Oh! And one bonus piece of tiara intrigue: Princess Silvia d'Arenberg showed up wearing...Princess Sibilla's Art Deco Tiara! Apparently the families are close. I'll take any opportunity to see that gorgeous Luxembourg jewel.

Tiara roundup: Yeah, we just did that.
Sashes: Sophie - Royal Victorian Order (Britain), Theodora - Order of Saints Olga and Sophia (Greece), Stéphanie - Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolph of Nassau (Luxembourg).

Best in Tiara Clashes

Princess Kelly

L to R: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Charlene of Monaco

Continuing on in interesting tiara choices...these pairings I found a little questionable. I don't like the Midnight Tiara as much as some of you do, and I was surprised to see Mary wear it here - but even more surprised to see her pair its soft, cool gray tones with this dress (what are we calling that color...neon coral?) and the strong colors of her sash. I like the shape of her gown but could pass on the rest, I'm afraid. I thought the same of Kelly but to a lesser degree, as I love the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Turquoise Tiara and really only object to her sash here. She wins. And then there's Charlene, who paired her tree bark gown with the elusive Invisible Tiara, possibly heisted from my own personal collection. Pfft.

Tiara roundup: See above, again.
Sashes: Mary - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Kelly - Ducal Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Order, Charlene - zilch, though she could have worn the Order of Saint-Charles.

Best of the Rest

Princess Marie-Chantal

L to R: Princess Tatiana of Greece, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Princess Takamado of Japan

Mixed bag time, to round up the ladies! I actually like all of these outfits - they all seem well-suited to their own ages/personal styles. I like good old M-C and her casual couture routine the best, despite the fact that she did walk a little close to the bridal white line.

Tiara roundup: Tatiana - Antique Corsage Tiara, Marie-Chantal - her fringe tiara, Benedikte - Queen Ingrid's Star and Spike Tiara, Hisako - her own tiara.
Sashes: Tatiana and Marie-Chantal - Order of Saints Olga and Sophia (Greece), Benedikte - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Hisako - Order of the Precious Crown (Japan).

Best in Gents

Crown Prince Pavlos

L to R (click to enlarge): Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Prince Joachim of Denmark, Crown Prince Pavlos and Prince Nikolaos and Prince Philippos of Greece, Ari Behn, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, the Earl of Wessex

Non-comprehensive (like the rest of this entry), obviously, but a sampling of the gentlemen will close us out. My favorite is Pavlos. Uniformed? No. Dapper, suave, etc.? Oh, yes. We'll make it a matched pair, one prize for him and one for his lovely wife M-C.

Tiara roundup: That'd be something to see, wouldn't it?
Sashes: Frederik and Haakon - Order of the Seraphim (Sweden), Joachim - Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Pavlos and Nikolaos and Philippos - Order of the Redeemer (Greece), Ari - Order of the Crown (Netherlands), Guillaume - Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg), Edward - Order of the Garter (Britain).

Who made your best dressed list?

Photos: Getty Images/Scanpix/PPE/AP/AFP

Princess Madeleine’s Wedding: The Royal Family

Princess Madeleine’s immediate family gave us so much to talk about with their royal wedding attire, they get a post of their own!

The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of an admiral in the Swedish Navy, with the Order of the Seraphim sash and star, the star of the Order of Vasa, and the neck badge of the Order of the Sword, plus chest decorations. He walked the bride down the aisle, before they were met by the groom; he did the same with Crown Princess Victoria, and it caused some controversy since fathers walking their daughters down the aisle is not a standard Swedish tradition. But it seemed right here, with so much of the ceremony in English and nods to the culture of the British-American groom.

Since her husband was accompanying the bride, Queen Silvia arrived on the arm of her son, Prince Carl Philip, who was dashing in the mess dress model 1878 of a captain in the Swedish Amphibious Corps with the Order of the Seraphim and other chest decorations. The Queen’s dress was described by the Royal Court as “a jade-coloured dress with a train. The dress is silk organza with embroidered silk lace and Swarovski stones.” With it, she wore Queen Sofia’s/Sophia's Tiara, known around here as the Nine Prong Tiara, or the Pronger, or Sil’s Favorite Party Antlers. Longtime readers know that I don’t have a lot of love for this diadem, but I’ll say this: it did its job today, and was sparkly and grand as can be.

(Though she is not a member of the royal family and attended as a regular guest, I'll also give a shout out to Carl Philip's girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist, who I thought looked lovely and purposefully understated in her lilac frock and gold jewels.)

Crown Princess Victoria arrived with Prince Daniel, in tails and the Order of the Seraphim just like the rest of the family and gamely carrying pacifiers and purses as needed because he’s a solid dude like that, and wee Princess Estelle! Estelle got her own little chair for the service, though she seemed to prefer climbing on various family members. She also got a class in blowing kisses to the bride from her dad. It’s probably a good thing they didn’t try and outfit her in the baby sash she wore at her christening, because that would have truly done me in.

Honestly, Victoria’s dress alone has practically done me in: I’m in love, y’all. The court describes it as “a greige rosé dress with aubergine accents. The dress is made from hand-dyed double-sided silk organza with layers of hand-dyed tulle in three shades, silk threads, Lurex threads, pearls and Swarovski crystals in amethyst and pale grey opal.” It’s been reported to be the work of couture designer Fadi El Khoury. With the gorgeous detailing and dramatic train, it could have been a scene stealer, but the muted color makes sure it doesn’t take away from the bride.

Victoria also wins mega points for her jewels. My guess, and hope, was that she would wear the laurel wreath tiara of the late Princess Lilian, and she did me one better: she wore both the tiara and the diamond necklace which was a favorite of Lilian’s. The necklace is made from a stomacher that belonged to Queen Josephine, which you can tell because it’s a slightly odd shape for the necklace. But this dress must have been made to showcase it, and it works perfectly. A beautiful way to bring Lilian’s memory along. Definitely one of my favorite looks – probably of the whole year.

How did you rate the royal family’s outfits?

Photos: Pool/Scanpix/Getty Images/Reuters

Royal Trip Report: Everybody's Coming to America (Plus More)

All the royal peoples headed to the U.S. last week. To my great disappointment, it was not for the purpose of remaking any Eddie Murphy films. But we can look at what they wore anyway. I suppose.

We start with the obvious: HARRY. IN UNIFORM. RED (make that GINGER) ALERT.

Video: Day 1 of the Warrior Games

Harry was in D.C. and then Colorado, and there were 1) uniforms and 2) FLOTUS cuteness and 3) Olympian cuteness and 4) so, so much more. A+.

Of course, Prince Harry got the most fanfare, but we know better - other royals deserve some attention too:

Come on down, Haakon and Mette-Marit! On down to Texas, specifically, where the Norwegian crown princely couple started their tour (click here for your Haakon fix via video). Their five day tour also took them to California, where in addition to official engagements, they hit a rock concert for a Norwegian band, because why not. Mette-Marit was back on her best daytime form, I thought - simple and mostly white, with some pops of color for good measure. My favorite was the yellow Valentino with the white coat; least favorite...probably the Chanel with the long coat and pleated skirt, which she paired with some serious braids (click here for an overview with a look at some of the details, including that 'do).

Oh, and if that red Valentino coat looks familiar...see her coat for the Luxembourg wedding. Now that's bulk buying.

Paying a visit to the U.N. in New York City was Queen Máxima, who met with Ban Ki-Moon. It was the second occasion in the week (the first being a family outing to a concert) when she showed up with her hair up, which I think is some kind of record. Mark it on the calendars, kids. Her visit was pretty much an incognito one; actually, Crown Princess Mary was in New York prior to the Dutch inauguration, also an extremely quiet trip.

Queen Máx just missed another Queen in NYC - Queen Silvia and King Carl Gustaf started out a visit to America there, hanging out with Princess Madeleine and future son-in-law Chris O'Neill. (Silvia's Moschino jacket was previously worn by Madeleine - which allows me to dream up a scenario in which Madeleine critiques Silvia's tour wardrobe What Not To Wear-style before letting her leave New York, and this amuses me.) They've visited a few eastern locales, including a gala dinner in Delaware with the next best thing to actual tiaras: tiaras as necklaces, specifically the ruby and diamond tiara that once belonged to Crown Princess Margaret. (Rubies and diamonds made for a subtly red, white, and blue outfit for the Queen, I couldn't help but notice.)

With Europe practically emptied out, there isn't much "regular" activity to cover this week.

Mathilde at a conference; Letizia visiting Seville and at a Royal Guards ceremony

But a pretty good week for Letizia, no? I continue to like her her double strappy nude heels.

Which U.S. trip is your favorite?

Photos: Kongehuset/Scanpix/Getty Images/U.N./Kungahuset/Reuters/DelawareOnline/BestImage