Flashback Friday: Letizia's Greatest Hits

Princess Letizia turned 40 this month! Let's do as we do, then, and celebrate her with a parade of her sartorial bests: it's time for Letizia's greatest hits. Get your lists ready, here we go...

Sometimes Letizia's way of dress is a little too low key for my tastes, but there's no doubt that she can work a simple silhouette like nobody else. Just give me variety, and I'm a happy camper.

Simple's good, but I like a little lace on my Leti too: in the form of a fairy princess turn, a sweet day dress, a sparkly cocktail dress, an amazing mantilla, or a perfect christening outfit.

And red. Lots and lots of red. They say there's a perfect shade of red for everyone, but some just rock it better than others, and Letizia's in the club. In fact, her perfection in red directly contributes to my very favorite Letizia outfit of all time (so far, you know):

It's rare that a look without a tiara would win my love at a serious tiara event, but Letizia at Frederik and Mary's wedding was just fab. The hair, the use of jewels, the train...I loves it all.

What's your all time favorite Letizia outfit?

Photos: Abaca/Purepeople/Getty Images/Corbis

Tiara Thursday: The Dutch Sapphire Tiara

The Dutch Sapphire Tiara

One of the big guns, so to speak, in the Dutch royal collection is their massive sapphire tiara. It includes 655 South African diamonds, now set in platinum. The 33 sapphires are nestled at the bottom of the diadem like stained glass windows beneath Gothic arches in the sparkliest cathedral ever. Adding to the sparkle factor, some of the stones are en tremblant – meaning set on springs, so that they move with the wearer and create the maximum amount of reflection.

Queen Emma (left) and Queen Juliana

The tiara was purchased in 1881 by King Willem III of the Netherlands for his wife, Queen Emma. It seems to have skipped over Emma’s daughter, Queen Wilhelmina, and was next worn by Emma's granddaughter Queen Juliana. Today it is worn by Juliana’s daughter, Queen Beatrix. In the course of its history, the tiara has gained some pieces to make up a parure: a massive necklace and two enormous bracelets were added later, and a brooch also from Emma’s collection is usually named as part of the parure as well.

Queen Beatrix

Today, there are other sapphires in the Dutch collection for mixing and matching with this tiara. Queen Beatrix doesn’t wear the entire parure and has chosen to repurpose some pieces. The large bracelets haven’t been seen in some time, but Princess Máxima may have worn a piece of one of them as a brooch a while back. While Beatrix keeps the full tiara to herself, the necklace has been turned into a smaller sapphire tiara which has been spotted on Princess Margriet and Princess Máxima. She has also allowed a second setting of the tiara to be worn by her relatives.

When Mabel Wisse Smit married Queen Beatrix’s son Prince Friso in 2004, she turned up in an unknown diamond tiara featuring rays of a few large diamonds each graduating in size towards the top and center. It was described as being a second setting of the large tiara, and it is a separate piece that uses some of the large diamonds from the sapphire tiara*. To date, the smaller version has been worn by Princess Mabel and Princess Máxima.

The second setting on Princess Mabel and Princess Máxima (right two)

When viewing the large sapphire version of this tiara today on Queen Beatrix, you’d be forgiven if you missed the fact that it is a sapphire tiara entirely. It’s a curious arrangement, to have the sapphires entirely at the bottom of the piece; they’re so easy to cover up, and Beatrix’s hair often does just that (or at least it creates the impression that only the one large sapphire is present...cyclops style). I find myself eager to see what Máxima can do with this one in the future. (Not that I’m wishing Beatrix’s reign was up or anything. You know what I mean.)

Where does this rank on your list of favorite sapphire tiaras?

UPDATE: This tiara was chosen by Queen Máxima to wear to King Willem-Alexander's inauguration, April 30. 2013. She made a change to the center top of the tiara, to lower the central element. She also wore her hair back, so the sapphires appeared in a way they never did when Beatrix wore the diadem.

*UPDATE 2: This piece was originally called the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara in this entry (and elsewhere on this blog), on the assumption that it was made by jeweler Mellerio. There were always indications that that might not be the case, however, and Vincent Meylan's 2013 book on Mellerio added to that - it is not a Mellerio tiara. The book also clarifies how exactly the smaller diamond tiara is associated with the larger sapphire diadem. This entry was updated and the name was changed.

Photos: ANP/Dutch Photo Archive/Corbis/Getty Images

Wedding Wednesday: A Royal Wedding in Brunei

The past week brought us the most glittering royal wedding we'll see this year: that of Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini. The daughter of the Sultan of Brunei and Queen Saleha, the 32-year-old princess and her 29-year-old groom both work for the government.

The lengthy schedule of wedding activities and ceremonies was spread out over a number of days. For a ceremony ahead of the wedding, the bride sparkled in lavender with a diamond tiara previously seen on other Brunei brides including her sister-in-law Sarah, wife of the Crown Prince.

For the wedding, she dressed in sparkling gold. She carried a bouquet of jeweled flowers and wore yet another diamond tiara. Don't miss the equally snazzy groom's outfit - the level of couture work is most evident in the bride's ensembles, but the groom's are works of art on their own.

The banquet later on required not just a change of clothes but a change of tiara as well, to one seen on her mother in the past. The shock of color from the emeralds on the background of the dress and veil works quite well - it's really the only outfit here where you can truly tell just how bejeweled she is. The strictly diamond jewelry tends to fade into the background on her already heavily ornamented outfits.

Royal weddings in Brunei always have an air of being impressive for the sake of, well, being impressive - and the focus often lands on how much the Sultan spent on the festivities - but at the same time they're full of ceremony and tradition. It may cross into the territory of Too Much for some, but any wedding that involves multiple tiaras for the bride is okay by me.

Photos: WENN/Reuters/Getty Images

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

Royal Trip Report: The Danes in Brazil (Updated)

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have been on an official visit to Brazil, visiting Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro this week. They are there to promote Denmark and strengthen business ties, and they have a whole delegation with them. Luckily for us, Mary also has a whole wealth of outfits for our frivolous enjoyment.

 Day 1: Visiting an exhibit, the Scandinavian Church, and a reception

This is so light and fresh! And that's saying something when a coat (basically) is involved - many would have stopped at the blue Prada underneath. Makes me wish for summer, even though it's fall in my corner of the globe, and I love me some sweaters. That's my typically long-winded way of saying: I like it.

 

Day 2: Visiting a center for abused women, followed by a dinner in the evening

Note that her purple accents match the purple gates of the center she's visiting, and note that if you need me I'll be out buying purple paint...and a gate of some sort. (I can't believe my own humble abode isn't already guarded with purple, it's a terrible oversight on my part.) (My nonsense mutterings are just going to continue on, you've been warned.) She's dipping into the design world of Alberta Ferretti here on both accounts, and I would tell you here that I wish royal ladies would wear Ferretti more often, but that's a funny statement to make when the bronze dress has already been worn twice - are you feeling the déjà vu? Princess Beatrice wore it to the Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Day 3: Visiting a hospital, an institute for the blind, and an exhibition, followed by a reception in the evening

There's a lot of furniture involved in these visits. They're forever opening a chair exhibition of some sort, or something else about Danish design. I think the sitting portion of the job is the one I'd be really good at. (Helps when you have hunky assistance when the sitting portion of the job is over.) ANYWAY...quite a contrast in outfits here: light and airy, and then sort of dark and choking.

Day 4: Visiting a youth center, a university, an exhibit opening, and an evening reception

Is it an option to have your hair done by Mary's hairdresser instead of Mary herself? Let me be clear: I'd say yes either way. Beyond that, these are two good dresses, and I continue to be intrigued by Mary's varied use of that statement white belt.

Day 5: Visiting a breastfeeding project, and then meeting with the Brazilian Olympic Committee
...........................................................................................................No.

Mary and Frederik leave Brazil today, hopefully before she has a chance to bust out any more printed jumpsuits. As you may be able to tell from my pointless non-sartorial musings in this post, I found it a serviceable if not thrilling trip from the wardrobe front (though we shall see what, if anything, else it brings before she boards the plane for home). But still, I shall ask you:

Which is your favorite Brazil outfit?

UPDATE: The remainder of the outfits from the trip...

Day 5: Dinner

MUCH better on the print front. Yes. Flowy, as close to an evening gown as you can get while remaining out of black tie territory.

Day 6: Final engagements

This has been an acceptable recovery from the first day 5 outfit. Let's all forget it ever happened...

Photos: SN/Terra/BilledBladet/Reuters/Agencia Minas

Tiara Thursday: Queen Maud's Diamond Tiara

Several of the Norwegian family’s tiaras originate with Queen Maud, daughter of Britain’s Edward VII and Alexandra. Much like Maud’s Pearl and Diamond Tiara, this diamond tiara was a wedding gift when she married Prince Carl of Denmark in 1896. (Carl would later become King Haakon VII of Norway.) It is quite a large piece, featuring an intricate design on a base of collets between two rows of diamonds with diamond uprights on top. It was presented to the bride by "Lady and Gentlemen Friends".

Queen Maud

The tiara eventually ended up in the possession of Princess Ragnhild, Maud's granddaughter. Ragnhild was the oldest of the three children of King Olav V and his wife, Crown Princess Märtha. (The others being Princess Astrid and the current king, Harald.) Märtha died in 1954, before Olav became king, and the three children decided to wait until Harald married to divide the major family jewels. Harald married in 1968, and this tiara went to Ragnhild.

Princess Ragnhild (with a young Haakon)

Ragnhild married Erling Lorentzen in 1953 and relocated to Brazil for her husband's business. She lived most of her life outside of the spotlight, though she did attend royal events from time to time. Accordingly, this tiara is not well known and hasn't been seen as often as other Norwegian pieces. It has been said that the diadem was intended to return to the main royal house after Ragnhild's passing, and unfortunately in the coming years we will discover whether that is really the case: Princess Ragnhild sadly passed away at the age of 82 on September 16, 2012, and will be buried in Norway.

Photos:  Scanpix/Kongehuset/VG

Royal Trip Report: The Cambridges in Asia, Part 4

Here we go again! This is our final installment of Cambridge trip fun. Take a look back if you like:

Part 1 (Singapore)

Part 2 (Singapore to Malaysia)

Part 3 (Malaysia to the Solomon Islands)

The trip’s over now, and they seem to have saved the best stuff for last. Dancing royals, coming atcha…

Day 7: Events in Honiara in the Solomon Islands

Sunshine yellow! And here we have a textbook example of why royals are great in bright colors: you can pick them out of a grass skirt line up, no problem.

Her Jaeger dress, and the necklace she was given

Even looks good with a floral headdress and a Princess Kate necklace. Perfect.

Day 7: Still in the Solomon Islands, en route to a private island for some down time

And then the couple switched roles, and she let William’s shirt be the guiding light.

Her Mulberry dress, with a look at the fabric and the necklace she was given

I even like the wedges with this one, so there.

Day 8: Leaving the Solomon Islands and arriving in Tuvalu for an evening of fun. Warning: this video contains royal dance moves, which you will find either adorable or embarrassing – definitely one of the two. You’ve been warned.

She’s amassing quite the collection of the little yellow dresses, isn’t she? There’s the one above, this one (by an “independent dressmaker”), plus the Jenny Packham spotted on the last tour. Of the three…this is definitely my least favorite. Nevertheless, it’s not a bad backdrop for her Island Queen for the Day accessories!

The evening dress and personalized fan, plus daytime accessories

Would never in a million years have picked this Alice by Temperley gown for the evening off a rack for her, but it works. It works perfectly, in fact. That Cathleen, she’s so clever.

Day 9: Leaving Tuvalu for home, with a stop at the Brisbane Airport

I say we officially dub this the trip of the shirt sort of dress, or the trip of the full-ish skirted dress. We can work on the name.

Her Project D dress for the farewell, and the more comfortable outfit seen in Brisbane

And that's that, the biggest dose of Cambridge you'll get all year. Big decision time now:

What was your favorite outfit from the Duchess this trip?

Photos: Jaeger/Mulberry/Net-a-porter/Bauer Griffin/Getty Images/Brisbane Airport

Prinsjesdag 2012

It’s Prinsjesdag time! That’s the annual Budget Day in the Netherlands, where Queen Beatrix visits Parliament and gives a speech from the throne, and she and her kin bust out their gloriously old fashioned daywear and a little dose of day bling. It's morning coat or uniform for the men, and long dresses plus orders and hats for the royal ladies (no tiaras, because we're still in the daytime) - a once popular royal dress code that faded away decades ago, but is still kicking once a year in the Netherlands. Bless.

Best in Froof

Queen Beatrix

I simply don’t know anyone else that would wear a big ol’ lace dress and top it with a feather duster. Nor do I know anyone else that could pull it off, so props to the Queen Bea.

Best in Color

Princess Máxima

You’d think it’d be hard to detract from Beatrix in her all her froofy glory, or the gold coach, or the uniformed prince at her side – but no. Leave it to Máx. Interestingly, she's not sporting a new dress this year, but a repeat from last year's state visit to Qatar. (On the sparkle front, note that both Beatrix and Máxima are sporting multiple diamond stars. Also note that Beatrix is sporting even more of them than Máxima is, because Máx may be the brightly dressed magpie, but Bea is Da Queen.)

Best Dress

Princess Laurentien

Out of them all, Laurentien’s dress is the one I like the best. (I know, I can't believe it either.) The color is the perfect background for her riband, and the cut is simple but effective with its sleeve detail and asymmetrical skirt fabrics. And it does have that little touch of Laurentien quirk in the back, with the connecting sleeves. I could do without the flower on her head positioned so as to act like a pirate’s eye patch in certain photos, but you know. You win some, you lose some.

Best in Class

Princess Margriet

What can you say? Margriet – Queen Beatrix’s sister – is well turned out as always. Not loud, not attention grabbing, just classy.

Best in Gents

Pieter van Vollenhoven

Left to right: Prince Constantijn, Pieter van Vollenhoven, Prince Willem-Alexander

First of all, it must be said that it is practically impossible for the men to go wrong with this dress code, and they all look dashing as can be. Despite my weakness for a good uniform, I've got to give this one to Margriet's husband, Professor Pieter. He's got a little orange pocket square! Adorable.

Who’s your Prinsjesdag favorite this year?

Photos: Getty Images/PPE/DutchPhotoPress/Bauer Griffin

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: September 9-15

Time to catch up on our non-touring ladies from last week. Turns out...tours are way more interesting. Nevertheless...

Best in Mimicry

Princess Letizia

Attending an employment workshop; presenting the V de Vida Awards; taking the infantas to their first day of school

See, I thought she’d just been waylaid on her way to a tennis match with outfit #2 there, but clearly she was just showing some sweaters-n'-skirts school solidarity with the girls.

By the way, Letizia just turned 40, and some lovely new portraits were released for the occasion.

Best in White

Crown Princess Mary

Visiting Malta for the WHO Regional Committee meeting; a meeting with her Mary Foundation

White and white, done and done. Nice touch with the necklace at the Mary Foundation meeting – it’s the foundation’s logo. Mary and Frederik have now set off for a visit to Brazil, and we’ll be following that with trip reports as it goes on.

Worst in Shoes

Princess Máxima

Opening a visitor’s center for the Dunea company

See, Kate’s not the only one that gets a wedge-shaped frowny face from me from time to time. 

Best in Specs

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Opening the Dangerous Waste conference; christening a ship in Bergen and opening the Oslo Book Festival

In which no one is surprised to learn that she loves an oversized face accessory.

Who wins last week for you?

Photos: Getty Images/Kongehuset/DutchPhotoPress

Royal Trip Report: The Wessexes in Canada

The Earl and Countess of Wessex have been on a working visit to Canada for the past week. Unfortunately this trip coincides with the Cambridge trip, and that means even less coverage for Edward and Sophie, but we’re here to help them out. (And by them, I mean Sophie, and some of her outfits. Because that’s how we do.)

They began in Ottawa, where Sophie took a page out of Eugenie’s style book and sported a Peter Pilotto print dress. And just as we learned when Eugenie did it, this is not going to suit the tastes of everyone – nothing with this much statement ever does – but I still applaud her for the youthful spirit. Of more general love I’m sure will be this fantastic red dress worn with a wedge that is as close to delicate as wedges come.

Next up was Nunavut, and this beige coat/dress/thing, and then Iqaluit, where she also wore beige, and then a more of a va va voom turn just to counteract the blergh in sleek black at the Toronto International Film Festival. I’m not usually one for gimmicky handbags, but I’d take that fan off her hands right quick. The extra shiny stockings are the only thing bringing me down here. Quite a fish out of water statement at something like TIFF.

On day 4 we got a royal repeat of her Jubilee outfit – and a regimental brooch, as she was presenting new colors to the Lincoln and Welland Regiment – but then she was all colored out, I guess, because it was back to beige the next day for more Ontario engagements. This one reminds me very much of Kate’s beige Malene Birger dress from one of her Canada stops last year; serviceable and princess-y, but nothing to write home about.

Sophie and Edward's trip ends today. What's your favorite outfit from Sophie on this trip to the Canadian wonderland?

Photos: Governor General/Ottawa Citizen/Nunatsiaq News/BulletNews/Facebook

Royal Trip Report: The Cambridges in Asia, Part 3

We're picking back up on day 4, still in Malaysia (I can barely figure out what days and what countries these things are happening on and in, I can't imagine how fuzzy these two must be by now)...

Day 4: Tea party at the British High Commissioner's residence in Kuala Lumpur, followed by travel to Sabah

The Duke and Duchess soldiered on in spite of all the...uh...stuff going on, with Kate in a custom version of this Alice Temperley dress. Fancy hair alert: she's upped her updo with added pearl decorations.

Day 5: Visiting the Danum Valley rainforest

Jungle chic, I suppose? Anyway, from there it was back in dresses for the flight to the Solomon Islands and more new outfits.

Day 6: Arriving in the Solomon Islands and attending a thanksgiving service for the Queen, followed by an island feast in the evening

Loving the island dress for the evening, which was an official gift and which she decided to wear just a bit before departing. Spontaneity suits her, and the wedges work perfectly.

Jonathan Saunders dress and accessories; the evening print and shoes

As for the day outfit, I've been waiting for her to wear Jonathan Saunders and I'm not disappointed. It's cute, with a touch of retro, though I must confess it's hard to focus on the outfit when they're traveling in a truck/boat/thingy. That's the way to travel, I'm telling you.

We'll pick back up on day 7 later this week.


Photos: Getty Images/Harrods/Net-a-porter

Royal Trip Report: The Cambridges in Asia, Part 2

Picking up where we left off, in Singapore in the middle of day 2 of the trip...

Day 2:  Visiting Queenstown and the Rainbow Center (at 1:26), followed by an evening reception at the British High Commissioner's residence

Something new: separates from Singapore label Raoul, and something new from something old: another bespoke piece from Erdem.

The top and skirt, plus the print and Those Shoes; Kate's version of Erdem at the reception and one of the dresses that trotted down the Erdem runway using this print

Gotta tell you, neither of these conjures up much of a reaction either way for me. They are things that she wore and they are fine. Moving on.

Day 3: Visiting Kranji War Memorial, followed by travel to Malaysia and a visit to Hospis Malaysia where Kate made a speech

This dress, another bespoke Jenny Packham, is officially "duck egg blue" - but was described as green at first by some present on Twitter. It's a non-color color, so subdued it can't make up its mind if it really wants to be blue or not. The whole outfit is understated to be sure, but then again it was a day of solemn locations. 

A look at the parasol, plus the bodice detail and earrings

I wondered if the war memorial visit might yield us a hat, but instead she took a cue out of Camilla's book and carried a parasol to beat the heat, a far more adorable way to go. No parasol for Wills though. I guess equal sartorial rights for men still have a way to go. (Sarcasm alert.)

Day 3: Attending an official dinner given by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong (the King and Queen of Malaysia) 

Speaking of gentlemen's sartorial prerogatives, WHAT is the deal with the business suit dress code? The ladies look like they're attending a different event entirely. I find this to be Bothersome. Capital B. And that's about as far from white tie (read: tiaras) as you can get, which I know had some of you distraught. (The Windsors just don't do tiaras like they used to. Look at all the trips Charles and Camilla have taken on their own, not a tiara in sight. Wasn't going to happen, I'm sorry to say.)

A look at the embellishment and accessories

Custom Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen again, this time featuring hibiscus gold embroidery - hibiscus being Malaysia's flower. Some of you likened the first outfit of this trip to something worn by the Queen in her early years, but this one really gets my comparisons rolling. This screams the embellishment of QEII's gowns in her earlier years, in pieces by Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies - sparkly and symbolic. Many of those dresses, with their exquisitely rendered national flowers and so on, are now museum pieces which can be spotted on exhibit from time to time. I see a similar future here.

Some of you have been criticizing her neckline levels, and I'm sure you'll do the same on this dress. But that criticism is not at all unique to this trip. How much is too much in this regard is a question of personal taste; obviously, Kate's not bothered by a deep neckline (just look at her wedding gown). Personally, I think she's doing a great job of staying herself while still incorporating local customs and other nods to the local culture (like the design above, or the use of local designers).

Day 4: Visiting a mosque, followed by a walkabout and a luncheon with the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce

A custom dress from Beulah (which has now been put out for mass purchase), and an absolutely gorgeous updo (Team Updo!). Beulah's designs are distinctive to say the least - the flowing skirts and sleeves - and they aren't my favorite in general, but this is a perfect example of the point I was just trying to make: it's appropriate above all.

And that's where we'll leave off for this installment of W&K's Great Adventure. Until next time...

Photos: Matches/Bauer Griffin/Getty Images/Style.com

Tiara Thursday: The Gandik Diraja

Some geographically appropriate sparkle for you today...

The Gandik Diraja

The trademark tiara of the Queens of Malaysia is known as the Gandik Diraja. Crafted from platinum and diamonds, it incorporates several traditional motifs: a central star with a crescent and the swiriling “awan larat” design. The current version was remounted from a previous diadem by Garrard in 1984 and is designed to break down into a locket and set of brooches.

Past Queens of Malaysia wearing the tiara and necklace

Malaysia has an interesting version of monarchy in which the rulers of individual royal Malay states are elected to be the king (the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) of the whole country every 5 years. This tiara is part of the crown jewels of Malaysia and as such is passed from queen (Raja Permaisuri Agong) to queen, rather than remaining in anyone’s personal collection.

The current Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Abdul Halim, and Raja Permaisuri Agong, Haminah

It’s worn for the installation of a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong as well as for the most formal of ceremonial occasions. Queens also have a necklace from the crown jewels to pair with the tiara. Called the Kalung Diraja, it – like the tiara – is made from platinum and diamonds and its waterfall design can dismantle to form a variety of ornaments like earrings and brooches. It was made by Garrard in 1989.

The Kalung Diraja

This must have been a tricky commission for Garrard. Most crown jewel pieces don't get passed around this often, and don't need to suit so many different people. I'd say the tiara's a success, but the necklace is less so. (That may be because I sort of think it looks like spiders.)

What do you think: is the Gandik Diraja a jewelry success?

Photos: Malaysian Monarchy/Reuters