Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 25-31 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 25-31 December:

1. Attending the opening of the 10th Legislature, 27 December. This is kinda cute, right? Love the little retro shoes.

Photos: Zimbio

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 18-24 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 18-24 December:

1. The annual Christmas photoshoot, 19 December. Oh, you know she rocks the bunad (that's the traditional costume), and this beautiful blue number might just be my favorite one yet.
2. Christmas Eve church service, 24 December.

Photos: Vidar Ruud/ANB

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 18-24 December

Here's what Mathilde wore from 18-24 December:

 

1. At memorial for the victims of the attack in Liege, 20 December.
2. Visiting the Queen Fabiola Children's Hospital on its 25th anniversary, 21 December.

Photos: Deredactie

2011 in Review: Princess Charlene

Best of the Year

Behold, the gown that gets my personal vote for Best Royal Wedding Gown of 2011. None of her other outfits even came close here...the hair, the hair ornament, the makeup, the veil, the whole thing. Char never looked better.

Runners Up

See what I did there? Are you on to my game? Yeah...I picked out most of the colorful Charlene appearances for the year. She's been such a festival of beige n' black n' gray this year (let's just call this collectively the blergh color family from now on), I had to go for the two luscious greens and the hot pink - which, even though I still think her makeup was tragic, was the best in color for her all year. Color! It's essential for the blondes, these are things I know first hand! Also making my runners up are kicky prints and youthful stripes. And I made two exceptions from the blergh color family for her princess perfect appearance at Westminster Abbey and her chic National Day day outfit. See, when you do it right, all is well...just don't do it exclusively, is all I'm saying.

Worst of the Year

Coulda put all the beiges and blacks here, grumble grumble grumble. But - with great restraint - I have picked but one: a peek-a-boob (and tummy) jumpsuit (yeah, I think it was a jumpsuit) with some of the worst royal hair we saw all year. Thankfully she's got a handle on the hair these days (though not always...).

What makes your best and worst lists for Charlene in 2011?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Zimbio/Palais Princier

2011 in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge

Best of the Year

Boom! The late entry wins the game at the buzzer! Yeah, I lurve it. The dress is just divine, I think this is the most flattering thing she wore the whole year. Like so many of you noted, I have some reservations about the necklace (I'd take the ruby flower deals off, that's too wee and twee for my tastes), but: she wore it. And what did I say about that? Step 1: put the diamonds on. Step 2: do other things. Here's hoping for a blingy new year!

Runners Up

I love a killer shoe and I love purple - these are not secrets well kept. Therefore, the very first Kate appearance of the year must make my list of runners up. Nods also go to what I found to be two of her most young, fresh, and feminine takes on the old school jacket and dress/skirt combo, the blue and black and the crochet look (which I know some of you will very much disagree with me on). At the time of the big tour, I favored her lilac Roksanda Ilicnic dress, but fickle me has now switched my affections to the twirly purple McQueen. The pink Jenny Packham was actually going to be my #1 until the black velvet slinked in at the buzzer because, well, I love a sparkly "Look at me!" number. I just do. Sue me.

And then there's the wedding gown. The wedding gown is in here simply because I recognize that it would be ludicrous not to include it, though I still agree with my first impressions. Thus, I include my favorite view: the train, which is and was perfection.

Worst of the Year

Nobody has a perfect year, alas. I thought about the Salmon Stella, which is probably the only thing I'd call an actual hot mess for the Duchess' whole year, and I thought about a couple of the entirely oatmeal ones - seriously, contrast is your friend - but I'm giving my title to the Alexander McQueen outfit worn to visit the aftermath of the riots. And that actually has nothing to do with how the thing looks (though I do stand by my initial assessment, which was: work it or go home).

No, this is about public relations. Katemania dictates that everything she wears will be analyzed to death and just a hair beyond that, and there's nothing she can do to stop it. It's a monster, and it's coming for all of us. But the newest Duchess on the block is a careful player in the sartorial game. She's done her best to restrain the debate over her outfits...except for this one. Debuting a pricey ensemble on this particular occasion was a misstep. I don't care if it personally offended you or not (it didn't bother me), but it was a rare PR mistake, and for that, I hereby dub it the Worst of the Year.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Catherine in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Hello/AP

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 18-24 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 18-24 December:

1. Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 20 December.
2. Attending a Cirque du Soleil performance, 23 December. Purple all around! Banner week by default.

Photos: Zimbio/Hola

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 18-24 December

Here's what Catherine wore from 18-24 December:

1. Arriving for the annual big fat royal Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, 19 December. Anybody up for a round of Caption This? Here's my entry: "I'm in a car, the windows are blurred with rain, you can't see past my shoulders...are you seriously going to try and analyze my outfit? Seriously?"
2. a) At The Sun Military Awards, 19 December, in a b) a custom Alexander McQueen. Delish, still.
3. a) Visiting Centrepoint, 21 December, in b) a Ralph Lauren sweater dress. Would've stuck with the brown accessories myself, but I think black is her default. But what's the point of getting all dressed up when you're just going to be out-dorked by your hubs anyway?

While the world awaits a lil' Cambridge announcement, Prince William perfects his embarrassing dad dance moves.

UPDATE: Kate and Harry watched William play football on Christmas Eve in a sweater from Temperley London, a jacket from LK Bennett, and Le Chameau boots.

  
Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Net-a-porter/Ralph Lauren/Lynn News

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 11-17 December

Here's what Máxima wore from 11-17 December:

1. At the Prince Claus Awards, 14 December. Yay! The amazing purple dress makes a triumphant return.

Photo: Gala

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 11-17 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 11-17 December:

1. Attending a lunch at the palace, 13 December.
2. At a ceremony for the Prince of Girona Foundation, 14 December. Again with the strangely matched shoes. Why?

We also got a glimpse of the family's Christmas card this week, prepare your awwws:

 

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 11-17 December

Here's what Maria Teresa wore from 11-17 December:

1. The King's dinner for the Nobel laureates in Sweden, 11 December.
2. Attending a requiem mass for the late Princess Elisabeth, 15 December.

Photos: Bunte/Tom Wagner/Cour gr ducale

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 11-17 December

Here's what Mathilde wore from 11-17 December:

 

1. Visiting Gedinne, 13 December.
2. At the University Hospital in Liege to visit victims of the gun and grenade attacks, 14 December.

Photos: APA Picture Desk/Reuters

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 11-17 December

Here's what Victoria wore from 11-17 December:

1. The King's dinner for the Nobel laureates, 11 December. Wow, some of you really hated this one. I don't know...it still doesn't bother me. Mind you, I'm working with a SHOOTIE and non-maternity dress frame of mind.
2. a) Meeting the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, 12 December, in b) a By Malene Birger dress.
3. a and b) Receiving the palace Christmas trees, 15 December. Still looking for an appropriately funky canvas for that Lanvin for H&M necklace, I see.

Photos: Svenskdam/Malene Birger/Kungahuset

Week in Review: Princess Charlene, 11-17 December

Here's what Charlene wore from 11-17 December:

1. At the Arbre de Noel for Monaco's children, 14 December. See, appearances like this are what get me. Elegant silhouette, great classy hair...beige beige beige.
2. a and b) Spreading more Christmas joy, 15 December. Much better with just even a little pop of blue!
3. Visiting College Charles III (a school), 16 December. If it isn't beige, it's black! This one has a little off-duty nun flair to it.
4. Receiving an award and attending a charity gala in Berlin, 17 December. Color! A whole outfit of it! A shade of red I'll call "almost brown". I think she looks fab, in what I'm guessing is Akris (of course).

Photos: Daylife/GettyImages/Frederic Nebinger/WireImage/Purepeople/Junior/BestImage

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 4-10 December

Here's what Máxima wore from 4-10 December:

1. At the closing ceremony of the Thousand and One Force project, 9 December, in an outfit she also wore for an audience on 6 December. Hmm...while I think we have a good silhouette on our hands, somehow the overall efffect is that of Queen Elizabeth taking a stroll at Balmoral.

Photo: PPE/Nieboer

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 4-10 December

Here's what Princess Letizia wore from 4-10 December:

1. Watching the changing of the guard at the palace in Madrid, 7 December, rockin' the shades.

Photo: Purepeople/Best Image

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 4-10 December

Here's what Maria Teresa wore from 4-10 December:

1. At the closing of the European Year of Volunteering, 5 December.
2. Hosting a reception at the Grand Ducal Palace, 8 December.
3. The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 10 December. I think the side view shows the good the dress can do, when not chopped in half by a sash.

Photos: Ministry of Family and Integration/Cour gr ducale/Svenskdam

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

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

1. Attending a meeting on the 2011 Nobel Prize laureates, 5 December.
2. Lunch at the palace for a politician, 6 December. Legit boots instead of shooties? I'll take it!
3. a and b) The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 10 December. Though I originally called it as Elie Saab, and others thought perhaps Malene Birger, it is indeed a Pär Engsheden creation. Doesn't matter, I still love it, and I love this too:

Baby's first Nobel! Awww.

Photos: Kungahuset/Daylife/Getty Images/SVT/Style.com

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 4-10 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 4-10 December:

1. Attending the Save the Children party for the Nobel Peace Prize and then receiving the Peace Prize recipients at the palace, 10 December. Oh man, I love that coat. She also wore it when arriving at the ceremony.
2. a) At the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony, 10 December, in a b) Valentino dress. She added length to the dress, we'll all be happy to note.
3. a) Arriving for the Nobel Banquet, 10 December, in a c) Valentino dress that was, yes, (b) a little bit see-through. Any time we fail to take into account the things that flash photography will do is a fail indeed, I'm sorry to say. Now, as I said, the look had already been done, by Marie-Chantal at Princess Máxima's 40th birthday concert:

And so we must put it to a vote: who wore it best?

UPDATE: The poll is now closed, and Mette-Marit wins it with 63% of your 515 votes!

Photos: Daylife/Style.com/Reuters/Mimote

Week in Review: Princess Charlene, 4-10 December

Here's what Charlene wore from 4-10 December:

1. Opening a Christmas market, 5 December. That's a great coat.
2. Visiting her first swimming pool, 7 December. This is not a great skirt, though it may make a great burlap sack.
3. At the Climate Action Networking Reception in South Africa, 7 December. This one just does nothing for her, I'm afraid. Points for killer shoes, anyway.
4. a) At the Polaris Project Presentation and b) meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 8 December. Much better! She always seems happiest when home in South Africa, and particularly with Archbishop Tutu, which is wonderful to see. And this powder blue dress is a great neckline for her.

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca/Profimedia/Zimbio/GettyImages/Oryx

Royal Fashion Awards: The Nobel Prizes 2011, Part 1

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in the presence of the Norwegian royal family today, and over in Stockholm the rest of the Nobel Prizes were celebrated with royals from Sweden and Luxembourg present. They have their prizes; we have our awards for the sparkliest event we’ve had since this summer…

Worst in Christmas

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Well, Maria Teresa did what I hoped she'd do: got her Elie Saab on. But alas, this repeated gown could headline a seminar titled How Not to Wear a Sash 101. And her pairing with the Chaumet Emerald Tiara kicks off an unexpected theme for our ladies today: Christmas! 'Tis the season indeed. (Boy, she really must not travel with a hairdresser. I'm worried about this baby slipping off!)

Most Elegant

Queen Silvia

Another pre-wedding event repeat (from a different wedding, of course), Queen Silvia's altered Jacques Zehnder (I believe) gown is perfection. Unfortunately, she has done That Which I Wished She Would Not Do, and brought out The Pronger, a.k.a. the Nine Prong Tiara, a.k.a. Queen Sophia's Diamond Tiara. It has history, it has diamonds from here to the North Pole, it has sparkle...and it has antlers. I suppose every Christmas festival needs a tiny bit of reindeer love.

Best Sparkle Spirit

Crown Princess Victoria

YAY!!! I wanted Saab. She delivered Saab. (UPDATE: Nope, it is not by Elie Saab.) I wanted something new in the tiara department...and she almost delivered it, wearing the brooch, earrings, and hairpins from the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure. Sadly she paired it with the Six Button Tiara which I am no fan of, but I'll let it go because the rest is exactly what we haven't seen from her throughout this pregnancy. She abandoned her tent dresses for a bump-clinging gown, she abandoned her thrown-together look for a thoroughly coordinated blue party, and she even abandoned her love of comfort for the evening in a gown that has to be heavy and earrings so cumbersome they require the use of small over-ear wire hangers to distribute the weight. She and her sequined bump are the prize shiny ornament on our Nobel Christmas tree.

Biggest Missed Tiara Opportunity

Princess Christina

If the Six Button must be worn, Christina should be the one to do it. She just does it best. Instead, she stuck with her small pearl and diamond tiara (which she owns personally). Obviously she was elegant as always...if it ain't broke, don't fix it, I suppose. (By the way, lest I come across as too harsh on the button front, I'll say this: it was out-sparkling the Nine Prong Tiara on the broadcast by quite a bit.)

Most Consistent

Queen Sonja

Keeping up the Christmas theme, Sonja was sleek in red with a gift-wrapped bow at her waist and a ribbon sculpture on her head during the day, and elegant in snow white for the evening. (Note to Sonja: look, you don't need so much extra business happening. You're lovely. Keep it simple, just like this!)

Biggest Contrast

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Perfect as the quintessential Ice Princess in Valentino during the day (even with a little Goth misletoe wreath on her head...all the better to elicit smooches from Hunky Haakon, I suppose), it all went astray in the evening, in her second Valentino of the day. First of all, Marie-Chantal already did this look. Second of all, she's not a grandmother from the olden days. And third...and this might be the only time I will ever say this...she should have stolen her mother-in-law's dress.

And Just Because...

The Rest of the Men

Haakon can't be the only one getting some appreciation. That's just not fair; after all, he's not the only one that got all spruced up. Gentlemen, well played.

Who is your best-dressed for the day? Worst?

Nobel events continue on Sunday, so tune back in for Part 2!

Photos: Scanpix/Expressen/Svenskdam/Getty Images/Reuters Pictures/Daylife/Zimbio