Royal Outfit of the Day: January 24

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa (left) wore a modified version of a runway look from Elie Saab Fall 2012 Couture (center) for her son Guillaume's civil wedding to Stéphanie de Lannoy in 2012; actress Lupita Nyong'o (right) wore the runway version earlier this year.

Lupita (or LUPITA!, as that will always be said in my head) is the talk of this awards season, and she's quickly becoming one of my new girl crushes. Our discussion of her appearance at the Golden Globes reminded me that she herself has worn a royal repeat, wearing the runway version of an Elie Saab Couture look previously modified by Maria Teresa. But despite my Lupita love, I'm going to give this battle to MT - this conservative number suits a grand duchess better than it suits a younger actress, no?

Speaking of Elie Saab Couture, the Spring 2014 couture shows have been happening in Paris, and it's all kinds of pretty.

Links for some of the collections we might see on royal parade:

• Valentino: The opera meets The Lion King. Interesting, this collection. A potential for Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Máxima, Princess Marie-Chantal, Sheikha Mozah, and more.
• Giambattista Valli: Some nice ball gowns here. We've seen this designer on Mette-Marit and Charlotte Casiraghi, to name two.
• Elie Saab: Always and forever my fave, and a favorite of the Luxembourg ladies plus Crown Princess Victoria. Clotilde Courau was in the audience for the show; she was at a couple other shows too, including Valentino.
• Christian Dior: Not as often seen on our regular line up. Current Dior designer Raf Simons is Belgian, which always makes me wonder if we'll see any of this pop up on Queen Mathilde.
• Chanel: For the ladies of Monaco, naturally. At least the sneakers Karl Lagerfeld sent down the runway would be an improvement over Princess Caroline's pedicure shoes...or would they?...
• Armani Privé: Sometimes dresses Mathilde or Queen Paola for special events, and can be seen on other royals too. Bit meh, I thought.
• And one extra: Zuhair Murad, a designer I wish we'd see more of on the royal scene. There are some really beautifully detailed things coming from this label.

Photos: Getty Images/Style.com

Year in Review: 2013's Honorable Mentions (...and Some Worsts)

We tackled the bests from the roster of royal women usually featured here, but they weren't the only ones accomplishing feats of sartorial splendor in 2013. Today's honorable mentions are for the stand outs among the rest of the royal crew! Excellent looks, plain and simple, left to right:

• Princess Charlene is trying, bless her heart, and she seems to know that purple and jewels are the quickest way to my heart. She simply killed it with this appearance.
• Speaking of killing it, the Countess of Wessex had an amazing year. Take your pick - this red number was just one of several bests.
• Princess Marie's sleek take on a Little Red Dress also needs to join my best list.
• I can't always pinpoint what I love about an appearance, and Princess Caroline's simple black dress is one such situation. Maybe it's the slightly longer necklace? Whatever it is, I thought she looked absolutely tremendous here.
• It wouldn't be a favorites list for me if it didn't include some Elie Saab, so Princess Madeleine's pre-wedding sparkles will cover me quite nicely there.
• Likewise, I require a dose of the couture mastery of Sheikha Mozah, so we'll go with this Valentino in the Netherlands.
• Plus, the Duchess of Cornwall got to make her big foreign royal event debut. I really enjoyed seeing her out and about this year, more and more regal and ready to step up when the time comes.

And just a few sentimental favorites, because it isn't all about the fashion...even here.

• Queen-to-Princess Beatrix was full of win this year, particularly the strong front she formed with Princess Mabel as they said goodbye to Prince Friso. On a more superficial note, the fact that she added an extra row of pearls to her big pearl tiara for the first time in a long time on her final night as queen wins all the things.
• The return of Crown Princess Masako to the international royal stage was completely lovely, and I hope we'll see more of her to come.
• WEE ESTELLE is my spirit animal. That is all.

And...The Worsts

Wouldn't be a proper year end wrap up without one last glimpse back at what made us cringe this year, would it? And then we never have to think about them again. Until one of these women decides to haunt us with a reappearance, that is.

• Princess Märtha Louise set the standard for the worst list early in the year in this number.
• Queen Máxima did a particularly bad thing with an ill-fitting dress and some black stockings recently, but for me, this Valentino (which she is the third royal to wear) is the year's true crime. It's the one time a tiara actually made things worse.
• Crown Princess Mary also wore the H&M mullet dress sported by Crown Princess Mette-Marit, but the addition of heavy black tights, SHOOTIES, and a jacket is such a peculiar look. She's managed to be both blergh and baffling, all at once.
• Princess Charlene at Princess Madeleine's wedding looks less a mess than the rest of those in this row, that is true - but. But. This one makes me sad. It's not just that she didn't wear a tiara to a tiara event, it's that this dress really could have used a tiara. Something, anything, to liven up this drab color which felt like a thud on the red carpet of a summer royal wedding.

Who makes your list of honorable mentions and worsts this year?

Photos: Getty Images/PA/Scanpix/Kungahuset/ANP

Year in Review: 2013's Royal Brides

As we continue to wrap up 2013's sartorial happenings, a look back at the lovely royal (and royal-adjacent, etc.) brides we covered here this year - because a royal wedding gown is always a highlight, no?

• In March, Princess Iman bint Al Hussein of Jordan married Zaid Azmi Mirza in traditional style. 
• In June, Princess Madeleine of Sweden married Christopher O'Neill in a Valentino gown.
• In August, Vicky Andrén married Gustaf Magnuson (the King of Sweden's nephew) in a Lars Wallin dress.
• In August, Kendra Spears married Prince Rahim Aga Khan in Manav Gangwani Couture.
• In August, Tatiana Santo Domingo married Andrea Casiraghi in a Missoni outfit. (Reports say they will hold a religious wedding in January.)
• In September, Claire Lademacher married Prince Félix of Luxembourg first in a dress from Jan Taminiau and then in a gown from Elie Saab (pictured).
• In October, Viktória Cservenyák married Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma in Claes Iversen. (They have since announced that their first baby is due in February!)

You could give me Elie Saab any day of the week and I'd be a happy camper, so obviously Claire comes out ahead for me in the 2013 bridal race. But we had a great variety this year and I'm guessing there's something here for everyone, so tell me:

Which royal wedding ensemble was your favorite this year?

Photos: Petra/Pool/Scanpix/The Ismaili/Palais Princier/Cour grand-ducale/Getty Images

Wedding Wednesday: Victoria at Royal Weddings

Since we're inching closer to the sparklefest of the Nobel Prizes in Sweden in December, and since I'm still thinking about Crown Princess Victoria's appearance at her sister's wedding earlier this year, I decided to dig up Victoria's royal wedding appearances over the years: the bold, the beautiful, and the bland. She's been attending royal weddings for a long time and she goes to, well, pretty much all of them, so there's no shortage here to discuss - in fact, there's too much, and this is not comprehensive.

And we're off! To a very bland start, I'm afraid. With the exception of the amethysts in Norway in 2002, these are a primarily forgettable bunch - style still under construction.

Something about Spain in 2004 brought out her experimental side, because yes, that is a jumpsuit with an attached cape there in the blue. The orange for the day wedding with barely a fascinator in place was quite a departure too. We also have here a wedding repeat (2008 and 2010), and a tiara repeat (poor Denmark, always with the Four Button).

Victoria's style has much improved, but it's still a bit of a mixed bag - the day weddings are greatly enhanced by the evening appearances, and forever saved by that dreamy creation from Madeleine's wedding. Certainly on my list of favorites for the year, and absolutely, without competition, my favorite here.

Which one's your favorite?

Photos: Getty Images/Rex/Polfoto/Scanpix/IBL/WireImage

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: October 22-28, Plus a Tiara Watch!

Best in Annual Events

Princess Letizia

Video: The 2013 Prince of Asturias Awards ceremony

Each year, the Asturias couple head to Oviedo for a couple days of engagements surrounding the big show, the Prince of Asturias Awards. It almost always ends up being one of Letizia's sartorial highlights of the year, and 2013 is no different - look at her, all sparkly and green! Like a tasteful Christmas tree come two months early.

Asturias Awards events

I mean, I could have done without the 1980s flashback tuxedo-dress, but on the whole - a good week in LetiziaLand.

Best in Returns

The Duchess of Cambridge

At a charity dinner

Ooh, this is lovely. I know many of you will cry out for a necklace here, but I actually think it's styled perfectly for this occasion - add a necklace and you'll need to pull the hair back or up, but the dress works well with the cascading locks she loves so much. Welcome back to the fray, Kate.

Best of the Rest

Crown Princess Victoria

Victoria at a meeting and at a formal gathering for the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences; Mathilde finishing up her visits around the country with her husband; Máxima with her husband in Greece

That blue dress, which we've seen before, is just so elegant on Victoria, I'm not even mad at her for not wearing a tiara (it's not a tiara event, despite the otherwise extremely formal dress code). Besides, someone else got their tiaras out last week, so I'll live. Read to the end for that...

A (Dis?)Honorable Mention to...

This Dress, AGAIN

Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Kate in 2012; Alexandra of Luxembourg in September and Madeleine just this past week

I'm starting to get mad at this dress and it's not even poor Madeleine's fault. There are two different designers here, Jenny Packham and Tadashi Shoji, yes - but come on, same difference. I loved it at first and now all I can ask is: Are we done yet? (On another note, Madeleine will be in attendance at this year's Nobel Awards! Huzzah for maternity tiara fashion! Please don't let it be another version of this dress.)

Plus an Honorable Mention to...

The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Video: Guillaume and Stéphanie have an audience with the Pope

I don't cover Stéphanie here as much as some of you would like, but there's no denying the girl can wear a veil.

Speaking of cool things to put on your head (segue, nailed it), time for that little Tiara Watch I promised.

The Norwegian royal family hosted a gala for parliament and Queen Sonja busted out her mega emerald set. I'm entranced by the movement or perhaps lack of movement of her skirt - click here for video, the royal party enters at 10:38 (including Haakon and the King - and Haakon, yes). And Princess Astrid was in attendance, dutifully wearing the largest tiara at her disposal, her turquoise diadem, as though trying to do whatever she could to make up for the family being down a tiara-wearer in Crown Princess Mette-Marit's absence. Bless.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/PA/Style.com/Matches Fashion/BestImage/Stella/EdA/Orange Grove/DPP/ANB

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: 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

Royal Trend Watch: Metallics for Madeleine

The festivities have begun! The King and Queen hosted a pre-wedding dinner this evening for Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill, and I'm already a happy girl because I spy a trend among the ladies: metallics, and really all sorts of things that glitter and shine. You know it doesn't take much to make this magpie happy.

The royal family and the O'Neill family

The bride herself started the trend in a wonderfully metallic Elie Saab, and she's my favorite because I'm terribly predictable like that. Victoria also brought a bit of shine to the occasion with the top of her Jenny Packham gown (which nearly became a cocktail dress thanks to the wind outside, threatening to reveal more than we need to know about quite a few of the ladies present, poor loves). Even the top of Queen Silvia's gown is made to sparkle, though - dare I say it - I'm detecting a hint of eau de figure skater.

Madeleine's Elie Saab, Victoria's Jenny Packham

(Also rocking Elie Saab, though not of the embellished variety, was Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie.)

Plenty of guests got in on the shimmery action in one way or another.

L to R: Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Princess Tatiana of Greece, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, Princess Charlene of Monaco

Two of our Greek princesses went sparkly, M-C in her Oscar de la Renta - I'm more interested in her shoes, to tell you the truth. WANT. - and Tatiana in her sparkle toned down with a top layer. (Perhaps they should have advised the third Greek princess to go shimmery instead of matte, since Princess Theodora...did not do so well. Sometimes going up a size can actually makes you look smaller, true story.) Märtha Louise gave us a shiny take on a basket weave craft project, and Charlene gave us a splash of Elvis in gold. (Does a gown need a vest? I'm just asking.) Char might be on an Elvis roll, actually, given her recent level of shine. Stand by for a big collar and a bejeweled belt tomorrow.

For loads more guests, click here, and here, and also here. (But don't bother searching for two of our regulars, Mary and Mette-Marit - they won't be in attendance until the wedding itself, due to their schedules.)

Are you loving the night's metallics, or something else?

Programming Note: We'll have an open post up before the wedding for those of you that want to chat here during the broadcast.

Oh, and P.S.: Yes, the court made it official today, Valentino has designed the wedding gown.

Photos: Kungahuset/B.Grenfeldt/Style.com/Elie Saab/Getty Images/Scanpix

Runway to Royal: The Dutch Inauguration

I said we were done with coverage of King Willem-Alexander's inauguration, but...uh...I lied. Because while we talked about the outfits, and the jewels, and a few of the designers (Jan Taminiau and Jan Taminiau!), we didn't talk about the rest of the designers. Today, a round up of some of the identified designers we haven't already covered in depth - and feel free to add additional designers in the comments!

Apart from Taminiau, Natan was the designer that got the most mentions during our previous coverage. A custom version of a previous look was provided for Queen Máxima for the abdication, and bespoke outfits (and capes) for the little princesses were made - the modifications to the basic design were picked out by the princesses themselves. Natan also provided couture looks for Princess Laurentien and Princess Mathilde for the inauguration, and both paired them with Fabienne Delvigne hats.

But Natan wasn't the sole dresser for these ladies: for the abdication, the princesses wore matching off-the-rack dresses from Pili Carrera. Princess Laurentien also wore dresses from Hardies in The Hague, and Olvi's brand.

Another Dutch designer who fared very well at the festivities was Addy van den Krommenaker, who did quite a few dresses for Queen Beatrix's sisters and their families. Modekoningin Máxima had great coverage of the festivities from a Dutch fashion perspective, including the eagle eyes for all these and Laurentien's designers.

Unsurprisingly, Princess Mabel stuck with her wedding gown designers, Viktor & Rolf. Her red gown is actually a repeat. Though it was reported that the bow on her inauguration dress came from the wedding gown, it looks like that's not true - though the inspiration for the selection seems clear.

Also unsurprisingly, Valentino made several appearances. Máxima repeated an older gown, while Mette-Marit (always a Valentino fan) and Sheikha Mozah had new couture to show off. The Qatari royal family actually bought the Italian fashion house a while ago, so I suppose you could say she was representing the home team.

The Duchess of Cornwall was dressed in bespoke Bruce Oldfield, and wore a repeated Philip Treacy fascinator to the inauguration. Princess Letizia was dressed by Felipe Varela, including a repeated navy gown. This is yet another un-shocker...I picture her closet as row after row of Varela garment bags with, like, some Mango bags stuffed in the back. Her hat - now that was something different, you can count on one hand the number of times we've seen her in a fancy hat - was from Maria Nieto.

Crown Princess Mary represented Denmark well, in bespoke Birgit Hallstein (thanks to the commenter that linked to Hallstein's Facebook page featuring shots of the gown in progress), Charlotte Lynggaard, and a repeated Jesper Høvring gown. Crown Princess Mette-Marit found her fix of long printed gowns at Giambattista Valli for the pre-inauguration dinner.

Elie Saab was represented by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Crown Princess Victoria, who repeated an older gown. Victoria also threw in some Escada for the ceremony, paired with a Philip Treacy hat, and bejeweled Jenny Packham with a By Malina coat to wrap it up.

Who had the best designer-to-royal match?

Photos: ANP/Natan/Getty Images/NOS/Pili Carrera/DutchPhotoPress/PPE/Viktor&Rolf/Style.com/Jesper Høvring/Elie Saab

Royal Fashion Awards: The Dutch Pre-Inauguration Dinner

As it turns out, the dinner held by Queen Beatrix this evening was indeed black tie as many had suspected – but it was black tie with tiaras! Maybe those royals really do love us magpies after all. Gowns and tiaras, with no further ado…

Best in Surprises

Queen Beatrix

L to R: Princess Máxima, Queen Beatrix, Princess Laurentien

We didn’t get to see the Stuart Tiara, but the ladies threw us a few surprises anyway. At first glance, it seemed Máxima (curiously wearing a repeated Valentino dress, which is ever so Máx but not exactly right for these jewels, methinks) had worn the Stuart Diamond as a pendant. But a better look proved that it is not that pear drop delight after all (still, a treasure from the depths of the vault). Fear not, Stuart lovahs, for Laurentien still has a treat for you: her bow brooch comes from that same mega-parure…so maybe, just maybe, the whole thing has had its shoes polished and its hair trimmed and is ready to roll whenever Queen Máx says so. Since we didn’t get to see the Stuart, though, my best surprise goes to the Queen Bea, because she’s put the additional pearls on the tip top of the Württemberg tiara once again – that’s a big gun farewell for her!

Tiara breakdown, click here for a better look and then on the tiara names for more coverage: Máx in the Rose Cut Diamond Bandeau, Bea in the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara, Laurentien in the Dutch Aquamarine Tiara.

Best of the Rest of the Dutch

Princess Margriet

L to R: Princess Mabel, Princess Margriet, Princess Christina, Princess Irene

Just as Máx repeated her swishiest red, so did Mabel. Not exactly my pick for a flattering gown, but she’s there, so there’s that. Princess Margriet and Christina went the understated and lovely route, and Irene went the picnic tablecloth route. Margriet wins because I do like seeing her reunited with her wedding tiara. (They’ve emptied a good chunk of the vault tonight…can we refine our guesses for Máx for tomorrow?)

Tiara watch: Mabel in the all-diamond small version of the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara (her wedding tiara), Margriet in the Pearl Button Tiara, Christina in the Laurel Wreath, and Irene in the Antique Pearl. 

Best in Traditional

Princess Lalla Salma and Princess Sarvath

L to R: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan, Crown Princess Sarah of Brunei

Stepping outside of the Dutch royals, first we have the ladies that stick to traditional types of dress from their home countries. They all look lovely – but look! Lalla Salma is wearing a tiara! Pretty sure that hasn’t happened since her wedding day, so this is a big.jewel.deal. She shares the title with Sarvath, though, because of purple.

Tiara inventory: Lalla Salma’s rocking diamonds with cut outs, like a converted necklace, Sarvath is in diamond floral (the same as Princess Zeina wore on her wedding day, I think), and Sarah is wearing her wedding tiara. 

Best in…Nice Try, Dear

Princess Letizia

L to R: Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess of Asturias, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

I don’t have a Worst title to dish out tonight, but there were a few ladies that get simple pats on the head from me. Nice try…but not quite, my loves. First, we have Sophie and Camilla, who get a meh for the dresses (with an extra eh? for Cams who has chosen to stitch together two different gowns at the strangest place) but a whoop! for the Big Mama Fringe and Big Mama Boucheron tiaras. Then we have Stéphanie, who is wearing Elie Saab. And let this be a lesson to those of you that say I like anyone just because of Saab: this isn’t working. The styling, the hair, the security blanket wrap, nah. There’s Mette-Marit on the edge there, and, well, it’s not quite as nightgown-y as I thought it might be at first glance. (Blah blah damning with faint praise blah blah.) Finally, I know many of you are loving Letizia this evening, and while I’m not quite on board with you there, she has ended a loooong tiara drought and she has done so in perhaps my favorite Spanish tiara, so huzzah and such for that.

Tiara check: Sophie in the Habsburg Fringe, Camilla in the Boucheron Honeycomb, Letizia in the Mellerio Floral, Stéphanie in Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde's Tiara, Mette-Marit in the Diamond Daisy. 

Best of the Best

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

You know, Mathilde is worth following just for the one or two evening appearances a year where she truly knocks it out of the park – and this is one. The train, the extra jewels (Queen Fabiola’s brooch on her shoulder), delicious. Equally delicious is Victoria, who is pretty much wearing all of my favorite things, but that’s still not enough to take this prize from Mary. This dress, this dress, I’m obsessed with this dress! Enchanting. Enough so that I shall forgive her for the piddly tiara and give her my Best Dressed crown to wear instead.

Tiaras tiaras clicky clicky: Mathilde in her Laurel Wreath, Mary in her Wedding Tiara, Victoria in Queen Josephine’s Amethysts.

Who was your best dressed tonight?

Photos: Getty Images/Pool/PPE/BT/AFP

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: April 14-21

Best in Housecoats

The Duchess of Cambridge

Video: Attending the National Review of the Queen's Scouts

At first glance, this is totally a housecoat from the 1950s - and now that little curl on the hat is nothing but a hair curler in my brain. 

Best in Fancy

Princess Letizia

At the launch of a campaign against cancer; attending a concert organized by the Luca de Tena Foundation

Oh la la! Well, look who decided to be fancy once again.

Best in Birthday

Crown Princess Mary and the Danish Royal Family

Celebrating Queen Margrethe's birthday with the traditional balcony appearance, with a close up on Mary's brooch

Last week was a busy one for royal birthdays: Margrethe plus Henri and Sébastian of Luxembourg on the same day, Elizabeth II plus Isabella here on the same day, and others. Margrethe and Mary seemed to have a bit of a turquoise theme going on, though I think Mary has a bit to learn in terms of brooch positioning from her mother-in-law - this seems a bit of a fancy caterpillar, crawling across her shirt.

Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik; Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and family

Best in Print

Princess Mathilde

At a symposium on victim assistance (with a special escort); at a gala evening benefiting the King Baudouin Foundation; attending an awards ceremony; visiting the province of Luxembourg

This is a pretty good week for Mathilde, no? Don't even mind the paintbox leftovers at the end there.

Worst in...I Don't Even Know

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Attending the Coop Environmental Awards; visiting Arbeidsinstituttet

I was like, "Oooh, Märtha Louise is running the competition for Worst of 2013," and then M-M was like, "OH REALLY?!" So she took that thing Mary wore that was already dubious, and she did...I don't know, but SHOOTIES are involved.

Best in Combos

Crown Princess Victoria

Visiting the Sweden-America Foundation

I like purple. I like zebra (on the shoes). Therefore, I suppose I like this.

And a Bonus Tiara Watch...

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Gala evenings during the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess' state visit to Austria

I didn't understand why Maria Teresa let Natan put a big ol' fake brooch on her outfit for her son's wedding, and I really don't understand why she allowed it on a gala evening - she has some large brooches, the real deal, to use instead. (Sadly, the dress had even more issues, click here for more pictures.) We take solace in the everlasting loveliness of the Belgian Scroll Tiara she is wearing, and of the fact that she brought back Elie Saab for the next evening event.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: BestImage/Getty Images/Scanpix/Kongehuset/Stella Pictures/Abaca/Belga/Sweden-America Foundation Facebook/SIP/Cour grand-ducale/Tageblatt