Year in Review: 2013's Bests From Our Regulars

We have a handful of leading ladies around here that we follow regularly, and now it's time to reminisce about the best they looked this whole year - one of my favorite things to do. So! Much! Pretty!

I always enjoy going back through the year as a refresher, but in truth, I'm looking for the outfits that made such an impression they require absolutely no refresher. We're talking about the best of the whole year, after all. And you guessed it, those often come from those extra special events. These are my personal favorites, one for each lady...

Queen Máxima

Look at that, I'm sneaking two in right away: I think the glory that was Queen Máxima on inauguration day deserves a second best, which is excellent because I've recently decided that I am just as enchanted by the lace gown she wore during the evening celebrations as I was by the caped wonder she sported for the inauguration ceremony. (Both by Jan Taminiau, of course.) We know now that she has dipped back to her old ways in the months since, but never mind. We'll always have April 30th.

Queen Mathilde

Mathilde took a much lower key approach to her outfit the day her husband became king, but the official portrait they released included all the regal fierceness you could want: a simple Natan gown done in a strong color which played beautifully off of the purple of her Order of Leopold, a mega diamond brooch, and a new-to-her tiara development in the form of the bandeau from the Nine Provinces Tiara. A queen indeed!

Crown Princess Victoria

This one is easy. Soooo easy. Victoria's stunning Fadi El Khoury gown at her sister's wedding has certainly earned a spot on my list of all-time royal faves, right up there with Máxima's double best. Plus, everyone knows that WEE ESTELLE and a purse- and pacifier-toting Prince Daniel are the ultimate accessories. We got some jewel news out of it, too: this was a first appearance for Victoria in Lilian's Laurel Wreath Tiara and in the necklace Lilian so loved to wear.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Another number from Madeleine's wedding, Mette-Marit and her Emilio Pucci gown paired with her amethyst tiara. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: all this one has to do is bust out a train in pastel and there's a 95% chance I'll be sold.

Crown Princess Mary

Mary's Birgit Hallstein gown for the pre-inauguration dinner in the Netherlands took my breath away when she wore it, and it still does. Just so darn elegant. Add this to the list of all-time faves.

Princess Letizia

I'm surprising myself here, but the heart wants what it wants. This is the lone best of the year that came from a regular event (an audience) and not a big fancy special occasion. And yet there's something about her Felipe Varela combo that just sticks - it's classic, but the animal print makes sure it still has that Letizia stamp on it.

The Duchess of Cambridge

As much as I would like to put her second-ever tiara appearance here, we don't know much about what that dress looked like! I'm going with wee George's christening instead, in custom cream Alexander McQueen.

Yes, we will have a look at some bests from other ladies (and also some worsts...), so stay tuned for those. Until then:

Which outfits make your list of personal bests for our leading ladies this year?

Photos: Getty Images/Jan Taminiau/Belgian Monarchy/Fadi El Khoury/Felipe Varela/PA

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: November 5-11

Best of the Week

The Benelux Queens

 

Our newest pair of sovereign couples take the cake this week, as the Belgians paid a quick (super quick) introductory visit to the Dutch. Nice and neat queens, the both of them. I half expect Máx's shoulder bow to fly off and end up as some sort of epic butt bow on an outfit to come, but still.

Most Intriguing Trip

Crown Princess Victoria

Video: Victoria and Daniel made a short visit to Britain

Here's one that improves on video, I think. Because after seeing it in action and learning that it was Stella McCartney (a little nod to diplomatic dressing there, picking a British designer), I have upgraded Victoria from "Beetlejuice in SHOOTIES" to "Intriguing". It was a surprisingly fashion-forward trip for Victoria, as she also debuted a piece from the Isabel Marant H&M collection.

Left to Right: Stella McCartney and Isabel Marant pour H&M as worn by Victoria; Máxima in Russia; Mary in Mexico

Royal trips are starting to pick up again on the whole and in addition to the Belgians, the Dutch went to Russia, and the Danes have just started a visit to Mexico (we'll have the rest of the trip next week, so hang on for that). Máxima's last two outfits in Russia were pretty great, but overshadowed by the oddness of the whole visit - it closed a year which was focused on Dutch/Russian relations but which was also filled with problems and diplomatic messes. I mean, someone tried to pelt them with rotten tomatoes while they were there! They missed, but the whole visit just seems like one best put in the past.

Best of the Rest

Princess Letizia

Letizia at a ceremony and an awards presentation; Máxima at an anniversary event, presenting a prize, and at a performance; Mathilde making another city visit; Kate promoting Poppy Day

The rest of the week was a mixed bag, and this is a far from complete round up. (Mary, for example, had a couple other appearances including a concert where her own outfit was nothing compared to her father-in-law's sartorial flair - video link.) (And there was Estelle, but she's the automatic highlight.) I'll honor Letizia's bit of sparkle, while diplomatically ignoring the jumpsuit.

Who was your best dressed last week?

P.S.: If you're interested in the Remembrance Day events in the U.K. or the Tiara Watch they had there last week, head over to the Jewel Vault!

Photos: RVD/HKH/TT/Kungahuset/Getty Images/AP/RTL/Mexico Presidency/Getty Images/DutchPhotoPress/ANP/Lesoir/WPAPool

Flashback Friday: Máxima at Royal Weddings

Our recent taste of Dutch wedding style coupled with the reappearance of Queen Máxima's wedding tiara (which she wore both at her own wedding and as a guest at a few others) put me right in the mood for a little Máx flashback, in the form of her appearances as a royal wedding guest. It's a plentiful field, actually, thanks to the multitude of weddings in the extended Dutch royal family and the fact that she got an early start as a royal attendee during her engagement. A selection, including a few of the pre-wedding events:

She started slow, attending the first two here before her own wedding. And then she explodes in a riot of color not long after marrying, at Märtha Louise's wedding - but even a lack of color (à la her black and white for Friso and Mabel's celebration) is not lacking for flair. She can work a big hat, yes she can.

Of course, there is such a thing as too much of a big hat thing...ahem, 2005. This would be the one outfit for which I agree that the red should have been left at home - but it's the whole thing that's too too here, not just the color. In a muted color, the large hat makes the outfit for Felipe and Letizia's wedding, and makes it one of my favorite Máxima ensembles.

The pale pink 2004 Spanish outfit might just be my favorite here, but it has seriously steep competition from the pale pink in Britain in 2011. I feel like one of the tiara appearances should be my favorite because, well, I'm me, but in this case I think the hats are taking home the prize.

Which appearance is your favorite?

Photos: RVD/Scanpix/Getty Images/Gamma Rapho/Rex/DutchPhotoPress/PPE/WireImage

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

Random Royal Wedding Appreciation: Prince Félix and Claire Get Hitched

It's finally time for the wedding festivities for Prince Félix of Luxembourg and Claire Lademacher! The pair were married in a small civil ceremony yesterday at Villa Rothschild Kempinski in Königstein im Taunus, in Claire's home country of Germany.

The bride chose Dutch designer Jan Taminiau, best known to us for his work with Queen Máxima (and who had quite a day yesterday, as Máxima also wore a Taminiau creation to Prinsjesdag). That came as a big surprise to me, but a surprise in a very good way, as I think this really works for the happy bride. I see a touch of his caped creation from the Dutch inauguration in the lift on the cap sleeves of Claire's peplum top, which is cinched with a belt and accentuated with a slim knee-length skirt below. Peplums can be a bit dodgy, but I think they work particularly well on the vertically blessed among us (you tall people), such as our newest princess here. The wool crepe outfit includes lace on the top, a detail which I'm finding lost in most of the images but must have added some nice texture in person. She carried a white bouquet and accessorized with aquamarine earrings and nude shoes with bows. The groom stood out in an orange tie which pays tribute to his Nassau roots.

The rest of the immediate Luxembourg family was on hand: the Grand Duchess was in Natan (of course) which was sorta shiny (of course of course), the Hereditary Grand Duchess chose pink Prada with a tiered detail on the skirt, Princess Tessy wore a simple aqua-ish sleeveless dress from Lynn Adler, and Princess Alexandra donned a darker pink Prada with a stripe detail at the bottom. (Designer details via Luxarazzi, which will take care of all the Lux needs you never knew you had and which obviously has much, much more on this happy event.)

Video: Outside the wedding

And when all was said and done, they climbed into possibly the world's smallest motor vehicle and puttered off to live happily ever after. Or they will, eventually, but they're not done getting married yet: the religious ceremony is this weekend in France. It promises to be a bigger affair than this close family only civil wedding, but not the huge event we saw last year when the Hereditary Grand Duke married.

Photos: Cour grand-ducale/Guy Wolff/Getty Images

Flashback Friday: Máxima at Prinsjesdag

It's nearly time for one of my favorite annual royal events: Prinsjesdag! The Dutch sovereign gives the Speech from the Throne in front of a joint session of parliament, but more importantly (for us in our frivolous mode, at least) there is the fashion. Prinsjesdag still follows an old dress code that used to be quite popular at royal events: long day dresses with orders and hats for the ladies, plus uniform or morning dress for the gents. Today, a look at what Máxima wore to the event during her princess years, with her years as Queen Máx still to come.

The ubiquitous Belgian house of Natan is very popular, as it always is, but since Prinsjesdag often requires some bespoke work, I think the results are greatly improved. Recent years have seen the creeping in of Dutch design, including a one-off appearance in purple Herbert Rouwers (not a typical choice of designer for her) and a run of Jan Taminiau. There's even a shout out to Máxima's home country in the form of 2004's outfit by Argentine designer Benito Fernandez.

The brighter colors draw me in (2007, you look so sadly tame and out of place) - 2003's maternity turn will always be a favorite - but still 2006's crisp white jacket and full black skirt are winning everything here for me. A dress code like this means a lot of look no matter what you throw on, so clean lines make such a world of difference and their absence sticks out in other years (2008, hello - how much do I want to love the purple year, and yet I can't!).

Which outfit is your favorite?

Photos: ANP/Belga/Getty Images/DutchPhotoPress/PPE/Reuters

Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: May 26-June 1

Best in Trips

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Attending the Women Deliver 2013 Conference and associated events in Malaysia

Trips for causes near and dear and a bonus appearance by Princess Mabel! So, that's all good. The wardrobe here fits the bill, as this is not a big state visit or anything of that nature.

Best Trend

Queen Máxima

Beginning tours of all Dutch provinces with the King, opening the Fioretti College, at a symposium, and opening the Holland Festival

Yes, I think we're officially seeing a trend to the new Queen Máx: more instances of neat hair, more hats (and not-hats, I guess). If we can just get the trends to sort out the sadly fitting orange trousers...

Best of the Rest

Princess Mathilde, Princess Letizia, Crown Princess Victoria

Mathilde at a reception for the Antartic Treaty Consultative Meeting and at a lunch for jury members for the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition; Letizia at the theater in Barcelona and at Armed Forces Day; Victoria presenting the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, meeting the President of Indonesia with the rest of the royal family, and at a conference

I think we have a little something for everyone here, don't we? These are just the highlights. I'm liking Mathilde's second try at the bright green, this time happily without the matching shoes, and her repeat of that chic white dress (she also had a cheery floral going on elsewhere, which was delightful). Letizia's touch of sparkle (here and at a dinner for the President of Uruguay) and her prim suit were lovely, though the Barcelona appearance is notable because the couple got booed both inside and outside the theater. Unfortunate, but probably not all that surprising given the current climate - click here for video. And Victoria's ladylike beige-y pink continues my current love of the pale shades on her. (I'll throw an extra honorable mention to Queen Silvia at the same event, with a fresh take on a floral jacket.)

And an Honorable Mention to...

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

At the races this weekend, Eugenie indulged my weakness for a full skirt and Beatrice rocked a bold print. I'll pass on the hat - which is not from the back of the late Queen Mum's closet, believe it or not - but I'll take the rest. Princess Haya was also looking very glam, click here for more.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/AP/BilledBladet/Scanpix/DutchPhotoPress/PPE/Scanpix/AllOverPress

Gold Star: Máxima in the Evening

I added Máxima's evening attire to the post on her inauguration gown, but I'm gonna feature her again because it needs to be said: girlfriend looked good. It was her second Jan Taminiau look for the day (huzzah! Can we get a switch to mostly Taminiau instead of...well, you know?), a burgundy-purpleish lace number with an elegant neckline and just enough train to make it count without dragging her down.

 

This was worn to the water pageant and the dinner following, and unfortunately because it was outdoors and on the water she ended up covering that masterful dress with a wrap (two wraps, part of the time) for most of the evening. But the dress wasn't the only sparkling thing: this was no tiara event, but Queen Máx still wore diamond stars in her hair, because she's our girl.

Video: A stop on the river cruise, and the gown in action

The King was in black tie, while the princesses wore their Natan dresses from earlier in the day with capes also provided by Natan.

Bea was there too, in purple no less. Once again, she's not only color-coordinated with Máx, but they're jewel-coordinated too - notice the diamond stars on her shoulder - and I am once again charmed by their teamwork. Bea's accompanied there by her sister Margriet, wearing Addy van den Krommenacker, as several members of the family were.

Left to right: Mary, Mette-Marit, Letizia, Mabel, Victoria

The royal guests were there too, though this was not their event and their presence was subtle. Mary repeated her gown from the Luxembourg wedding, and managed to sneak in some bits from her ruby parure (major earring alert!), so she was my default fave. Mabel's surprisingly understated in her Viktor & Rolf, but still all bow-ed up. (I've heard from several of you that the bow on her shoulder at the inauguration was, according to reports, in fact a bow from her wedding dress, which just breaks my heart. She looked especially emotional all day.)

Christina, Juliana, Annette, Sophie, Laurentien

Annette's wearing her inauguration dress without the jacket. I thought it was curiously dramatic with, and without I'm in love.

Mathilde, Margarita, Mozah, Aimée, Marilène, Irene

Plenty of glitter and sparkle among the guests, you know I approve. I loved Victoria's hardware above, and - this will come as a shocker - Mozah's particularly enchanting to me. (Some of you called her day outfit scary. No, my loves, no. We call that fierce.)

Gold stars nearly all the way 'round, don't you think?

And oh yes, before I forget, there was a brunch today for those still around, and then the royal family departed the palace to get back to business.

NOS has a short video of a few of the guests departing, click here to see. And click here to see Princess Beatrix leaving, once again with cheers of "Bea Bedankt" ("Thanks Bea") in the background.

Photos: NOS/PPE/DutchPhotoPress/Getty Images

The Dutch Inauguration: The King, Queen, and Princesses

The inauguration ceremony of King Willem-Alexander at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam was the second emotional event of the day, with both Máxima and Beatrix seeming to hold back tears at various points. It was a lovely ceremony, and now we have some lovely clothes (and jewels!) to chat about. We’ll have a look at the royal guests, including the extended Dutch royal family, later on, but for now: let’s discuss the King, the Queen, their kids, and Princess Beatrix.

King Willem-Alexander

Having relinquished his military positions as required prior to becoming king, Willem-Alexander opted for white tie instead of a full uniform. It turned out to be the perfect thing, aesthetically speaking, as it was a blank enough canvas to let the sovereign’s mantle on his shoulders and the riband of the Military William Order shine. A regal king indeed.

Queen Máxima

Máxima opted for Dutch designer Jan Taminiau for her inauguration gown (excuse me while I brush my shoulders off, as that was precisely my prediction). It was royal blue, or sapphire blue if you prefer, because the big jewel of the day was…drum roll required, look at that thing…the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara! In its massive form, which we haven’t seen her wear before. And this isn’t even the full form, as we seem to be missing some bits at the top! What a difference a hairstyle makes – it really is a sapphire tiara, which you couldn’t tell most of the time Beatrix wore it. Stunning, and a big gun way to kick things off.

Taminiau and his creation

As for the crepe and chiffon gown, she compensated for the fact that there is no robe for a queen consort by adding a little cape – as I said on Twitter, very Mozah, very very Gwyneth in Tom Ford. The dress underneath featured richly detailed embroidery, a suggested sleeve, and a small belt which held her Order of the Netherlands Lion beautifully. Brilliant. Dramatic and exactly what you want for a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The Princess of Orange and Princesses Alexia and Ariane

First of all, can I just say that Amalia is the most composed 9-year-old I’ve ever seen? Followed closely in the Composed Kids ranking by her two sisters, mind you. The A-Team led the Dutch royal family and they did it with such poise. They were dressed to impress, too, in Natan. The styles were slight variations on the same theme, giving the girls a touch of individuality. And they too were in blue, true members of the team.

Princess Beatrix

You know what I loved? Beatrix was on the Blue Team, too. Such a lovely message they’re sending there. And blue was a wonderful pick, as it brought out the orders and represented the flag. Not that you’re ever going to get much argument out of me when it comes to a canvas for major sapphires, anyway.

As I said, coming later will be the rest of the guests – but let's give the major players their proper due for now.

Who had your favorite outfit?

UPDATE: And here's the happy family at this evening's water pageant. Máx is yet again hitting it out of the park!

Photos: NOS Screencaps/Jan Taminiau Facebook/RVD

Flashback Friday: Máxima in Jan Taminiau

As we all know, Princess Máxima is capable of both sartorial disaster and sartorial excellence, and I'm sure we're all counting on the better end of the spectrum come April 30th. The question - well, one of the questions - is: who will she be wearing? My guess from the start has been Jan Taminiau, because there's never a better time to fly the flag for Dutch design. Today, a look at some of the outfits she's already worn from the designer...just in case.

One of her well-known Taminiau outfits is the first on the left above, from a collection that reused old Dutch postal bags to put a patriotic flair on a standard jacket.

If it's a bit of sparkle she's looking for, she can surely get that here. Though I do think we could do without any more togas, thanks.

If there's not at least a touch of drama, we might not recognize Máx. She can get both glitter and swish from this designer, no problem.

Prinsjesdag outfits might be the best indicator of what's to come for the big event, and she's commissioned a few from Taminiau. They've all been repeated at tiara occasions, a reference point I hope will come in handy. It's really the Prinsjesdag stuff that moves me to guess Jan Taminiau in the first place, actually - like these or not, we know the brand can do an outfit with a certain kind of stately gravitas.

No matter who she picks for the actual inauguration and the events surrounding, she'll have plenty of opportunities to get loads of designers in - it's going to be a busy year, with multiple reintroduction visits on the schedule. Here's hoping it's all A-game, all the way.

Which is your favorite Jan Taminiau outfit?

UPDATE: And Taminiau was indeed the man for the job! He designed both her stunning blue outfit for the inauguration and the purple lace she wore in the evening.

Photos: DutchPhotoPress/ANP/PPE/Jan Taminiau/Abaca/Getty Images

Royal Trip Report: The Dutch in Brunei and Singapore

Nobody does a state visit quite like the Dutch these days. Seriously. It's a festival of tiaras and giant hats, which is - hello - the reason why I love this royal watching thing. And for this trip, first to Brunei and then on to Singapore, Máxima seems to have packed an extra bit of fabulous.

Monday and Tuesday they called on the Sultan of Brunei, and Máxima threw up a chic streak in full-skirted green, classy florals, stunning white, and luxuriously ginormous millinery. And then she decided to dress like a banana set free from the fruit basket, just so we know she still has some bad judgement left.

And then! It was time! For the tiaras!
There's no reason to hold back when you're at the Sultan of Brunei's house, really, and Queen Saleha led the way in her large diamond tiara. Beatrix also went big - her tiara, which she wore on her wedding day, is one of the two largest she uses. As for Máxima, I expected more, but I can't complain; she is the queen of sneaking bling in under the radar, and you can't argue with the Rose Cut Diamond Bandeau. I also can't argue with her Jan Taminiau gown, which is better suited for state banquet purposes than for its original Prinsjesdag purpose. Click here for a video.

Night two, double the tiara fun! Bless the Dutch ladies, they busted out the tiaras even though the men were in business suits. This is what it will look like when they finally put me in charge of the world, kids: tiaras all the time, no matter what. Anyway. Beatrix wore the family aquamarines, and Máxima added yet another tiara to her repertoire. Well, sort of. She wore the base of the Pearl Button Tiara with stars for her wedding and after, but this is the first time we've seen her in the actual pearl button version. I won't say it was a successful outing, but she's excused since she let us see something new.

Next they headed to Singapore, where a separate state visit began on Thursday.

Máx wore a hairy little repeat from Princess Carolina's wedding. Some of you found it festive and appropriately Máx-level zany the first time we saw it...I think it needs a wax. I shall concentrate on the stunning pink jewels and on her delightfully sherberty second outfit of the day.

And then! Tiaras! Or: Tiara! and Not Quite a Tiara! more accurately.

For the first evening in Singapore, Beatrix wore her favorite, Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara. It's a notable step down from her first night in Brunei; perhaps a nod to their hosts this time around not having tiaras of their own to flaunt. Máxima certainly toned it down in the tiara department, wearing a haircomb-type thing from Queen Wilhelmina which went unseen for a century or so until she wore it to the pre-wedding festivities for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. She paired this with an overall look last seen on Barbie, I'm pretty sure. I'm just saying. Click here to see video.

The Singapore visit ends today.

UPDATE: The last day in Singapore.

A slower end, to be sure, but I do like both of these repeats.

What's your favorite outfit from this double trip?

Photos: All Over Press/PPE/ANP/Dutch Photo Press/Abaca/EPA/Getty Images

Runway to Royal: The Luxembourg Wedding

I don’t know about you, but I have the most massive tiara and couture hangover from this weekend. To soothe my symptoms of withdrawal, I have a couple more posts for you on the fabulousness we just enjoyed. Hey, we’re not going to see another event like this for a good while, so we better take it all in. First, a little comparison from runway to real royal life: who adapted it best?

This is legit couture – made just for you, so runway matches aren’t exact. So many of you noted multiple similarities between a lot of the Elie Saab gowns, and I don’t disagree with you. As with most ornate creations, it doesn’t help that we can’t pick out the fine details like we would be able to if we were standing right in front of the dresses. But I can’t get enough of it either way, so I remain firmly on Team Bring It On. For the record, Marie-Chantal's was my favorite - a true classic.

Also for the record, there were Elie Saab ensembles that didn't float my boat. Sorry, Clotilde. I'm still upset there wasn't a legit tiara (I just love the pink tiara she wore on her wedding day sooooo much, I'm complaining about its absence again), and the wedding outfit needed some color somewhere in the worst way.

I guess this is something of a classic silhouette for Mary; she’s worn these tiered gowns in the past, and I won’t lie to ya, they’re never my favorite. But they are probably spectacular in motion.

I was surprised how many of you hated Sophie’s outfit for the wedding. All I know is this: I watched the arrivals live, and it was like one long parade of standard suits and shiny suits and standard suits and shiny suits. Sophie was a breath of fresh air, totally striking in her black and white. And I couldn’t tell there were horses in the print – something which seemed to bother several of you on a deep level - until looking at photos.

Some found Caroline’s dress for the gala hideous, but I say to you: rejoice, for she stopped short of matching boots. (I actually quite like it, especially when you compare it to some of her recent evening choices).

What I loved about both Astrid and Margaretha was that I would never in a million years have selected these dresses for these two ladies. But here they are, workin' them like nobody's business.

Máxima is my favorite runway to royal example: she's given this Jan Taminiau dress so much more life with her feather boa on steroids and her rubies. Bless her and her flamboyance.

This is only a selection, feel free to post other runway finds in the comments!

Who had the best runway interpretation?

Photos: Getty Images/Cour grand ducale/Style.com/Jan Taminiau/Jesper Høvring/Bruce Oldfield