Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: Catching Up

Oh my. It's been...uh...some time since we talked regular royal fashion, what with all those royals going casual at the Olympics and then retreating for their summer holidays. We got the Paralympic outfits out of the way yesterday, let's have a massive round up from the rest of our leading ladies since whenever it was we last chatted, shall we? (Note: this is not every outfit.)

Most Family-Oriented Return

Princess Mathilde

Left to Right: A family photocall with the extended Belgian royal family; the first day of school.

Mathilde has returned to her royal engagement business, but first she had some family business to take care of: a massive family photocall, where pink seemed to be the name of the game, and taking the kids to school. Looking pretty mommy chic on the Mathilde scale, I'd say.

Strictest Return to Form

Princess Letizia

At the opening of a conference; visiting a business school

 One simple sheath dress, one pantsuit. That's Letizia, in a nutshell.

Best Return to Princess Form

Crown Princess Mary

The inaguration of Campus Roskilde; the awarding of the Skt.Loye Prize; Visiting a kindergarten; at Circus Danneborg; A wreath-laying ceremony; Visiting two towns

Two hatted, gloved appearances: Mary's back in action, kids. Lovely mauve hat aside, though...my heart belongs to the orange Marc Jacobs. It's swishy! Jumpy claps. Mary gets bonus points for being a sporty royal too - and not a spectator sporty sort, à la the Olympics, but an actual sporty one: first, she swam in the channels of Copenhagen, wetsuit and all (she's patron of the Danish Swimming Federation), and then she played basketball. In heels and a hat, as you do. And it was adorable. Click here to see.

Best Use of Sporting Gear

Princess Máxima

At a conference; celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Maastricht School of Management; celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Pet'je af Foundation; swimming for ALS

Mary wasn't the only one wetsuit-ing up this week! Máxima was at it too, swimming in Amsterdam Canal for charity. But in Máxima's case, I think it might just be the highlight of her sartorial week, as the rest is meh. Colorful meh, but meh nevertheless.

Biggest Hodgepodge of a Week

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

At the confirmation of her son Marius; visiting Oslo Renovation for an introduction to municipal waste management; at the Fretex charity shop

Have you ever seen such a mix of royal outfits in one spot? Traditional in national dress, dressed up in saucy Prada heels...and a blazer over a Harvard t-shirt. I have no idea what one ought to wear to tour a municipal waste facility, but this strikes me as odd. Perhaps she should have investigated the wetsuit option.

Most Colorful Princess

Crown Princess Victoria

Opening Stockholm Fashion Week; the Polar Music Awards; awarding the Junior Water Prize; at the Export Hermes Awards; at an event for the Swedish Brain Foundation

Look at all that blissful color! It's enough to make you forgive a dodgy batch of shoe choices. (Clunky on multiple occasions and too much green at once. Dodgy.) Naturally, my favorite is the saucy yellow number - she always goes a little bit funky for this event - and the hair down. Down! Variety: it's the spice of life.

What's your favorite princess outfit for this week (or weeks, whatever)?

Photos: Getty Images/Scanpix/Bekia/dutchphotopress/tv2/Svenskdam/Purepeople/Abaca

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 10-16 June

1. a and b) Celebrating the 25th anniversary of an HIV center, 12 June, in a jacket with some lovely detailing.
2. At the opening of an exhibition with the rest of the royal family, 14 June, in one of the most depressing outfits I’ve seen in some time. She truly has raided Fräulein Maria’s closet – before she added in the zesty drapery.

Photos: Zimbio

Week in Review: Princess Mette-Marit, 27 May-9 June

1. Presenting an award during Oslo Maritime Week, 30 May. Summer dress...clunky blazer.
2. On the balcony for a performance of the King's Guard to celebrate the 75th birthdays of the king and queen, 31 May.
3. At a birthday service in Oslo Cathedral, 31 May.
4. Attending a birthday concert at the Oslo Opera House, 31 May. Again with the jackets. Oh, M-M.

The whole family came out to celebrate the 75th birthdays of King Harald and Queen Sonja (his is February 21, hers is July 4, so they picked a mutual celebration date). Everyone wore their proper hatted best at the church service. And I must say, Märtha Louise is looking exceptionally good, no?

5. At the Global Health Conference along with the queen and Hillary Clinton, 1 June.
6. Honoring the Utøya volunteers, 2 June.
7. Presenting the Holberg Award, 6 June.
8. Visiting the Kjør for Livet project, 7 June. After a week of somewhat dubious pairings (per usual), she ends it on a shampoo commercial note.

Photos: TV2/Side2/Svenskdam/Daylife

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 20-26 May

1. a and b) Day 1 of a three day visit to the County of Møre og Romsdal, 24 May.
2. a, b, c) Day 2, 25 May. 
3. a and b) Day 3, 26 May. On the Mette-Marit scale – where the top includes jaw-dropping evening appearances and the bottom is composed to such mismatched day appearances you’re quite certain she suffered a power outage and got dressed in the dark – I’d rate this trip in the middle. Nothing particularly zesty, no (except the bunad, obviously), but matched enough to appear some thought went into it. And sometimes that’s all you get.

Photos: Side2/NRK/Purepeople/BestImage/Kongehuset/Scanpix/Svenskdam

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 13-19 May

1. National Day, 17 May. Huzzah for the bunad and all, but listen to me: if ski hats with veils are becoming a thing, I am done. DONE, I SAY.

Photos: Dagbladet/Purepeople/Abaca/Jil Sander

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 6-12 May

1. a) Attending the Met Gala, 7 May, b) in Valentino Couture. Already said my piece about that, I did.
2. a) In New York to launch Norwegian designer Nina Skarra's line in the US, 9 May, b) wearing Nina Skarra (naturally). This is the designer behind that delightful color combination worn to one of Queen Margrethe's birthday celebrations in 2010. Thought you might want to know that she and Mette-Marit make a good team, since this might not be convincing you.

Photos:  Just Jared/Style/Nettavision/Nina Skarra

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 22-28 April

1. Biking to work in support of the Cycle to Work Scheme, 24 April.
2. At the opening of Global Shapers, 27 April.

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 25 March-7 April

1. Hosting a dinner at the couple's home, Skaugum, 27 March.
2. And another one, 28 March.
3. At a meeting for Pøbelprosjekt, 28 March.

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

1. Welcoming the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to Norway, 20 March.
2. At the official dinner for the British couple, 20 March.

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/TV2

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 11-17 March

1. Watching the FIS Nordic World Cup, 11 March.
2. Opening the Stella Red Cross Women's Center, 12 March. Mmkay. What we've got here is called a hot mess. I don't even think dressing in the dark excuses this strange a mishmash of clothes and accessories.
3. Family photo op, 16 March.

Photos: Lehtikuva/Purepeople/Abaca

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

1.  Attending the opening of the Oslo Church Music Festival, 9 March. Something's not right...I'm thinking just replace any single element, and you might be in business.

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 12-18 February

1. At the opening of the exhibit "Royal Journeys 1905-2005" with the rest of the royal family, 15 February.
2. a - c) In Geneva for working meetings with UNAIDS, 16 and 17 February.

I regret to bring Princess Märtha Louise's exhibit opening footwear to your attention:

Reflective SHOOTIES. Well, I never. And with big ol' stretchy black panels, just for extra aesthetic pizzazz.

But hey, those outfits look familiar!

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 5-11 February

1. Attending a meeting of the Current Activities Fund, 7 February.
2. a and b) Opening an Edvard Munch exhibit in Germany, 8 February, in c) a repeated Valentino dress. As with the appearance of this dress that was my pick for M-M's worst appearance of 2011, the business jacket just doesn't go. It's a playful dress, with the tie at the neck and the ruffles. Needs playful accoutrements, man.

Photos: Mette-Marit's Twitter/Purepeople/Abaca

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 22-28 January

1. a and b) Attending the Digital Life Design Conference in Munich, 22 January.
2. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, 25 January.
3. Day 2 of the forum, 26 January.

Photos: Zimbio/Getty Images/Lehtikuva

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 15-21 January

1. At the religious service marking Queen Margrethe's jubilee, 15 January.
2. a) The gala banquet for the jubilee, 15 January, with a look at b) the back, c) the tiara hair, and d) the runway version from Pucci. She kept the print, the neck and the sleeves, and got rid of the black and all the see through business.
3. Having lunch with Crown Princess Mary in Copenhagen after some shopping, 16 January.

Photos: Daylife/Zimbio/Style.com/Profimedia

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 1-7 January

1. Attending the annual NHO Conference, 5 January. Well, boo. Two things: 1. I thought I said no SHOOTIES in 2012, eh?, and 2. Again with the strange pairings. Such a frilly and feminine skirt and a strong jacket over it like it's just any old pencil skirt. Not wanting to be a total sourpuss on our first go-round this year, I will end on this note: gorgeous hair, gorgeous makeup, gorgeous husband.
2. a) Hosting a working seminar for young leaders at the crown princely couple's home, Skaugum, 6 January, in b) a Zara sweater.

Photos: Daylife/Kongehuset/Zara