Royal Outfit of the Day: January 9

Crown Princess Mary attended the third day of the New Year's receptions. Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, and Crown Prince Frederik were also in attendance.

Aha! A new-and-yet-still-old repeat! Now we've got old pieces combined to make a new court outfit: the striped skirt was worn previously for evening use, and the basic black peplum top from Hugo Boss has been used for day outfits (Mary owns it in white too). She's also dressed it up with a prim updo and a string of pearls around the neck. See, I like this approach. These outfits are tricky to repeat, but combining a little of this and a little of that really works. Clever Mary.

Updated to add: Lots of questions about why she only has one glove on. It's an etiquette thing - it's considered polite to remove the glove to shake hands. The other hand remains gloved and carries the second glove. Not everyone does this, but keep an eye out and you'll see it done this way more often than you think.

Note: This is a new feature! Click here if you missed the announcement.

Photo: Scanpix

Royal Outfit of the Day: January 7

Psst...: Yes, this is a new feature! See today's other post for details.

Queen Margrethe, accompanied by Prince Henrik and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, attended the second day of the New Year's Court festivities, a reception for the Diplomatic Corps. The video above shows the event from 2012.

Yes, the video is showing you this event from a couple years ago - but guess what? It doesn't even matter, because the ladies wore the same stuff this year! Repeats ahoy, and that's why our outfit of the day is really from Margrethe. Some of you gave Mary a hard time for repeating her gown for the gala event, but here's her example: Margrethe wears this fur-trimmed blue outfit (from longtime couturier Jørgen Bender, if I'm not mistaken) for two days in a row for these daytime courts and has done so with the same dress for quite a few years. It's how she rolls, and it makes me appreciate any amount of variety from Mary all the more, no matter how small.

Margrethe, Mary, and Mary's brooch (as shown in the documentary De Kongelige Juveler)

Mary's gown is another altered repeat, but she wore the lovely sapphire brooch Queen Margrethe gave her when Christian was born. It's a family heirloom from Queen Ingrid's mother, and it's always a treat to see in use!

Photos: Polfoto/Scanpix/De Kongelige Juveler

Royal Fashion Awards: New Year, New Sparkle

And so it is time, once again, to ring in a new year of royal splendor in the way we always do: with tiaras! The Danish royal family wastes no time busting out their finery, holding the first of a series of New Year's events with a banquet on January 1. It's time for tiaras, gowns, uniforms, and the extra fancy collars from the Order of the Elephant:

Video: The royal family arrives

Best Repeated Variety

Queen Margrethe

The Queen can be counted on to repeat a gown for the event, but she's the only one of the three ladies here that changes up her tiara choice from year to year, so there's that. This year she repeated a favorite apple green gown which is quite flattering and paired it with her traditional Yeti pelt fur wrap and the Danish Emerald Parure from the crown jewels. She also wore this combo in 2011 for the same event.

Most Stretched Repeat

Crown Princess Mary

The banquet has become Mary's yearly opportunity to display just how creative she can get with the many pieces of the Danish Ruby Parure - and normally, I love it. But...maybe sticking the brooch on a piece of velvet and calling it a choker is stretching it just a tad, hmm? The choker is a new incarnation of this burgundy velvet dress, which is making its third appearance at the event and has been revamped from its original maternity form.

Best in New

Princess Marie

Making sure we don't drown in repeated gowns, Marie's here to save the day in a new number with a printed peplum top and a solid skirt with a train. The way she's pinned on her collar is just lovely, but I'm missing the small portrait brooch of Queen Margrethe (as worn by Mary) - we've seen Marie wear the honor previously, but not tonight. A picky request, though, from a completely elegant appearance. She is wearing her regular diamond floral tiara.

And an Honorable Mention to...

Helle Thorning-Schmidt

I know basically two things about Denmark's prime minister: she likes a good selfie, and she knows exactly how to dress herself for gala events when she's thrown in with tiara-wearing ladies. All politics aside, she's my tiara-less best dressed for the evening. I mean, this is just gorgeous.

There are two additional receptions in Denmark to be held yet (neither with tiaras, but still fancy court dress).

UPDATE: And here's the sparkly event in Japan, in the video below!

For the second year in a row, Empress Michiko has chosen not to wear a tiara, I believe for medical reasons (extra weight on the head can be troublesome if you have a back issues and things like that). At the beginning, we see the Crown Princess arrive in the pearl-tipped diamond fringe tiara. She does not appear at the audience itself, so the arrival is all we get. The rest of the imperial ladies are sporting their individual tiaras.

Who wins your best dressed award?

Photos: DR1/BilledBladet/Scanpix

Royal Fashion Awards: More New Year's Fun

After donning tiaras and assorted finery for the January 1st banquet, the Danish royal family continues on for two more days (on the 3rd and 4th) with more courts, or levees, or receptions, or whatever you wanna call 'em. They are held for specific groups of people, and feature Margrethe, Henrik, Frederik, and Mary (no Joachim, and no Marie). They ditch the tiaras because these are daytime events, but the court dress is still gloriously old school.

Best in Repeats

Crown Princess Mary

These are my two favorite outfits she's worn in the past for these events, and she's brought them back like a parade of greatest hits for my enjoyment (even sticking one of her ruby hairpins in on the second day for a little bit of fancy)! I get the repeating - these are expensive outfits, and are hard to reuse elsewhere - but I do hope that she will refrain from repeating the same stuff every single year, like someone else...

Worst in Repeats

Queen Margrethe

It's not just that she wore the same outfit two days in a row, it's that this is what she does every year. (Click here for last year, for example.) It's a very Margrethe thing to wear and it suits her, no doubt, but...can we leave the uniforms to those representing the military?

Best in Sparkle

The Japanese Royal Family

The Danish royal family is not the only family that holds a New Year's event, of course. The Japanese royal family makes an equally sparkly appearance on the 1st.

Unfortunately, this year it seems the Empress has gone without a tiara (we usually see the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara). Luckily, she brings back up in the form of many princesses and their army of tiaras. They might not be as high on the radar as other royal families around the world, but when they really get rolling, it's hard to compete with their sparkle.

Who's your favorite in this last batch of New Year fun?

Photos: Getty Images/Scanpix/Kongehuset

Flashback Friday: Marie at the New Year's Banquet

We'll have the lowdown on the remainder of the New Year's events on Monday - for today, let's keep rolling with our Princess Marie theme and have a look back at the gowns she's worn to the annual New Year's banquet. Like most royal ladies, I think Marie's at her best when she's in full-on gala mode. Excluding gargantuan butt ruffle moments, that is.

This year was a comeback year for Marie; she was excused from last year's banquet on account of the fact that she was close to delivering Princess Athena. (Reasonable excuse, I'll allow it.)

And in 2011, she was covering for Crown Princess Mary, who was then days away from delivering her twins. She did so in a very Mary dress too, one that resembles the drape-y, train-y goodness of the orange number we just saw repeated. I prefer Marie's train and color but Mary's symmetrical neckline - I'm picking up some unnecessary visual chain wonkiness here. Just tilt your head like 24.6 degrees to the side and all will be well.

Ah, much better! Pink and appropriately swishy. Bliss.

If you ask me, though, nothing quite matches up to her very first banquet appearance. Pregnant with little Prince Henrik, she wore one of the best princess maternity gowns I can think of - and she wore it for official pictures too, so we got a proper look at it. It's ever so regal, no?

Which year is your favorite?

Photos: PPE/BT/Getty Images/Scanpix

Royal Fashion Awards: New Year's in Denmark

Happy New Year! Are you alive? Did you make it through the holidays? I’m just barely hanging on myself, so let’s have a dose of our favorite elixir to make it all better: tiaras! The Danish royal family gets right to business every January with the New Year’s Courts (or Levees). The first banquet is usually the most formal event of the year for them, and they don’t disappoint in the splendor department.

Best in Gestures

Queen Margrethe

Well, isn’t this nice: Daisy saw our roundup of tiara news from 2012 and decided to keep us rolling in 2013. This is the Naasut Tiara, her 40th Jubilee gift from Greenland, and this is its grand debut. You can read more about it in my entry from when it was presented (click here), and I suppose we’ll have to give it a proper Thursday honor now that we’ve seen it in action. Hurrahs for the spirit of wearing new gifts aside…I’m not sure I’m a fan. It’s so aggressively gold, no? I’d like to see it again with a gown and hairdo designed specifically for it, instead of these repeats.

Best in Recycling

Crown Princess Mary

Seems a low key year for Mary, doesn’t it? A repeated Jesper Høvring gown (worn to this same event three years ago), downsized ruby set, not even a fur wrap. And yet! It looks fresh, somehow. I think it’s because I particularly love this way of wearing the ruby necklace and earrings – I love the set more every time she switches it around.

Best in Plumage

Princess Marie

It's bright, it's shiny, it's come straight out of some fictional conservative Las Vegas theater to put every royal butt ruffle to shame. But maybe this is why real Vegas showgirls don’t bother with modest versions of their stage attire: too much ironing required. Oh well, at least someone wore a new dress this year. So go on, Marie. Shake your tail feathers.

Best in Gentlemen

Crown Prince Frederik

Left to right: Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim

With due respect to Henrik's special talent for looking disheveled even in his finest duds - I’d rather have a uniform, and I’d rather have Frederik’s, so I’ll give him the win.

There are two more receptions (still formal, but no tiaras), on the 3rd and 4th. We’ll talk about those later in the week.

Who's your favorite here?

Photos: Scanpix/PPE/DutchPhotoPress/Ekstrabladet/BT/B

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 1-7 January

1. a) Nytårskur and Nytårstaffel, the New Year's Court and Banquet, 1 January, with b) a look at her jewels: the Danish Ruby Parure Tiara, hairpieces from the leftover pieces of her tiara makeover, the parure earrings with a dark pearl drop, and the brooch from the parure with another pearl substituted for the diamond and ruby pendant at her waist. All worn with the collar and star of the Order of the Elephant, plus her brooch portrait of Queen Margrethe on her shoulder.
2. Shopping, 2 January.
3. a) Nytårskur, New Year's Court reception for the Diplomatic Corps, 3 January. I realized later in videos that Mary had a brooch in her hair, which you can just barely see (b).
4. Nytårskur, New Year's Court reception for representatives of various organizations, 4 January, in a repeated court dress from Heartmade designer Julie Fagerholt. This is one of my personal favorite Mary outfits.

Though all the gowns from this year were repeats from past New Year's Courts, two of them appeared with significant alterations. The big changes in dress #1 had some questioning whether it was actually a repeat or a brand new gown. The tailor that made the alterations, Birgit Hallstein, spoke to Billed Bladet and explained that extra fabric was purchased when the initial gown was made for future alterations, thus allowing her to craft an entirely new top and sleeves and make alterations to the hips and skirt area. (Precisely what some of you were guessing at, you smart cookies.)

Do you think the alterations were for the better? I like the red dress either way, but I can't say I'm in love with the changes to the blue dress.

Photos: BT/SN/Seoghoer/MSN/Billed Bladet

Royal Fashion Awards: Sparkling New Year's Receptions

Happy New Year! I hope you're not feeling the aftermath of your celebrations too harshly, but just in case you are, I have something to help take away the pain: tiaras. Two royal families in particular celebrate the New Year the right way, by bringing out their most formal duds and headgear.

Denmark, January 1st

We'll start in Denmark, where they hold a few different events for various dignitaries and so on in the first days of each new year. The first is the most formal, requiring tiaras and the very fancy pants collar of the Order of the Elephant (Denmark's' highest order of chivalry) instead of the usual sash. 

Best Repeat

Crown Princess Mary

This is a reworked version of one of my very favorite Mary looks of all time, from her maternity wear (and previously worn for this same event, see it here), and it is WONDERFUL. All covered up and princess-y with a killer train to boot? Seriously, I'm all kinds of jumpy claps about this. With the magical dress redo, she's paired pieces of the Danish Ruby Parure (as expected, she always wears this for this grand event): the tiara, the brooch on her waistband, the smaller version of the earrings with what looks like a black pearl drop, and SQUEE - something new! - what seems to be the leftover bits from her tiara redesign worked into her hair. Oh, man. She just set the bar very, very high for 2012.

Most Predictable Repeat

Queen Margrethe

A typical repeated Margrethe dress, paired with the Pearl Poire Tiara and a giant fur. Typical Margrethe...but what more could you want?

Happiest Appearance

Princess Elisabeth

 With Princess Marie at home, hopefully all cozy and comfy waiting for her baby to arrive, I was so happy to get a glimpse of a substitute tiara-sporting royal! This is Princess Elisabeth, first cousin of Queen Margrethe, and this is her sapphire tiara which came from Princess Thyra (a daughter of Frederik VIII) via her mother. Elisabeth never married and never had children, so many wonder if her jewels might make it back into the main royal line someday (long may she live, of course). In the mean time, she seems to be taking the Victoria route with her all blue sparkle. Well done!

Most Bedazzled

The Men

Left to Right: Prince Joachim, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Henrik

You know why the ladies have to do it up so high with the tiaras and all that? Look at what they have to compete with! The Danish men have the most ornamented military uniforms around, from Joachim's Nutcracker attire to Frederik's Vegas shoulders and Henrik's major hat. You have to be regal indeed to pull this stuff off. Well played, gents.

Denmark, January 3rd

A second New Year's Court has been held for members of the Diplomatic Corps. This time the reception is during the day, so no tiaras are involved. 

Worst Redo

Crown Princess Mary

Here we have what seems to be a second cut up repeated New Year’s Court dress, this time from Mary’s first appearance in 2006. And this time…well, my jumpy claps are gone. The train’s been lopped off (why? Oh, poor train. I mourn the death of the train.), and a waistband’s been added. It really needed the updo, the train, and all the jewels to keep it from being a plain ol’ straight jacket.

Most Staunch Tradition

Queen Margrethe

Oh, Marge. She wears this same thing each year. The furs and the fur trim. Classic Daisy.

Most Up and Down

The Men

At first, it seemed to me that the men were the unequivocal best dressed for the second New Year’s Court. But then I saw Henrik’s hat (better or worse than the upturned mop from Court #1?). And then I realized that, just after the lovely Janet entertained us in the comments with the tale of Fred and Mary laughing in an interview about old Freddles’ elephant flying off while dancing, Henrik’s elephant flew off and Fred picked it up. Oh, gents. Good thing the ladies have it together. 

Denmark, January 4th

The final New Year's Court is also a day event, with no tiaras but an otherwise formal dress code.

Best Repeat Streak

Crown Princess Mary

Woohoo! Three repeats in a row, but this time we're back to my favorites: this blue gown and jacket combo worn at the courts in 2008 and 2010 is purely regal. An excellent comeback, after I wasn't so impressed with yesterday's look.

Most in Need of a Wash

Queen Margrethe

Oh, Marge, come on now. Even Prince Henrik changed his outfit from yesterday! Tradition is tradition, but I'm bored. Good thing we're done for the year.

Japan, January 1st

Next, we're on to Japan. The imperial family turns out en masse for a reception for various diplomats and dignitaries, and it's the sparkliest gathering around.

Best in Tradition

Empress Michiko

Empress Michiko does the same thing every year, her Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara and a white gown. Regal as can be, though, so who can blame her? We also must give a tip o' the sartorial hat to Emperor Akihito there - glad to see him out and about after his hospitalization last month.

Best in Tiara Quantities

The Japanese Princesses

Loooook at all these tiaras. Sparkle for days! After the Emperor and Empress there, we have the imperial princesses. And they are, left to right (take a big breath, this is a long list): Princess Akishino (named Kiko, wife of the Emperor's second son Akishino), Princess Mako of Akishino (Kiko and Akishino's oldest daughter), Princess Hitachi (sister-in-law of the Emperor), Princess Akiko and Princess Yōko of Mikasa (daughters of the Emperor's first cousin), Princess Takamado (wife of the Emperor's late cousin) and her oldest daughter, Princess Tsuguko (she has two other daughters who are just out of this shot). PHEW. Apologies in advance if that's not 100% correct, but many thanks to reader Anne for sending all of it in. So, anyway, you can't really see many of these tiaras, but the princesses seem to get a tiara (often with a matching necklace) when they marry in or when they reach the age of 20 (the age of majority) for those born into the family. Most of them, beyond the Crown Princess and the Empress, seem to only have the one set at their disposal. And they're all diamonds or diamonds and pearls...no non-white jewels for this family.

Best in Unseen

Crown Princess Masako

Crown Princess Masako stays mostly out of sight as she's still being treated for the psychological ailments that come from a tough adjustment to royal life and pressure surrounding her inability to produce a male heir for the family, but it's always nice to get a smiling glimpse of her, here with her husband Crown Prince Naruhito and her daughter Aiko. Masako's wearing a diamond and pearl-tipped sunburst tiara which formerly belonged to the Empress. 

Who do you think did sparkle best for the New Year?

Photos: PPE/Nieboer/Billed Bladet/Hanne Juul/Anthon Unger/Tarik Mikkel Khan/Ekstra Bladet/yuko2ch/PPE/Colourpress/Kongsted/rpp/Jens Norgaard Larsen/BT/Martin Heoin/SN

Flashback Friday: Mary at the New Year Courts

The Danish royal family kicks the new year off in my kind of fashion: with tiaras ablaze and orders all shined up at the New Year Courts. Sadly, though, this year just didn't live up to past years for me.

Margrethe in that green dress we've seen time and again, and Marie in a great dress with an unfortunate neckline (for the occasion) that happens to bear a stark resemblance in form to Mary's orange number from last year. Sartorially speaking: very boring, with the exception of the run away zipper on Prince Henrik's trousers...and I won't post a picture of that. (You're welcome.) I mean, for the second reception, she even wore precisely the same thing she's worn for the past few years to the same event:

I miss Mary (she took the year off to gestate the royal twins). Good or bad, she brought more to talk about. So let's flash back to her previous New Year's appearances, just for kicks:

Here we have Mary showing us the two sides of dressing for these types of occasions. The good way, on the left: well fit, great color, appropriate for January weather. And the bad way, on the right: upholstery.

My favorite year, ever. I absolutely love this red velvet dress, without reservation. It's just so medieval. (Loved it when she wore it for King Harald's 70th birthday too. Very sad it didn't get to make a reappearance this pregnancy.) And the blue/purple color is divine, with the darker portion on the bottom adding just the right amount of interest.

Part of me loves that purple gown, and part of me thinks the cut plus the fabric sheen plus that pink/purple color so often seen on the tutus of small girls equals a costume from a Disney princess movie. And part of me loves the blue dress, and part of me thinks it ages her. (I do love the hair, no matter what.) Make up my mind in the comments for me, would you please? Many thanks.

Woe is me, the upholstered coat makes a return. Better than 2006, without the necklaces cluttering it up, but still: it's a sofa. In coat form. She makes up for it by repeating one of her pretty pre-wedding gowns, this lovely ice blue. I do love that color combination with the rubies.

And now we come to the orange gown, subject of conflicting opinions in the comments on Mary's Best of 2010 post. I like the gown itself, but I do not care for the orange. With the rubies, and the gold...my eyes are starting to burn. What we need is this neckline, combined with the color of Marie's gown from this year. That would be a winner. Next up we have the repeated blue, which as you know I can't make up my mind about, and this meringue-ish dream of a third outfit. Now, this is a princess costume I can get down with.

Tell me: what's your favorite (and un-favorite) gown? And what did you make of the ladies this year, in Mary's absence?

Photos: PPE/Colourpress/Christophersen