Monthly Archives: May 2019

Kent Wedding at Windsor

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Lady Gabriella Windsor was married to Mr. Thomas Kingston today at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

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The bride looked radiantly beautiful in a lace dress by Italian designer Luisa Beccaria. Beccaria was quoted this morning, โ€œIn the very beginning, she didn’t even really want a white dress. Her requirements changed a little bit when they decided to marry at Windsor.โ€

The resulting gown was made from fine layers of tulle and organza- ivory layered with a few in blush pink to give the slightest kiss of colour- with an overlay of ivory embellished Valenciennes lace.

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The lace is appliqued with silk ribbon swirls and flowers with a row roses highlighting the waist. The shape follows a sheer bateau neckline and long sleeves with the A-line skirt that sweeps into a beautiful train.

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Lady Gabriella wore a tiara that has is becoming a Kent family bridal tradition. Gifted to her grandmother, Princess Marina on the occasion of her wedding to the Duke of Kent, the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara was worn by Princess Alexandra at her wedding in 1963 and by Gabriella’s mother, Princess Michael of Kent at her wedding ball in 1978.

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The spiky lines of the Kokoshnik shaped tiara were softened by a sweeping cathedral length silk tulle veil, edged around the front with the same Valenciennes lace that adorned the gown. Applique cutouts of the lace dotted the back of the veil with little blossoms and Gabriella’s hair was fixed in a romantic cascade of curls and looping braids.

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The couple were attended by pages and bridesmaids, including Gabriella’s nieces Maud and Isabella, in ivory silk organza dresses also by Luisa Beccaria. The same silk ribbon floral applique on the waist of the bride’s dress trimmed the waists and short sleeves of the bridesmaids’ frocks and wreaths of ivory and peach roses adorned their hair.

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From the couple’s radiant smiles, it appears the day was everything they had hoped and I’m sure you join me in wishing them congratulations and wishes for a wonderful life together.

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Dutch Monarchs Celebrate Voting Centennary

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The Dutch king and queen were in The Hague today to commemorate 100 years of general election law and voting rights. For this event, Queen Mรกxima repeated her natural straw hat with oversize brim. The flexible brim was placed, on this outing, in a tall, dramatic sidesweep on one side.

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We’ve seen this hat numerous times- the only new view today is from behind, which shows the caramel Petersham ribbon hatband. It’s a versatile design that Queen Mรกxima wears well, although I wasn’t keen on the pairing of warm, toasty brown hat with cooler, pinky brown dress. The pieces are good on their own but together? Not so much.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: June 21, 2017; May 28, 2015;ย January 2, 2013;ย November 4, 2011;ย March 31, 2006

What do you think of today’s ensemble?

Photos from Getty as indicatedย 

Norwegian National Day 2019

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Members of the Norwegian royal family celebrated their country’s Constitution Day national holiday today with an appearance on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo, as they have done in years past.

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It was a tale of two hat styles in Norway today with King Herald and Crown Prince Haakon in black silk top hats and the ladies in a pair of pillboxes. Queen Sonja’s design is a streamlined one in brilliant red.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is new

Crown Princess Mette-Marit but repeated her low height, ivory felt pillbox. Photos today show the crown of the hat has a very slight domed shape.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: December 10, 2018;ย May 15, 2014;ย June 2, 2010;ย May 17, 2010;ย December 10, 2009

Photos from Getty as indicated; Albert Nieboer via PPE and Gonzales Photo/Stian S. Moller/PYMCA-Avalon/Universal Images Group via Getty

Dutch Queen Opens Shipyard

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Queen Mรกxima opened the new Feadship shipyard in the port of Amsterdam this morning, an event that is part of the 170th anniversary celebration of the Royal Van Lent Shipyard. She repeated her straw picture hat with upswept ‘slice’ brim in muted leaf green.

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On this hat’s first outing, we discussed, at length and excellent detail, this hat’s construction faults- issues, unfortunately, that are unchanged here. It’s a shame- the brim of this hat could be so fantastic had it been cut and finished differently.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Natan.ย 
Previously Worn: June 5, 2018ย 

Jump over to this post to see all of Queen Mรกxima’s hats in this signature shape– this green one is her 14th in straw!!

Photos from Getty as indicatedย 

This Week’s Extras

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Have a lovely Sunday- I’ll be back first thing tomorrow for focused coverage and discussion on hats worn for the Romanian national holiday and look at two (one new!) designs worn by Queen Elizabeth over the weekend at the Windsor Horse Show.

On Tuesday, Empress Masako was spotted arriving at the Imperial Palace with the emperor to rehearse their first court ritual which took place on Wednesday. She repeated her unembellished almond bumper hat.
Also on Tuesday, the Duke of York was spotted in uniform as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards (with cap) for the morning’s Changing of the Queenโ€™s Life Guard at Horse Guards riding new Cavalry Black horse โ€˜Darbyโ€™, apparently practicing for the upcoming Trooping the Colour.
On Wednesday, King Carl Gustaf donned his trusty brown fedora for the World Wildlife Fund’s annual meeting, held this year at Huvudskรคr and Utรถ in the Stockholm archipelago. The same day, King Harald commemorated Norwegian Armed Forces Day and Liberation Day at Akurshus Fortress, predictably in military uniform with cap.
Infanta Elena donned a neutral straw fedora to watch her daughter, Victoria de Marichalar, open the Seville Fair in a traditional Spanish mantilla with tall peineta comb (see more photos and video here). And 20 years after meeting at this event, the Dutch King and Queen returned this week along with their three daughters… and a quartet of wonderfully vibrant floral headpieces.


On Wednesday, Princess Alexandra visited a life boat station in Shoreham. She repeated her ice blue straw hat with tall crown wrapped in coordinating net tulle, designed by Rachel Trevor Morgan.
Queen Margrethe unveiled a new statue of Denmark’s longest reigning monarch King Christian IV (1577 – 1648) in Copenhagen yesterday. She repeated a hat with ecru straw crown and grey straw double brim for the event.


The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Emerald straw button percher with vibrant ribbon trim and soaring quills by NY milliner Jennifer Hoertz
Pink felt wide brimmed hat with rose gold diamantรฉ hatband from LA based milliner Gladys Tamez
VA VA VOOM red straw percher with the most fantastic curving trim by Australian brand Jill and Jack Millinery
Exquisite curving cream disc with pink handmade blooms and curving quills by Rachel Trevor Morgan
Navy beret percher with hand-beaded bow by Irish milliner Michelle Gleeson
Classic ivory straw picture hat with monochrome leaf printed brim by British milliner Bee Smith
Colourful red and green embroidered lace headpiece from German milliner Nicki Marquardt
Black and white patterned straw pyramid with crin and tassel trim by Italian brand Giulia Mio Millinery

Another interesting article on the Empress of Japan, written by someone with personal connection (The Asahi Shimbun)
King Hamad Of Bahrain and sons Sheikh Nasser and Sheikh Khaled were spotted out for a ride at Windsor Castle in between days spent enjoying the Royal Windsor Horse Show this week
Did you see this delightfully sweet exchange between Queen Elizabeth and former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien on Tuesday?

Princess Margriet presented the Duke of Sussex with an adorable gift during his quick visit to The Hague this week to official launch this year’s Invictus Games, to be held in The Netherlands.

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And finally- the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared this sweet photo of ten wee toes today, in honor of Mother’s Day (notice the background forget-me-not flowers, a favourite of the Duke’s late mother)

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated