Funeral of Grand Duke Jean: Family

The funeral for Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was held Saturday at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, attended by all members of the extended Grand Ducal Family and their Belgian royal cousins. Out of respect for this event and the Grand Duke’s memory, this post does not contain any commentary on the hats and it is not open for comments.

Grand Ducal Family:

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Extended Grand Ducal Family:

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Belgian Royal Family:

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To identify individuals, click on the photo and link to its original source, with explanation. You can see the many royal guests who attended at this post.

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Luxembourg Royal Wedding: The Groom’s Extended Family

Prince Felix’s paternal extended family wore some memorable hats today. One of my favourites was the folded grey crin hat chosen by Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (Grand Duke Henri’s sister). This hat was so interesting in both shape and the way it complimented her icy blue dress- a good, albeit very modern look for her.

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Marie Astrid’s two daughters both chose feathery fascinators for their cousin’s wedding. Countess Marie-Christine de Limburg-Stirum wore a straw bow loop fascinator tucked behind one ear.

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Archduchess Gabriella wore a looped burgundy bow with fly-away feathers. I particularly liked Gabriella’s fascinator with her ecru lace dress (and matching scarlet shoes!)

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Marie Astrid’s two daughter-in-laws also choose fascinator headpieces. Archduchess Kathleen of Austria wore a light headpiece of navy organza bubbles (I think there’s also some gold ribbon or feathers tucked in there as well) that I thought was a little too twee. Navy certainly is a great colour on her, however, isn’t it?

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Archduchess Adelaide of Austria, chose a white and pink saddle-curve headpiece trimmed in pink curling ribbons and white feathers.

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Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (also a sister of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg) wore a spiky feathered headpiece on the crown of her head. This headpiece appeared to match the colours of her lovely shawl but I had a hard time making sense of the orange dress in between. The placement of this headpiece also reminds me far too much of a bad toupee.

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Princess Margaretha’s two daughters, Princesses Annunciata  (left) and Princess Astrid of Liechtenstein,  wore lavishly trimmed cocktail hats to top their golden frocks.

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Countess Diane of Nassau, wife of Grand Duke Henri’s brother, Jean, wore a dramatic picture hat woven in tan and black zebra stripes. A black organza band and bow around the crown completed the hat. It is a a boldly creative hat but I think the pattern is too busy with her striped dress. I love stripes but this is just too much.

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Prince Jean’s first wife, Helene Vesture, was also in attendance in a fascinator headpiece of curling pink and tan feathers. (not a figure normally covered here, she remains the groom’s aunt)

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Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, wife of Grand Duke Henri’s youngest brother Guillaume, wore a vibrant turquoise picture hat with a squared crown and gently upturned grim on one side. There appeared to be some fabric detail (leaves? flowers? unidentified bunchy bits?) and feathers trimming the crown. This is another hat I wish I could love but something about the size and shape was a little off.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Austrian Royal Wedding in Washington

It’s been nearly seven months since a royal wedding was held in Washington, DC – the wedding of Archduke Imre of Austria and Kathleen Walker. Since this week has been very quiet on the royal front, I thought we’d look back at the hats from this Austrian-American royal wedding. Special thanks to Spiering Photography and Marlene A. Koenig, author of The Royal Musings Blog, who attended this event and have graciously shared photographs with us.

Archduke Imre is the son of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria (née Princess of Luxembourg) – this makes him the grandson of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and the nephew of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.The bride, Kathleen Walker, is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and completed a degree in journalism from Northern Kentucky University. She met Imre while working as Communications Director of the Arlington (Virgina) Diocean Catholic Charities and they both attended a Missa Cantata in honour of Blessed Karl of Austria, Imre’s great-grandfather. The couple married on September 8, 2012 at St. Mary Mother of God Church in Washington, DC, the same church where they met.

Kathleen wore a white satin dress with pleated bodice, lace neckline and sleeves. She topped this with an antique lace Habsburg veil from her groom’s family- a veil rumored to have been worn by Empress Eugénie for her wedding to Napoleon III in 1853 (also worn by Imre’s sister Marie-Christine at her wedding in 2008 and his sister-in-law Adelaide in December 2012). The veil was anchored by a triple string of pearls- a very pretty and unique touch, don’t you think?

The bride’s mother, Margaret Walker, wore an ice blue suit and a cream straw hat with mushroom shaped brim. There looks to be a straw rose and some delicate feathers on the side.

Kathleen’s bridesmaids, one of whom was Imre’s younger sister Archduchess Gabriella of Austria, wore peacock blue silk dresses with fresh blush pink and cream roses in their hair. Imre’s attendants included his brother Cristophe (who was married in December) and his cousin, Prince Felix of Luxembourg (centre).

Imre’s mother, Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria (née Princess of Luxembourg) wore a ruched tan straw hat with large picture brim. The brim was a little unstructured for my taste but I suppose, fit well with this less formal royal wedding.

Imre’s aunts, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (née Princess of Luxembourg) and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg were a contrast of styles. Margaretha wore a delightfully quirky small hat in sherbet orange and fuchsia pink with flat brim and side bow. Sibilla was characteristically elegant in a large natural straw picture hat. 

 

Princess Margaretha’s daughter, also named Marie-Astrid, wore a percher hat covered yellow flowers and green leaves. While I’ll give her points for the stylish grey and yellow colour scheme, I’ll pass on the messy hat.

  

Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg chose a blush pink giant rosette fascinator, a potentially pretty statement piece that fell victim to awkward head placement. Alexandra’s sister-in-law-to-be, Claire Lademacher, also chose pink millinery, a straw beret placed on the back of her head. It’s a simple hat that made an unexpected pairing with her yellow dress. Alexandra’s cousin, Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau, wore a navy veiled straw beret. Paired with a printed vintage-inspired dress, this hat was striking and fun while still appropriate for the church wedding.

Adelaide Drapé-Frisch, who married Imre’s brother Christophe in December, wore a navy hat with flat crown, rolled brim and polka-dotted feather trim. For her first royal hat outing, I thought this was a solid start.

Archduchess Marie Helene and her daughter, Archduchess Priscilla of Austria (paternal relatives of the groom through Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria), wore a grey fascinator and a white straw hat.

The Duke and Duchess of Braganza also attended this wedding. It’s tough to see but Isabel wore a chocolate brown rose and leaf fascinator on the side of her head.

And finally, the best for last (or most memorable, at least!) Anastasia, Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (née Princess Anastasia of Prussia) wore a hat entirely covered in bright pink feathers. I suppose if you can’t wear a hat that looks like a giant peony bloom to a royal wedding, you probably can’t wear it anywhere. I’m not a fan of the hat  but I’m a fan of any woman gutsy enough to wear it in public.

All in all, this was a much less formal wedding than we would see a month later in Luxembourg (not surprising, for the heir’s wedding) and three months later for Imre’s brother Christophe. While I’m a fan of royal weddings, I found the relative informality of this one gave it great charm- it was not about pomp and pageantry, but about a happy family getting together for the fun celebration of a couple filled with love and joy.

I’m curious, dear readers, which hat at this American-Austrian was your favourite?

Photos from Spiering Photography and Marlene A. Koenig via The Royal Musings Blog

Archducal Wedding in Nancy

A wedding A “minor” royal wedding was celebrated today in Nancy, France when Archduke Christophe of Austria married Adelaide Drapé-Frisch. Christophe is the son of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria (née Princess of Luxembourg) – this makes him the grandson of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and the nephew of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. As such, the Luxembourg royals were out again to celebrate a royal wedding!

Let’s start with the bride- Adelaide wore an antique lace Habsburg veil- a family piece rumoured to have been worn by Empress Eugénie for her wedding to Napoleon III in 1853 (and also previously worn by her sisters-in-law Marie-Christine and Kathleen on their wedding days). Adelaide anchored the veil with the Luxembourg Royal Family’s Small Diamond Floral Tiara. I thought the lace veil and floral tiara were a perfect compliment to her satin dress.

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Mother of the groom, Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria (née Princess of Luxembourg), wore a dark brown brimless fur hat. I know this is a Christmas wedding but I somehow don’t see the connection between the dark fur hat and her beautiful powder blue suit. Powder = snow = need for a fur hat?! Somehow, this doesn’t work for me.

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Mother of the bride, Odile Drapé-Frisch, looks fantastic, even with the random explosion of orange feathers. I actually admire a mother-of-the-bride who can pull of orange because I suspect very, very few women can.

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Sister of the bride, Eleanor Drapé-Frisch, wore a large blue straw molded saucer hat with upswept ‘slice’ brim. While it’s lovely to see colour, I’m not sure this technicolour blue is the best look for her. I think I might have liked it a lot better if her hair was back in a chignon.

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Sister of the groom, Countess Marie-Christine de Limburg-Stirum, wore a beige fur hat with wide, cuffed bumper brim.

Sister-in-law of the groom, Archduchess Kathleen of Austria, wore a prim chocolate fur pillbox. I suppose if you’re going to wear a fur hat, you might as well choose a big one. I know there is a lot going on here- bouncy hair, weird angled hat- but somehow, I kind of like it.

Dec 29, 2012 | Royal Hats

Aunt of the groom, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, brought some sparkle to this celebration with a large Fabienne Delvigne beaded headpiece she has worn before. I think this was the right choice for this outfit- any larger hat would have competed too much with the fur collar on her brocade jacket.

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Cousin-in-law of the groom, Princess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, wore a dark green button base cocktail hat trimmed with grey and caramel twisted bows. I really, really, REALLY want to like this hat but the way she has placed it makes it look like a one-sided green earmuff. Although, if I’m being honest, I’m not sure better placement would help on this piece.

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Cousin of the groom, Princess Alexandra, wore a grey felt cloche. Top marks to Alexandra for bringing a quintessentially French hat shape to this French wedding. Très chic!

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Cousin-in-law of the groom Princess Tessy wore a chocolate felt pork pie/cloche hybrid hat. The hourglass shape is interesting but the velvet bow and bland colour leave me on the fence about this hat- I can’t decide if this is boring or twee. There’s also something funny going on with her hair and the perch of the hat.

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Future cousin-in-law of the groom, Claire Lademacher (soon to be Princess Claire), wore a black felt saucer trimmed with feathers and a large, flat bow.. Call me crazy but I think this combination of hat, chignon, biker coat and faux fur wrap is fabulous.

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Aunt of the groom, Princess Sibilla, oozed elegance in a classically shaped hat with black felt crown and wide red felt brim. Trimmed with red felt zigzag picks and black quills, the hat is appropriately Christmassy without being too obvious.

Photos from LUXPRESS/Jean-Claude ErnstBest Image; Abacca

Luxembourg Wedding: Extended Family

Royal Hats The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg were all in attendance for their nephew/cousin’s wedding. Guillaume’s aunt, Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (Grand Duke Henri’s older sister), looked jaw-droppingly elegant in this grey and beige ensemble complete with wide brimmed beige hat. I loved the size and angle of the hat with her short hair so much that I didn’t even notice the too-pointy centre (hidden by an oddly shaped bow).

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Marie Astrid’s daughter, Countess Marie-Christine de Limburg-Stirum, wore what looks to be a royal blue transparent fascinator with feather trim. From this distance, I’m not a fan… or maybe I’m just distracted by what seems to be a dress too skimpy for a major royal wedding.

Marie Astrid’s new daughter-in-law, Archduchess Kathleen of Austria, wore a cute purple pillbox with coordinated bow and feather trim. I usually prefer pillbox hats on hair that is neatly tied back into some sort of chignon, but I’ll give Kathleen a pass for her first major royal event as a member of the family. The next person to enter into the Luxembourg Royal Family will be Adelaide Drapé-Frisch, who is marrying Marie-Astrid’s son Christophe this December. Adelaide looked very royal in a salmon pink hat with net bow and wide brim. I loved how the colour of the hat coordinated with her patterned dress and wrap.

Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, Grand Duke Henri’s younger sister, looked beautiful in pale pink. while I didn’t really understand the different shades of pink in her outfit (mauve pink dress, blush pink wrap, dusty rose hat) I loved the hat on its own. Like her older sister, the size and brim shape looked fantastic on her, especially in contrast with her dark hair.

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Princess Margaretha’s daughter Princess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein (named after her sister, the Marie-Astrid mentioned above in case you’re getting confused!) sported a chocolate pillbox with veil. I loved her hair (see what I mean about pillboxes and hair tied back?!) but found it difficult in the full shot to see where her hair ended and the hat began. I loved her choice of bold earrings- such a modern twist with a retro pillbox!- although the patterned dress, big earrings and hat veil all add up to a lot going on.

Countess Diane of Nassau, wife of Grand Duke Henri’s brother Jean, showed her allegiance to the Red Hat Society with this red and purple feathered cocktail hat. I think this is a case of too much… in all the wrong places.

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Countess Diane’s stepdaughter Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau (daughter of Prince Jean of Luxembourg and his first wife Helene, shown here with her youngest brother, Prince Carl ) wore a large brimmed latte coloured straw hat to match her brocade coat. I’m afraid I find the whole look rather bland – it’s all a little too beige, especially with her dark blonde hair.

Now THIS is how to do a red hat! Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, wife of Grand Duke Henri’s younger brother Prince Guillaume (after whom the groom was named) wore a lovely curved red hat with lattice detail on the brim designed by British milliner Dillon Wallwork. Pairing a red hat with a red coat and dress is too much red for my taste, but the hat looked great on her.

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Special thanks to The Luxarazzi Blog for assistance on this post. 

Photos from Getty as indicated; Stella Pictures and Rex Features