Tag Archives: Princess Alexandra (Lux)

Luxembourg National Day

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Members of the Grand Ducal family took part in celebrations of their national holiday on Saturday. Following the official ceremony and military parade, the family attended an inter-religious Te Deum mass at the Cathédral Notre-Dame de Luxembourg.

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Grand Duchess Maria Teresa led her family in a sleek pale lilac dress and jacket topped with a matching percher hat.

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In straw, the large button base is trimmed with a pair of entwined straw twists. Maria Teresa’s placement of the hat is spot-on and the scale is good on her. While some might year for a hat that makes a larger statement, I though this piece carried on the sleek tone set by her outfit and the pieces complimented each other, and their wearer, well.

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June 23, 2018 in PT | Royal Hats Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie wore a soft pink brimmed hat with shallow, almost saucer crown and sideswept brim, trimmed with silk ranunculus and hydrangeas and pleated green straw nautilus-like spirals on the brim’s lower side. While this hat is all about that beautiful, painterly floral trim, I also like the scale, gentle shape and soft colour on Princess Stéphanie. Sylvia Martinez has provided some new shape and styles of hats for the Hereditary Grand Duchess and it’s wonderful to see their millinery collaboration growing, particularly with such great results as this.

June 23, 2018 in Les Folie's Bibis | Royal Hats June 23, 2018 in Les Folie's Bibis | Royal Hats June 23, 2018 in Les Folie's Bibis | Royal Hats

Designer: Sylvia Martinez of Les Folie’s Bibis
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Claire topped her lilac eyelet lace dress with a bright pink silk flower fascinator tucked behind her right ear. The headpiece’s scale and placement is great and while the colour is lovely on Claire, I’m not sure about the colour balance between the bright piece and her pastel dress. I think the softer pink floral headpiece she wore it with at National Day in 2016 made a more successful pairing.

June 23, 2018 | Royal Hats June 23, 2018 | Royal Hats June 23, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Alexandra also paired her dress with a floral headpiece. A rose shaped flower in pale pink rolled fabric, the headpiece is trimmed with pink silk leaves and pairs harmoniously with her dotted pink dress. It’s a good piece that’s good on Alexandra and good with her dress… good but slightly boring.

June 23, 2018 | Royal Hats June 23, 2018 | Royal Hats

Some have suggested this pink headpiece is the same as the one Princess Claire wore for National Day but close up views show that the fabrics, scale, center detail and use of leaf trim are all different.

Designer of Alexandra’s headpiece: unknown
Previously Worn: It is new
It’s always lovely to see the whole family at this event. I think my favourite hat is fairly transparent in this post- what do you think of these designs? 
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Photos from Getty as indicated;  Lex Kleren; Catholic Church of Luxembourg

Luxembourg Royals At Closing Octave Procession

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On Sunday, members of the Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg attended the annual closing procession of the Octave of Our Lady of Luxembourg, a national religious celebration that occurs every year several weeks after Easter. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa celebrated the day’s events in a new calot hat in gold-beige draped straw. It’s a quietly polished look for Maria Teresa – the gold hue of the hat coordinates well with the gold threads in her dress – that feels like it might have benefit from a bit of colour added to the ensemble.

   May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats

May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats  May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer: likely Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: this hat is new
The Hereditary Grand Duchess and Princess Alexandra elected for more statement millinery pieces. Princess Stéphanie’s red headpiece of layered red banana fibre straw is embellished with a side multi-looped bow. Head wrap designs are tricky at the best of times and the placement of this one, low down on Stéphanie’s forehead, is awkward. Princess Alexandra’s hat, in navy straw, features a rounded crown, fluted wide brim and a red and white striped hatband.
May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats
My opposition to these hats is based in the styling of these ensembles- Princess Stéphanie’s businessy blazer seems an odd pairing for the headpiece (her headpiece and lace dress combo at National Day two years ago was a better combination) while Princess Alexandra’s beachy hat and summery halter dress are completely at odds with her dark leather belt, tailored jacket and pumps. The horribly matched necklines of the dress and jacket make it almost impossible for me to focus on the hat and that just makes me sad.
May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats May 6, 2018 | Royal Hats
Designer: I suspect Fabienne Delvigne for Princess Stéphanie’s red headpiece. Princess Alexandra’s hat is unknown.
Previously Worn: both are new
The annual octave procession always sees a number of Grand Ducal hats- what do you think of this trio of designs this year?
Photos from René Scho and Claude Piscitelli via Cour grand-ducale 

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

Queen Margrethe wore a floppy brimmed straw hat last Sunday on her state visit to Ghana, changing out folded scarves tied as hatbands to match her dresses (Danish Monarchy)

Nov 26, 2017 | Royal Hats Nov 26, 2017 | Royal Hats

The Earl of Wessex in naval uniform in Portsmouth on Monday to welcome a new ship to the RFA (Royal Navy)

Princess Alexandra of Hanover attended the civil marriage of her stepbrother, Prince Christian, and Alessandra de Osma on Monday in a blue veiled headpiece.

Prince Joachim at the King Hunt in Lovrup Forest on Wednesday in a fittingly green fedora (Danish Monarchy)

The Luxembourg royals hosted a concert on Wednesday night in Tokyo for their Imperial royal hosts. Princess Alexandra added diamond brooch to her hair for some lovely additional sparkle.

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The new millinery designs that stood out to me this week included:

Small but saucy vanilla felt hat with beautifully beaded hatband from Belgian milliner Amelie D’Hooghvorst
Sparkling crystal-studded black silk headpiece designed and worn by British milliner Laura Cathcart
Beautiful navy boater with veil and petite leather blossoms by Australian Jo Mareen Millinery
Such a pretty Breton in gradient shades of purple from Lisa Tan Millinery
Wonderfully vibrant “Lava” large saucer hat from Hong Kong based Irish milliner Noeleen Kish
Effortless striped blue beach hat with upturned brim from Australian brand Felicity Northeast Millinery
Bone leather button percher with exquisite roses and wired net brim by Jill and Jack Millinery
Leopard print trilby with eye-catching pleated ribbon hatband from American milliner Milli Starr
Black cocktail hat with dramatic straw rings and looped feathers from British master Vivien Sheriff

And the remedy for winter doldrums? Colour of course! Loving this raspberry, tangerine and turquoise straw design with rolled brim detail from Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput.

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Lovely to see Meghan Markle accompany Prince Harry to Nottingham yesterday. From what we’ve seen this week, they are going to be a formidable team.

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Of all the responses to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement this week, this one from the Duchess of Cornwall was among my favourites

With so much other news about Prince Harry this week, his response to a gift from a class of primary children slipped under the radar. It’s just wonderful.

Princess Theodora of Greece shared this lovely snap with her mother, taken this week in Copenhagen

There’s no two ways about it- these two are just great sports. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima playing steel drums today in Sint Maarten.

We end the week with a sweet peek at Prince George’s Christmas list, in his own hand, delivered in person by his father to Santa Claus during the Duke of Cambridge’s visit to Finland this week.

Photos from Hanne Juul/Billed-Bladet

Luxembourg State Visit to Japan

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Grand Duke Henri and Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg arrived in Japan today for a three day state visit.

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For the official welcome, Empress Michiko  ventured away from of her usual grey toward some colour! She topped her muted canteloupe (or peach? pumpkin? amber?) orange silk suit with a matching saucer hat trimmed in a folded bow. The high-sheen silk on the bow links with a panel of the same fabric on her jacket, drawing the pieces together and making a characteristically unified ensemble. While there’s nothing surprising about the saucer shape, the change of colour is a welcome one.

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Princess Alexandra stepped in for her mother (whose fear of flying prevented her from making the long trip) in a white suit with a feathered bandeau headpiece worn on the back of her head as a calot. It’s a more demure look than we’re used to on the young princess, likely chosen to fit with the Imperial Royal Family’s fairly conservative style. The most exciting thing about this headpiece is that it is same one that Princess Tessy wore in June 2013 for Luxembourg National Day, making me strongly suspect that it originated in the Grand Duchess’ closet.

    

  

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: June 23, 2013 by Princess Tessy 
Crown Princess Masako topped her royal blue coat with a matching hat. There are many things to like here- the hat’s wide black hatband coordinates beautifully with the black velvet collar and cuffs on Masako’s coat and the colour is SO lovely on her. I’d much prefer sharper lines on the hat (I’m not such a fan of the thick, curved brim  and a slightly different shape (nix the the slightly bulbous crown) but will settle for contentment over the saturated colour, which carries the piece.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn:  January 26, 2016
It’s always nice to see the Imperial royal ladies venture out a bit with their millinery choices- what do you think of this trio of hats today in Tokyo?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Jordan & Luxembourg Royals Attend Sandhurst Parade

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The passing out parade at Sandhurst yesterday was attended by members of the Jordan and Luxembourg royal families, on hand to offer their congratulations to Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg who were among the new graduates completing their officer training at the prestigious military academy in Surrey (Prince Wenzel of Liechtenstein and Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain were also graduates).

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King Abdallah, a 1981 graduate of the Royal Military Academy himself, stood in for Queen Elizabeth to oversee the Sovereign’s Parade.

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Grand Duke Henri, a 1975 Sandhurst graduate and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, a 2002 graduate, both attended in military uniform with caps. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore an orchid purple saucer hat in matching straw that looks to be a near identical twin to the cherry red hat she wore for Luxembourg’s National Day celebrations in June. The saucer follows a gentle curve that raises at the back and, like its twin, is simply trimmed with a looped ribbon of straw. The shape is a little too clunky (from the front, it does look like someone sat upon it), the binding a little too thick and the straw ribbon trim too random for this hat to be a winner for me. Perhaps if it had not been worn so closely to its cherry twin…

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Hereditary Grand Duchess, Princess Stéphanie, wore a pale aqua straw hat with wide, gently upswept brim on one side, trimmed with a slim layered straw hatband in the same hue that tied at the side. From the side view below, you’ll note that the hatband continued around the brim of the hat in several large loops. We haven’t seen Stéphanie in many wide brims and while I want to encourage such millinery experimentation for her, something about its combination with her dress and coat was slightly off balance. I may prefer this ensemble with the smaller, quirkier hat she originally paired with it.

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Princess Stéphanie, Aug 11, 2017 | Royal Hats
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Designer: Amelie D’Hooghvorst
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Claire wore a pale pink straw hat piped a narrow stripe of burgundy piping. From far away, the hat looks like a raised ‘slice’ brim design but it is actually a large saucer with domed crown and curved front brim. I like the side view much better than the front, where the piece unfortunately resembles a wonky, sideways-worn cowboy hat.

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Princess Claire, Aug 11, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Princess Alexandra repeated her rose-beige straw hat with pork pie crown, floppy brim and grosgrain ribbon hat band finished at the side with a flat bow. It’s not the most refined piece in her millinery closet but paired well with her navy silk dress.

Princess Alexandra, Aug 11, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 23, 2016
Thoughts about the hats in Surrey yesterday?
Grand Ducal Family, Aug 11, 2017 | Royal Hats
Photos from Getty as indicated; Cour grand-ducale / Lola Velasco  

 

Luxembourg National Day Part 2

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The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg celebrated their country’s National Day yesterday at an annual Te Deum service that saw a wonderful parade of hats. After looking at the designs worn by Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Princess Stèphanie, we now turn our focus to the remaining Luxembourgish princesses.

Princess Claire topped her pastel eyelet lace dress (ironically, the same one Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore in Norway yesterday) with a large floral headpiece in palest pink silk. As far as headpieces go, this one is fine enough but it’s pairing with this prairie dress feels juvenile and twee. Call me crazy but I think I prefer the dress with Mette-Marit’s floral wreath.

Princess Claire, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Claire, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princess Claire, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princess Claire, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new

The statement hat of the day was again worn by Princess Tessy, who topped a fabulous lace dress in a pale green avant garde hat. Consisting of a large circle of folded straw, the hat is trimmed with a mass of pink and burgundy flowers and feathers on the very top. I imagine the scattered petals placed within the hat’s fold are meant to tie in with the top trim but instead, I’m afraid they end up looking random bits escaping a giant straw taco.

Princess Tessy, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Tessy, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princess Tessy, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Tessy, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Princess Alexandra topped her eyelet lace dress with a rose-beige straw hat. The design features a Pork Pie shaped crown, floppy brim and grosgrain ribbon hat band finished at the side with a flat bow. There are some issues with this piece- the colour is blandly nondescript, the brim is too floppy, the striped straw is not refined- but somehow, I’m left liking how it works on Alexandra. In the end, it’s an interesting millinery idea that falls short a little in execution.
Princess Alexandra, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princess Alexandra, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats
Princess Alexandra, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats    Princess Alexandra, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new
That wraps up all of the royal hats we saw at this event! There were very mixed opinions for those worn by the Grand Duchess and the Hereditary Grand Duchess- what is your take on the tree above worn by these Luxembourgish princesses? What hat stood out to you most of all the ones we saw for National day yesterday?
Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats
Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg, June 23, 2016 | Royal Hats

Belgian Noble Wedding: Grand Ducal Guests

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Royal HatsWhen a noble bride’s extended family contains members of the Brazilian, Belgian and Luxembourgish aristocracy, one can expect many royal guests at the wedding! Such was the case for last weekend’s marriage of Princess Alix de Ligne and Count Guillaume de Dampierre last weekend. As the bride’s father, Prince Michel de Ligne, is a first cousin of Grand Duke Henri, most of the Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg were in Belgium for the wedding. My sincere thanks to Valentin Dupont, author of Royalement Blog, for generously sharing his photos of the event.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa repeated her black straw slice hat with ribbon twist trim, a hat that remains a great one for her. With her tan leaf trimmed suit, the hat made for a polished ensemble.

 Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, June 18, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, June 18, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 24, 2015

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie went a more vibrant route, pairing her electric blue knit dress with a sunny yellow straw picture hat. While the hat looks to feature a double brim, it is actually a simple sedge shape with pyramid top (the brim of the base hat is just above ‘s eyebrows) with a curving, wide silk edged wrap of sorts that circles around the base hat’s brim (view this video at 1:33 for a full picture) and curling blue feather trim. While I want to commend Stéphanie’s bold use of colour, I’m not sure that the hat flatters her. There’s also something about the placement of those feathers I don’t like, perhaps because they are competing with the soaring wrap on the brim.

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats  Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats  Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Princess Claire paired her peachy pink wrap dress with a coordinating straw hat trimmed in a slim cerise hatband and silk rose at the side. While the Hereditary Grand Duchess opted for too much colour, Claire’s ensemble read a little bland.

Princess Claire, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Claire, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Claire, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Princess Tessy got the colour mix in her ensemble just right, pairing her white dress and floral coat with a turquoise statement headpiece. I imagine the unique shape of this piece is meant to frame the wearer’s face… in this case, it looks more like it’s swallowing her up. With its mass of curling straw ribbon, it is fun design that I think would work better for Tessy if it was about half the size.

Princess Tessy, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Tessy, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Tessy, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 24, 2011

Princess Alexandra repeated her embellished lace headband, replacing the band’s original lime green flower with a larger one in black silk. I’m all for renovating pieces to give them new life but the mix of Alexandra’s delicate lace dress, heavy black jacket and the flapper style headpiece felt convoluted and I’m afraid, didn’t work for me.

Princess Alexandra, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats   Princess Alexandra, June 18, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: in a previous reiteration, June 24, 2015

We seldom see the Grand Ducal family at the same event (except for National Day, which is coming up on Friday this week) and my quibbles about their hats aside, it’s wonderful to see the whole family together. What do you think of the hats they wore for this wedding?

Photos from Valentin Dupont, author of Royalement Blog and Rex/Shutterstock