Tag Archives: Princess Alexandra (Lux)

Luxembourg National Day

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Members of the Grand Ducal family celebrated their country’s national holiday yesterday with a military parade and Te Deum thanksgiving mass.

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Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore a formed calot hat in vibrant chartruese straw.

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It’s no secret that I love a wide-brimmed hat but large hats simply doesn’t suit all people. Wide brims often overwhelm Maria Teresa- the shape and scale of this one are really good on her and the punchy colour makes it stand out. The navy and chartreuse scheme of this ensemble is an unexpectedly good one and I really like the coordination of sleeve beading with the hat

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Designer: unknown. Dress by Lanvin.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie wore a wired headpiece of cream, pink and blue flowers and shells made of porcelain. It’s a delicate piece that pairs well with her pale pink dress and upswept hairstyle.

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Designer: Sylvia Martinez. Dress by Paule Ka.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Alexandra wore a natural straw oversize cloche hat with extended brim bound in black ribbon. While I like the contrast provided by the brim’s binding, it brings the focus of the hat down to the brim edge- maybe a black Petersham ribbon hatband would restore balance? I’m also struggling to see the connection between the hat and Alexandra’s blue suit.

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Designer: unknown. Suit was previously worn by Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

It was a quieter group of hats this year for Luxembourg’s national day- what do you think of this trio?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Funeral of Grand Duke Jean: Family

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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 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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.
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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