Tag Archives: Princess Annemarie

Bourbon Parma Wedding Ten Years On

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Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma celebrated their 10th anniversary last week. Today and tomorrow, we’ll mark this anniversary with a look back at their religious wedding.

The couple was married civilly on June 12, 2010 in Wijk bij Duurstede in the Netherlands. Their church wedding was scheduled to follow on August 28 but was postponed due to the August 18 death of the groom’s father. Following a suitable period of mourning, the wedding was held November 20, 2010 in La Cambre Abbey in Brussels, the city where the couple met. Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel was a parliamentary journalist in The Hague and Brussels for the Dutch public channel NOS while Prince Carlos w as a public affairs consultant for European Public Policy Advisors (EPPA).

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Annemarie turned to Brussels designers Jacques Devos and Pamela Hoffman for her wedding dress. They created an off-the shoulder gown in ivory silk with crossover V-neck ruched bodice and three quarter length sleeves.

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A slim silhouette followed the empire waist to the knees where it opened into a trumpet skirt. The back of the skirt flowed into a circular two meter long train.

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Annemarie wore the Dutch emerald parure tiara, a convertible piece with emeralds replaced with diamonds and pearls. Her veil was made by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgreve out of….. paper! Chosen with a concern to sustainability (it was reported that Carlos and Annemarie wanted to emphasize their concern for a more sustainable world, the veil was handpainted and, as you can see here, was indistinguishable from lace (see its detail here, here and here). The ensemble was completed with pearl and diamond drop earrings and a white and pink bouquet.

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Ten years on, this gown has held up well. The paper veil is astounding, it’s  lace pattern pairing so well with the silk gown , giving both textural contrast and interest while not throwing the overall look out of balance. That’s not to mention the million points it already earns for its sustainability. The tiara was a bit too pointy for my taste but I can appreciate how the shape mirrored the gown’s neckline and I adore how the scalloped edge of the lace veil beautifully framed Annemarie’s beaming face. The whole look suited her well.

Today, the couple are parents to two daughters, Princess Luisa and Princess Cecilia, and a son, Prince Carlos.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at hats worn by family members and royal guests to this wedding. For now, I’m curious, dearest readers- what do you think of this bridal look a decade on?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Funeral of Grand Duke Jean: Royal Guests

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The funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was attended by representatives from nearly every European royal house, many who wore hats. Out of respect for this event and the Grand Duke’s memory, this post contains photos only (no commentary) and is not open for comments.

Monarchs from Denmark, Sweden, Liechtenstein and Norway:

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Spanish, Romanian and Greek Queens:

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Dutch, British and Norwegian Royals:

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Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian and Portuguese Princesses

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Jordanian and Moroccan Royals:

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Marlene Koenig, author of Royal Musings, published a full guest list here. Representatives from numerous abolished, lesser known European monarchies (mostly French, German and Prussian) were in attendance but have not been included here- you can see them at this comprehensive post over at Luxarazzi.

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

Quick note before we get into the news- I’m setting off on vacation today until October 20. I have prepared a post to keep you entertained each day while I am away and have kept comments open for you to chat among yourselves and share any hats worn that day. Between the Danish opening of parliament next Tuesday and the Dutch state visit to Portugal the week after, there will certainly be hats for you to share and discuss. See you in three weeks!

King Carl Gustaf and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in military berets on Tuesday in Sörmland

The Duke of Cambridge accompanied Queen Elizabeth to church last Sunday in Scotland

Princess Annemarie of Bourbon Parma in a large, rounded beige pillbox in Italy

Queen Rania and King Abudllah attending their nation’s annual Flag Parade yesterday held at the Royal Hashemite Court’s Al Rayah parade ground.

Princess Kiko in a simple, cream, short brimmed hat with pleated ecru hatband this week in Chile.

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A number of new designs stood out to me this week:

Stylised black and white fedoras with saucy brims from Melbourne based Jill and Jack Millinery
Striking red looped ‘half turban’ with black and cream poppies from Louise MacDonald
Major statement halo hat in orange and turquoise straw from Felicity Northeast millinery
Retro fuschia felt hat with black patent leather hatband and bow from Rachel Trevor Morgan
Citrus hued leather percher with oversized magnolias from Melbourne based Murley & Co. Millinery
Stunning vertical saucers in black felt and gold straw from Irish brand Montgomery Millinery
Black boater with lace applique trim from Melbourne based Ezara/J Millinery
Red felt fedora with detachable flower trim from Bundle MacLaren

And this beautiful black teardrop cocktail hat with crin trim from Tracy Miller Designs.

 Royal Hats

Charming retelling of a young photographer’s sitting with the Queen at Balmoral (Guardian)

Saudi King Salman made a landmark decree this week that will allow women some long awaited freedom (Reuters)

Queen Rania shared this sweet snap this week in celebration of Princess Iman and Princess Salma’s birthdays

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene attended the inaugural ‘Monte-Carlo Gala For The Global Ocean’ gala on Thursday night in what might by my favourite evening look for the princess to date.

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The Dutch monarchy released stunning new portraits of Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Arianne, taken by Erwin Olaf

We end the week with a clip of Prince Harry watching volleyball at the Invictus games, seated next to Hayley and Emily Henson, wife and daughter of Harry’s friend, former Invictus athlete David Henson. So sweet.

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

The Duke of Parma and Princess Annemarie presented their son, Prince Carlos Enrique of Bourbon-Parma at a Te Deum at the Monastery of Santa Ana in Barcelona last weekend. Princess Annemarie wore cream tam o’shanter style hat (Getty)

Lalla Salma of Morocco in a chic royal blue fedora on a recent trip to Paris (Noblesse & Royautés Blog)

Princess Beatrice donned a fun feline costume complete with jewelled headpiece for the annual UNICEF ball

On the last day of their state visit to Germany, King Carl Gustaf donned a dapper navy fedora hat (Swedish Royal Court)

Queen Sonja was joined by members of the Norwegian royal family for the private funeral of her brother (Svenskdam)

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel attended an event at the Grand Hôtel Stockholm. The large costume jewelled brooch in her hair makes for a fun and informal tiara alternative.

Royal Hats

Candid interview with Princess Beatrice and how she sees her dyslexia as a gift (Express)

Troubling news from Sweden that Princess Christina has withdrawn from duties to undergo treatment for chronic leukemia (Swedish Royal Court)

Lovely portrait of Prince Christian released for the occasion of his 11th birthday. It was a great counterpoint to news also from the Danish Court that Crown Prince Frederick fractured his neck in an incident involving a trampoline (something his mother had a quick response for). It appears he will make a full recovery.

Christening of Prince of Bourbon Parma

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Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie of Bourbon Parma hosted numerous events in Piacenza and Parma, Italy this weekend in celebration of their son’s christening. At a mass on Saturday held at Santa Maria della Steccata Basilica, Prince Carlos officially ‘showed’ little Prince Carlos Enrique to the people of Piacenza. For this event, Princess Annemarie topped a draped blue chiffon dress with a twisted white silk headpiece.

Princess Annemarie, Sep 24, 2016 | Royal Hats   Princess Annemarie, Sep 24, 2016 | Royal Hats
Princess Annemarie, Sep 24, 2016 | Royal Hats   Princess Annemarie, Sep 24, 2016 | Royal Hats
Designer: Eudia
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new

For the christening yesterday, Princess Annemarie chose a dress and cocktail hat in a deeper shade of blue. The hat features a beret base trimmed with a large flat bow and swath of crin that encircles most of the design like a sort of flying brim. It’s a lovely colour on Annemarie but the near vertical placement was awkward- I would have much preferred to see this piece placed up and forward, perched down over her hairline on the right side of her forehead.

Princess Annemarie, Sep 25, 2016 | Royal Hats
Princess Annemarie, Sep 25, 2016 | Royal Hats   Princess Annemarie, Sep 25, 2016 | Royal Hats
Princess Annemarie, Sep 25, 2016 | Royal Hats
Designer: Eudia
Previously Worn:This hat is new

Queen Máxima used this occasion to debut a new hat with interesting history. During her June 10 visit to Urk, local milliner Hoedenhuis Kaptein gave it to her as a gift.

 While we don’t often see gifted items wore publicly, Queen Máxima surprised yesterday by wearing this hat. In pale grey straw, this design features an intended crown and slightly curved brim; it is trimmed with a white hat band and small grey bow at the side with trailing tails. I really like the strong shape of this piece on Máxima – we see so many repeated shapes on her and it’s wonderful to see something completely different- and think it could be a great design for her but I’m not sure its pairing with her delicate teal lace Dolce & Gabbana dress showed the hat to its best. I think this is an occasion where the individual pieces of this ensemble work better separately than they do together.

 

Queen Máxima, Sep 25, 2016 in Hoedenhuis Kaptein | Royal Hats  Queen Máxima, Sep 25, 2016 in Hoedenhuis Kaptein | Royal Hats

Queen Máxima, Sep 25, 2016 in Hoedenhuis Kaptein | Royal Hats

Designer: Hoedenhuis Kaptein Urk
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Viktoria was the only other member of the Bourbon Parma family in millinery of any description, a small pink fascinator floral pouf made from heat shaped petals. The scale feels too small for her and it’s far too twee for my liking, particularly in combination with her clunky heart shaped necklace.
Princess Viktoria of Bourbon Parma, Sep 25, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princess Viktoria of Bourbon Parma, Sep 25, 2016 | Royal Hats
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new
It is always lovely to see hats at this type of royal family event, even though I would have liked small tweaks on each of the ensembles we saw yesterday. Did any hats here stand out to you? And what do you think about Queen Máxima wearing a gifted piece?
Photos from Albert Nieboer as indicated;  Albert Nieboer, Albert Nieboer,  Albert Nieboer, Albert Nieboer, Jeroen van der Meyde via PPE; Patrick van Katwijk via Monarchy Press;  Albert Nieboer, Albert Nieboer, Albert Nieboer via PPE; Marco Vasini; Albert Nieboer, Albert Nieboer and Albert Nieboer via PPE