Christening of Prince Nicolas

Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband, Christopher O’Neill, brought their son Prince Nicolas to be christened today at the Drottningholm Palace Church. For this happy family occasion, Princess Madeleine wore a large headpiece of magenta silk flowers with a coordinating straw ribbon twist that threaded through the piece.

Princess Madeleine, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Princess Madeleine, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats    Princess Madeleine, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

 

Designer: Philip Treacy. Coat by Valentino
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Leonore was dressed up for her little brother’s big day in a headband with double side bow which coordinated with her lace trimmed grey linen dress.

Queen Silvia celebrated her first grandson with an all blue ensemble. Her exquisite coat and dress in cornflower blue silk  was topped with a silk-covered calot hat in the same hue. The hat is trimmed in monochrome feathers and a multi looped bow. While Queen Silvia has worn numerous calot hats this year, the colour of this piece is particularly beautiful on her and she looked wonderful in it.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Kerstin Carlefalk
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Victoria topped her royal purple 1960s cut dress with an equally retro pillbox hat. The shape, scale and colour of this piece are so fantastic on the crown princess that I’m left hoping that she adds a few more pillboxes to her millinery closet, soon.

Crown Princess Victoria, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats    Crown Princess Victoria, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Sofia unveiled another new fascinator for this event to top her magenta dress. In pale pink felt, this double bow was wrapped in dotted burgundy net veil. On its own, the headpiece leans toward twee but paired with this dress and her hair in ringlets, it’s an overload in pink sweetness.

Princess Sofia, October 11, 2015 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats    Princess Sofia, October 11, 2015 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats

 

Designer: Malinda Damgaard
Previously Worn: This fascinator is new.

Chris O’Neill’s mother Eva wore a grey felt percher cocktail hat trimmed in a mass of felt and silk curls. The base of the hat has exaggerated pinches that form it into a triangular shape that reminds me of a military cap. I thought the hat was shown off exceptionally well against Eva’s sleek blue coat, grey dress and charcoal accessories.

Eva O'Neill, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats    Eva O'Neill, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats

Chris’ sister, Countess Natascha Abensperg und Traun, who is one of Prince Nicolas’ godmothers, wore a large red floral headpiece that was anchored to her head with a band across her forehead. Natascha has worn dramatic hats to previous royal events (see here) but this one is several steps too far over the top for me. Chris’ other sister, Tatjana D’Abo, attended the event but photos of her have been difficult to find (feel free to post links in the comments, please!)

Countess Natascha Abensperg und Traun, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats Countess Natascha Abensperg und Traun, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats

Countess Marianne Bernadotte wore a natty little cream bowler hat trimmed with a golden brown ribbon around the base of the crown and a tulle veil. While simple, this small piece looked so stylish on the Countes, thanks to the rakish angle placed it on her head.

Countess Marianne Bernadotte, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats

And finally, Princess Christina’s daughter-in-laws Vicky Magnuson and Frida Bergström were both spotted in interesting millinery. Vicky wore a white disk saucer hat trimmed with white flowers and ribbons and navy edging around the piece. Frida wore a sage green flat headpiece of overlapping leaves, trimmed with faux jewels at the side.

Viky Magnuson and Frida Bergström, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats Frida Bergström, October 11, 2015 | Royal Hats

This Week’s Extras

Royal Hats

Empress Michiko repeated two saucer hats during a visit to Oita last weekend (Imperial Family of Japan blog)

Princess Akiko was in Wakayama last Sunday to take in part of the 70th Japanese National Sports Festival (Imperial Family of Japan blog)

During their visit to Dalarna, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia kept warm in knit hats adorned with a Swedish folk motif (Swedish Royal Court)

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, October 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

 

Royal Hats

The British Monarchy marked national poetry day with a recording of the Prince of Wales reading Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas. You can listen to it here. 

New formal portraits of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie were released (The Danish Monarchy)

Wonder what the British Royal Family was up to this week? Here are some quick video highlights (The British Monarchy)

Photo from Albert Nieboer/dpa/Corbis

Swedish Royals Attend Opening Of Parliament

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden were joined by their children this morning for the Opening of Parliament. The day’s events began with an interdenominational service at the Church of St. Nicholas which was followed by the opening ceremony of the new Swedish parliamentary session held at the Riksdagen in Stockholm. In keeping with tradition, the royal family adhered to a black and white dress code. Queen Silvia wore the white felt calot hat with small feather trim at the back that we first saw her wear earlier this year for Swedish National Day celebrations.

Designer: unknown. My guess is Kerstin Carlefalk. 
Previously Worn: June 8, 2015

Princess Victoria wore a headpiece of overlayed black and white butterflies of different sizes. At first glance, I thought it was a repeat of the headpiece she wore to this same event one year ago ( a similar stacked black and white bow) but this one, while equally twee, is different.

Crown Princess VIctoria, September 15, 2015 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats

Princess Madeleine and Crown Princess Victoria, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: Malinda Damgaard
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new. 

Princess Madeleine, who popped over from her new home in London for the event, wore a felt percher cocktail hat trimmed in black feathers and a large silk bloom. We have not seen Madeleine wear a hat for a long time and I thought this piece looked very sophisticated on her and worked wonderfully with her upswept hair. 

 Princess Madeleine, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats  Princess Madeleine, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats

Princess Madeleine, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unconfirmed. Maybe Philip Treacy?
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Sofia anchored her chignon with another black fascinator made up of straw leaves and curling feathers. Sofia wears the piece well and I suppose, is taking a gentle approach to building her millinery wardrobe. Hopefully, we’ll see her in a brimmed hat, soon.

Princess Sofia, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats  Princess Sofia, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats

Princess Sofia and Princess Madeleine, September 15, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This piece is new
The black and white dress code at this event creates elegantly unified fashion for the Swedish royals. My favourite hat, by great surprise, was the one worn by Princess Madeleine. Which one was your favourite?
Photos from Getty as indicated; David Sica via Expressen; Stella Pictures;  All Over Press; IBL; Olle Sporrong and Stella/ Robert Eklund via Expressen 

Swedish Royal Wedding

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist were married yesterday at the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace in Stockholm. While this was the final Swedish royal wedding for a generation, it was a smaller, quieter affair with more personal touches than grand fanfare. Here is a review of the headpieces and tiaras that attended this event and a look at the formal wedding portraits.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, June 13, 2015

The Bridal Couple

Swedish Royals
Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine, Princess Estelle

Extended Swedish Royals
Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitte, Princess Désirée, Princess Christina, Désirée von Bohlen und Halbach,
Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg and Countess Bettina Bernadotte of Wisborg

Danish Royals
Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie

Norwegian Royals
Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit Princess Märtha Louise

Guests from Other Reigning Royal Families
Queen Mathilde, Queen Máxima, the Countess of Wessex,
Princess Hisako of Takamado

Guests from Non- Reigning Royal Families
Princess Tatiana of Greece
Princess Ursula of Bavaria, Princess Anna of Bavaria

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, June 13, 2015

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, June 13, 2015

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, June 13, 2015 Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, June 13, 2015

Swedish Royal Wedding: The Couple

Royal Hats  Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist were married today in a ceremony held Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace in Stockholm. It was a day filled with personal touches and a couple that radiated happiness.

Prince Carl Philip, who holds rank of major the  Swedish Navy, wore the mess dress model uniform and cap circa 1878. His pale blue sash held the the Order of the Seraphim and the Star of the Order; the Order of the Polar Star cross on a black band around his neck.

Princess Sofia, as she is now known, wore a dress  by Swedish designer Ida Sjöstedt. Made of multiple shades of white silk crepe, the strapless dress was overlaid with a long sleeve, v-necked overlay of Italian silk organza appliquéd with couture lace. The lace, made by José María Ruiz, was was hand-stitched to the dress. If you look closely at the princess cut gown, you will see lace trailing down the full length of the skirt, artfully concealing the seams on the silk crepe base layer. The dress did not provide the same ‘wow factor’ that other royal wedding dresses have created but I thought it was an elegant and very beautiful choice for Sofia’s entry into royal life.

Sofia’s full length veil of silk tulle organza was edged in a wide border of hand-embroidered cotton lace. She wore it off her face, anchored into her low chignon.

Sofia’s tiara choice today was a surprise, as it is new. Announced as a gift from the King and Queen for their new daughter-in-law, the tiara features emeralds atop a base row of palmettes.  Coloured tiaras are not a usual choice for royal brides and I loved the unexpected pop of colour which blended beautifully with the traditional sprig of myrtle Sofia tucked into the back of her hair. I don’t believe the Swedish royal jewel collection has an emerald piece and this one, which is a perfect size for a petite princess, will be a great addition.

In a vast majority of the photos released, the newlyweds look to be bursting at the seams with happiness.  If you have not already seen their exuberant recessional up the aisle after the wedding service, I strongly encourage you to watch it, beginning at 44:30 in the video below. It was not a traditional choice of royal wedding recessional music but it was obviously a choice special to this couple and I adored them for it.

Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist, June 13, 2015 | Royal Hats  Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist, June 13, 2015 | Royal Hats

Embed from Getty Images