Random Royal Appreciation: Queen Beatrix in Luxembourg

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Grand Duke Henri and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg kick off the Dutch state visit
Queen Beatrix is on a state visit to Luxembourg at the moment, a country (and royal family) with which she has numerous close ties. She's traveling without her usual state visit partners in crime Willem-Alexander and Máxima, but she's found a friend just as sparkly in Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.

The state banquet
Tiaras (the larger Luxembourg floral tiara for MT, Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara for Bea) and sparkly dresses (including Elie Saab) and gents in uniform? That's, like, all my favorite things in one place. This was one blinding state banquet - click here to see a video clip.

Concert on day 2
The second night was not so grand, but I am still noting with glee that Maria Teresa appears to have a hairdresser - quite a step for a lady known for plopping a tiara on any old loose hair.

Other visit outfits from the ladies
While Bea has been, well, her usual sartorial self, I'm thoroughly impressed with the grand duchess. This is bordering on gold star territory for me, though no doubt many of you will disagree. Somebody's been on an Elie Saab shopping spree, and it's paying off.

Elie Saab on the runway
I feel like we've seen a lot of wraps and other things covering up Maria Teresa's shape lately, and it's nice to see her embrace it. And no one knows how to do that better than Elie Saab - she's even scooped up the blue sequin gown that initially had me thinking Crown Princess Victoria was wearing Saab at the Nobel Prize ceremony in December (she wasn't - it was Pär Engsheden).

The visit ends today.

Photos: Daylife/Reuters/Getty Images/Dutch Photo Press/Style.com