Visiting the province of Vlaams-Brabant; visiting La Hulpe
I was surprised to see Mathilde in this suit - somehow it feels like we've been seeing the same old stuff from her for a while now - and I was even more surprised to see that I like it so much. And then we were back to some of the same old, but thankfully it was one of the better ones from the same old category.
Most Dubious Accessorizing
Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Princess Victoria
Mette-Marit accompanies King Harald to open celebrations for 100 years of women's suffrage in Norway; Victoria receives the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament
That's just a lot of business happening there, on Mette-Marit. Lovely pieces on their own, together...not so much. And I like Victoria's earrings, and that's about it. But she gets a pass, as her dark clothing turned out to be sadly appropriate.
Speaking of dark clothing, I'm throwing in a bonus Tiara Watch post here, as Sweden held a tiara event on Monday. The state visit from the President of Turkey was already postponed once (it was supposed to be in September), so the show had to go on despite the unfortunate timing just one day after Princess Lilian's death. I'm sure she of all people understood that the show must go on.
The visit is being conducted in mourning, so black clothes it was. Victoria is wearing the brooch she wore the day of her engagement press conference, which was a gift from Lilian, and which makes me a little teary.
The brooch from Lilian
The gala dinner was still sparkling, tiaras and all. Proper mourning jewelry (pieces made in jet and the like, for the days when mourning lasted months and attire was extremely restricted) is gone from many royal collections these days; mourning periods aren't as official and extensive as they once were. The Swedish ladies at the gala dinner did a modern take: black dresses, and a mix of their regular jewels.
Video: The gala dinner
Silvia wore the Pronger, Princess Christina wore the Four Button Tiara, and Victoria wore the Cut Steel Bandeau. A little selection of three of my least favorite Swedish jewels, but appropriate nevertheless, particularly Victoria's steel choice (plus, she is again wearing Lilian's brooch).
