As it turns out, the dinner held by Queen Beatrix this evening was indeed black tie as many had suspected – but it was black tie with tiaras! Maybe those royals really do love us magpies after all. Gowns and tiaras, with no further ado…
Best in Surprises
Queen Beatrix
L to R: Princess Máxima, Queen Beatrix, Princess Laurentien
We didn’t get to see the Stuart Tiara, but the ladies threw us a few surprises anyway. At first glance, it seemed Máxima (curiously wearing a repeated Valentino dress, which is ever so Máx but not exactly right for these jewels, methinks) had worn the Stuart Diamond as a pendant. But a better look proved that it is not that pear drop delight after all (still, a treasure from the depths of the vault). Fear not, Stuart lovahs, for Laurentien still has a treat for you: her bow brooch comes from that same mega-parure…so maybe, just maybe, the whole thing has had its shoes polished and its hair trimmed and is ready to roll whenever Queen Máx says so. Since we didn’t get to see the Stuart, though, my best surprise goes to the Queen Bea, because she’s put the additional pearls on the tip top of the Württemberg tiara once again – that’s a big gun farewell for her!
L to R: Princess Mabel, Princess Margriet, Princess Christina, Princess Irene
Just as Máx repeated her swishiest red, so did Mabel. Not exactly my pick for a flattering gown, but she’s there, so there’s that. Princess Margriet and Christina went the understated and lovely route, and Irene went the picnic tablecloth route. Margriet wins because I do like seeing her reunited with her wedding tiara. (They’ve emptied a good chunk of the vault tonight…can we refine our guesses for Máx for tomorrow?)
L to R: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan, Crown Princess Sarah of Brunei
Stepping outside of the Dutch royals, first we have the ladies that stick to traditional types of dress from their home countries. They all look lovely – but look! Lalla Salma is wearing a tiara! Pretty sure that hasn’t happened since her wedding day, so this is a big.jewel.deal. She shares the title with Sarvath, though, because of purple.
Tiara inventory: Lalla Salma’s rocking diamonds with cut outs, like a converted necklace, Sarvath is in diamond floral (the same as Princess Zeina wore on her wedding day, I think), and Sarah is wearing her wedding tiara.
Best in…Nice Try, Dear
Princess Letizia
L to R: Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess of Asturias, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
I don’t have a Worst title to dish out tonight, but there were a few ladies that get simple pats on the head from me. Nice try…but not quite, my loves. First, we have Sophie and Camilla, who get a meh for the dresses (with an extra eh? for Cams who has chosen to stitch together two different gowns at the strangest place) but a whoop! for the Big Mama Fringe and Big Mama Boucheron tiaras. Then we have Stéphanie, who is wearing Elie Saab. And let this be a lesson to those of you that say I like anyone just because of Saab: this isn’t working. The styling, the hair, the security blanket wrap, nah. There’s Mette-Marit on the edge there, and, well, it’s not quite as nightgown-y as I thought it might be at first glance. (Blah blah damning with faint praise blah blah.) Finally, I know many of you are loving Letizia this evening, and while I’m not quite on board with you there, she has ended a loooong tiara drought and she has done so in perhaps my favorite Spanish tiara, so huzzah and such for that.
L to R: Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
You know, Mathilde is worth following just for the one or two evening appearances a year where she truly knocks it out of the park – and this is one. The train, the extra jewels (Queen Fabiola’s brooch on her shoulder), delicious. Equally delicious is Victoria, who is pretty much wearing all of my favorite things, but that’s still not enough to take this prize from Mary. This dress, this dress, I’m obsessed with this dress! Enchanting. Enough so that I shall forgive her for the piddly tiara and give her my Best Dressed crown to wear instead.
