Last week Queen Margrethe and her family welcomed the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, and his wife, Jenni Haukio, for a state visit because it's about time the tiaras had a little lap around the track, some fresh air and exercise. But first: hats!
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| The airport arrival, left to right: Crown Prince Frederik (partially obscured), Crown Princess Mary, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim (behind), Princess Benedikte, Prince Henrik, Jenni Haukio, Queen Margrethe, President Niinistö. Far right, Crown Princess Mary accompanies the First Lady on a visit to the Royal Danish Fine Arts Academy. |
I just love how
into state visits the Danish royals get. Who shows up to the airport? Everybody, that's who, including Princess Benedikte and her Carmen Sandiego hat. Margrethe looks every bit the lovely Snow Queen, so long as you omit everything from the ankles on down.
The evening of the first day means gala time! The blue sash you see here is the Order of the White Rose of Finland. Margrethe wore just one section of her
Floral Aigrette Tiara, omitting the sections she usually wears on the sides of her hairdo. Mary wore
her wedding tiara, which looks a little sad to me now without its pearls, plus a
reconfigured blue lace dress. As much as I like that dress, I'm not so sure it's the best background for all the business that needs to be pinned on for these occasions - a bit busy, maybe. I know one thing for sure: someone needs an aquamarine tiara.
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| The banquet, L to R: Mary, Frederik, Marie, Joachim, Margrethe, Benedikte. Not pictured: Henrik. |
Marie in
her floral tiara obviously owns a bit of my heart in her purple number (so does Benedikte in Queen Ingrid's Star and Spike Tiara, prison stripes and all), and she's got my interest too, thanks to a little switch up she did with
the portrait of Queen Margrethe she wears on her shoulder. Arriving, above, the portrait anchors her sash - but by dinner time,
she switched sides (click here to see) to the left, where it is traditionally worn. (But it wouldn't have been the first time someone wore it on the right side for an event; Mary did so at Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, for example.)
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| The return dinner, L to R: Margrethe, Henrik, the First Lady, the President, Benedikte, Mary. Not pictured: Frederik. |
And finally, the President and First Lady held a dinner in return, with no messy pins to worry about. Benedikte held down the elegant fort while Margrethe was...Margrethe, basically, which is sort of like your childhood piano teacher all gussied up for the big recital in her finest white tights. And Mary sported what is apparently the latest in wearable tablecloths from the H&M Conscious Collection.
Who was your state visit best dressed?
Photos: Scanpix/Kongehuset/Lehtikuva/Billed Bladet/Corbis
