Crown Princess Mary wore this red Uffe Frank gown to the gala held before her wedding to Frederik in 2004. She wore it with the full Danish Ruby Parure. The dress has appeared several times since, including at an exhibit and for an official portrait.
So I was watching the documentary De Kongelige Juveler (The Royal Jewels) the other day - again - as one does - and I was reminded just how much I adore Mary's pre-wedding gala gown. Actually, it's not really the gown so much as that entire first appearance, because the whole thing was geared to make the most of the ruby set. She'd already worn the rubies with her hair up and a pale gown during the pre-wedding events, so swapping to red to make the most of their color and framing them differently by wearing her hair down really had great impact. She's worn the dress since with her wedding tiara instead, but it's just not the same.Video: The pre-wedding gala, Mary and Frederik's arrival
But worn just like this - without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite royal gala appearances.My re-watch was inspired by a lovely reader that wrote in about discovering the documentary. We've talked about it here in the past, but if you've never seen it, it's well worth your time. Part 1, focusing on Scandinavian jewels and featuring interviews with Queen Margrethe, Queen Silvia, and Mary herself, can be found here. Part 2 focuses on Russian jewels, and that can be found here. Enjoy!
Photos: Reuters/Scanpix/Kongehuset