Sunday Tidbits for January 18: Birthday Portraits Galore and More

It's double the birthday girls and a potential for a dash of royalty in an area near you (uh, if you live in very specific areas) in this week's batch of tidbits. Read on:

--A new portrait was released to celebrate Princess Michael of Kent's 70th birthday last week, featuring her cuddling her cat while sporting one of her tiaras (the Kent Festoon Tiara, which was worn to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation). We've reached peak Princess Michael, with just one image. [Hello US]

--And two new shots of the Countess of Wessex have also been released, in advance of her 50th birthday. Alas, they feature neither tiaras nor cats. [Countess of Wessex Blog]

--Are you anywhere near Sydney, Australia? You can see the Australian Wattle Brooch in person, lucky you. It's on loan to the Powerhouse Museum as part of a jewelry exhibit through April. [Powerhouse Museum, with thanks to commenter Kathy]

--Heads up, northern California: Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are visiting you. They've already arrived, with Princess Estelle, but the visit officially runs Monday through Wednesday. They'll be in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. [Svenskdam]

--The International Circus Festival in Monaco is Princess Stephanie's big event each year, and it's been in full swing this week. Prince Albert gives it an awkward thumbs up. [Paris Match]

--This story about the Duchess of Cornwall sending a bouquet to a longtime royal watcher who missed Christmas at Sandringham is so sweet. [EDP24]

--The Japanese imperial family really loves their court dress this time of the year. They were back at it with the New Year's poetry reading this week. I'm so happy that Princess Kako was allowed something beyond the deeply unflattering hat that she got last time, I'll overlook the spread of glorified headband hats. [Imperial Family of Japan Blog, ANN News video]

--And finally, over at the Jewel Vault, I broke down the jewelry additions from the royal gift lists for 2014.