Last night, April 15, Queen Margrethe held a Gala Dinner at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was the first of two gala dinners this week in celebration of Margrethe’s 75th birthday. The second dinner is tonight, on her actual birthday. The first gala was attended by many monarchs (and their spouses) from across Europe. No one from the British Royal Family was there. The gala was a white tie event with tiaras and orders.
The menu consisted of a first course of halibut, herb salad, and scallops and lumpfish roe. The second course had beef tenderloin, pommes rosti, white asparagus and pearl onions, with a sauce of morels and beech hats. The third course had cream cheese flan and pear and truffle vinaigrette. And the final course was birthday cake.
Queen Margrethe wore a gorgeous red gown. I love the skirt and the color but I’m not a huge fan of how busy the top part of the dress is because it conflicts with the business of the brooch and orders. But Daisy still looks great. She wore the Danish Floral Wreath Tiara with the Pearl Ruby Set (necklace, brooch, earrings) from the Crown Jewels. She wore the Order of the Elephant (Denmark). Prince Henrik has the flu and was unable to attend.
Crown Princess Mary wore a repeated Birgit Hallstein gown which I think looks very pretty. Mary wore the Danish Ruby Parure (tiara, earrings, bracelet, and hair pins). Crown Prince Frederik wore his military uniform. They both wore the the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
Princess Marie decided she didn’t want to get left out of the All Lace Dress Club and went with a long-sleeved navy lace peplum gown. I’m so sick of peplums and lace. Marie wore the Diamond Floral Tiara, sapphire earrings, and the sapphire, pearl, and diamond brooch she wore last week – which used to belong to Queen Alexandrine – as a necklace. Prince Joachim wore his military uniform. They both wore the the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece attended the gala dinner as part of the Danish Royal Family – Anne-Marie is Margrethe’s sister. Anne-Marie wore a floral patterned gown and Greek Emerald Parure (tiara – with five giant emeralds and diamond E shapes – earrings, necklace, brooch). They both wore the the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
Princess Benedikte was also there in a salmon-y pink flow-y dress which is perfectly acceptable for her but probably wouldn’t work on anyone else. She wore the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara (from her husband’s family) and the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
Queen Letizia wore a black and white, tiered floral pattern dress, carried a black Manila shawl, and wore black Magrit peep toe heels. Leti wore Australian pearl earrings, an art deco Cartier bracelet, and Bvlgari ring. Both Leti and King Felipe wore the Order of Charles III (Spain).
Letizia debuted a new tiara: the Ansorena Fleur de Lys Tiara (also called the “Princess” Tiara). The tiara was made by Ansorena in white gold and consists of 450 brilliant cut diamonds, ten Australian pearls, and 3,000 gemstones. The center piece is in the shape of the fleur de lys, which can be removed and used as a brooch. It was supposedly a fifth wedding anniversary gift from Felipe in 2009, though it might have been a gift from the jewelry which might explain why Leti hid it away for six years before finally wearing it.
Queen Maxima wore um… black with beading and tiers of fringe. This is not my favorite. Max wore the Dutch Diamond Bandeau Tiara, diamond earrings, and diamond bow brooch. Both she and King Willem-Alexander wore the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
Queen Silvia wore pale pink and a furry jacket. She wore the Leuchtenberg Sapphire parure (tiara, earrings, necklace). Both she an King Carl XVI Gustaf wore the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
Queen Mathilde wore a shiny but very beautiful berry-colored, off-the-shoulder Armani Privé gown. In the second tiara debut of the night, Mathilde wore the Nine Provinces Tiara (which has a base of a Greek key motif and eleven diamonds on top with diamond surrounds). Mathilde wore the Order of Leopold (Belgium), while King Philippe wore the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).
King Harald of Norway was there. He few solo.
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt was there. She wore a very similar dress to Crown Princess Mary. Is it bad that I like Helle’s dress better?
Best dressed for the night, for me, were: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Crown Princess Mary, and Queen Mathilde.
Links: Spanish article about Letizia’s tiara. Daily Mail. Daily Mail.
Oh, I feel sad that a muppet had to sacrifice its life for Maxima’s dress. It is just terrible.
I actually like Daisy’s dress better than Mary or Marie’s. I usually love Letizia’s style too, but I think that she missed this time. Mathilde tried hard, but the dress is about 10 years out of style, but I do adore the colour. The Danish Prime Minister looked lovely and I agree better than Mary, but I would have liked to have seen a little something on the skirt.
Of Course, I am sitting here judging them wearing an old comfy nighty, so I am no great judge LOL.
Ah, Maxima – a strange and not that flattering dress *sigh*. At least she wore that nice headband with those BIG HONKING DIAMONDS!!! 😉
Hi AH,
I’m not a huge fan of headbands but if I owned that one I would be wearing it everywhere I went!! I like this bandeau tiara better than some “regular” tiaras I’ve seen.
I would just wear it around the house in my PJs. It is a particular favorite of mine.
I think it would look particularly spectacular with PJs.
That tiara with some fun pjs would be great!
QM II is lovely and like HM QEll – are well respected
Quite a few Monarchs celebrate birthdays in April and it’s lovely to see all together. Prince Albert C Sophie Wessex should have represent HM/BRF.
Q Maxima and Leticia seem to have a bit similar black embellishment to their gown.
She is genuinely loved, that was certainly something that became quite clear during this days coverage – lots of electronic birthday greetings on DR’s website, lots of people out in the streets.
I’m going to insert my praise for that bluegreen suit of hers from the balcony. She needs that style in every color in the rainbow.
It was a very flattering cut and a lovely colour.
That tiara makes me want to weep with joy.
Isn’t that tiara really something. Talk about a statement piece!
Jesper Høvring (fantastic dressmaker himself) told yesterday on TV2 that the lace on CP Mary dress is antique and had been restaured for her. It is made as a jacquet so the dress can be used with other tops.
Taking a closer look, it does appear to be an overlay on top of a strapless blush pink dress. I bet it would look great over a darker color, maybe maroon or burgundy. too
Yes, the lace is stiched onto a nude mesh netting that is almost invisible.
It doesn’t scream antique/vintage lace to me. Was he talking about this dress, or did she change her dress at the last minute and he was describing the dress he thought she was going to wear?
I’m confused because I don’t see how it can be used as a jacket. There are no fastenings down the front, and when I look at the rear view, I don’t see fasteners in the back either. Does it go on over the head?
I feel like we’ve seen this exact ovals pattern on her on a pencil skirt. Maybe in white or blue. Does that ring any bells?
I’m trying to figure out if there is a special pattern in the top of Margrethe’s dress. Is the darker red a modern daisy design?
I’m a bit confused about the jacket comment as well. It may be that the lace was salvaged from a jacket?
Daisy’s red dress is indeed new and it is a bit of a departure from her usual look where her ball gowns have these huge skirts. She likes bright colours very much but I’m not keen on this dress, aminly because the asymmetrical neckline is a bit off and I really dislike transparent lace sleeves. On the other hand, I love the Floral Aigrette Tiara.
I really like how the skirt of the red gown moves, but the top has me scratching my head.
I did find this blog post that has some photos of the construction of the Hallstein, but it still isn’t clear to me how this is a jacket.
http://styleofmary.blogspot.com/2013/04/coronation-in-hollandday-1-dinner.html
I don’t see a jacket either. Maybe Høvring remember wrong?
I did notice the movements of Daisy’s skirt and found it very flattering but the bodice and sleeves are not my cup of tea. I looove her pearl brooch though – it is gorgeous and I covet it.
Finally found it on another site where someone else had done the research. She wore this in 2008 or 2009. No clue as to the designer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/lotte52/drws2/08vi/527945.jpg
haha that muppet line is great
I love Maxima’s look – no one pulls it off like she does!
Can we send Letizia some cheeseburgers? She looks scary thin. I like her new tiara though.
Not surprised at the overall lackluster fashion, they are just going to a “birthday party.”
I so agree with you about Letizia. The woman looks like she doesn’t eat enough.
She looks like she eats enough calories to get through a day without collapsing. Not pretty. Sort of the same look Kate had slightly prewedding, and the year after. Too skinny. Couture darlings, though, wink wink
I think it’s common to women who enter the public eye. Kate’s gone through the same thing. She’s thinner now than she was before she got engaged and married. I’m not finding fault; I’d probably obsess about it too, but Letizia doesn’t look healthy slim to me. That’s partially why I like Maxima. She is who she is and she’s not a waif by a long shot. I think she looks great.
Her sisters are (or sadly, were) small-boned and petite too. I don’t think she’s skinnier now than she was before they got married. Standing next to Felipe anybody is going to look little. Ray, she isn’t wearing model size things off the runway. Her clothes are mostly custom made by Varela or off-the-rack Zara.
Sharing these because they’re so cute
http://img.spokeo.com/public/900-600/queen_sofia_of_spain_2003_11_06.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wD1b8Wl6UPg/Unpegk7fEOI/AAAAAAAAE6Q/ggQoCot91BM/s1600/letizia+engagement.jpg
Very cute! She looks good in white – and he’s just very handsome though I like him better with the beard.
I just love the affection these two show for each other. They are very cute together.
Those are lovely photos Twopence. I think her face looks a bit fuller but I never did think she weighed much. She looks really thin now; that first photo up top almost made me gasp looking at her arm.
If you look at the engagement announcement, the sleeves of her trouser suit are baggy. I remember reading she didn’t like to wear skirts because her legs were her least favorite feature. Maybe she thought her legs and arms were too bony or thin? I think she’s just naturally tiny.
From 10 years ago
http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2004/07/30/danishfashion/imgs/arrivals-1b.jpg
From a few years ago
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000h0EehVQ6NGA/s/750/750/Copa-DeL-Rey-ukp-93.jpg
http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Princess+Sofia+King+Felipe+VI+Spain+29th+Copa+sckUGjVThLDl.jpg
Sorry for the huge link, but I’d never seen this cute one before. Also from years ago.
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/51152560-crown-prince-felipe-of-spain-and-his-wife-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=OCUJ5gVf7YdJQI2Xhkc2QGdOZNJbaj5sbHis7MSyI4g%2BAqpg6%2FT4kN7LpUC%2FCCXfeSeUgTXivMQjROiaSjSv1A%3D%3D
Trying again
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/51152560-crown-prince-felipe-of-spain-and-his-wife-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=OCUJ5gVf7YdJQI2Xhkc2QGdOZNJbaj5sbHis7MSyI4g%2BAqpg6%2FT4kN7LpUC%2FCCXfeSeUgTXivMQjROiaSjSv1A%3D%3D
The coverage has been really intense here in Denmark during this week with severalin-depth interviews with QMII published.
…they thought QMll is abdicating (!)
With her cousin, DOE Prince Philip dedicated longevity as consort to our beloved dedicated QEll; and QMII sister Q Ann Marie, I doubt very much QM will.
Prince Edward C/Sophie should have represent or PR Anne/Zara or P Beatrice (P Anne would have had conflict in schedule as the Wessex).
No one in Denmark thinks that QMII will ever abdicate! She has stated several times that she’ll stay in her job until she dies. A possible abdication hasn’t been broached at all except from one tabloid that tried to manufacture a fake controversy between the Queen and the Crown Prince. The subject is moot, the same way it is moot in Britain. No Danish monarch has ever abdicated voluntarily. Some have been deposed and/or imprisoned, which is quite different.
Looks like the dinner was only for sovereigns and family. Those lower down in the food chain weren’t invited to the evening event. If the BRF wasn’t going to send the Queen or Philip, anyone less than Charles would have been an insult at that party.
The BRF cannot send Zara or Beatrice as representatives, because neither of those women are working royals and cannot be treated as such. They are not allowed to represent Her Majesty at events. These are the only allowed representatives: Queen and Prince Philip; Charles and Camilla; Bill and Kate; Harry (deployed in Australia); Andrew; Edward and Sophie (currently in Africa); Anne; the Gloucesters; Duke of Kent; Princess Alexandra.
They have to choose from that list. They cannot send Zara or Beatrice. Period.
Not exactly true. Princess Beatrice of York as well as her sister Princess Eugenie, represented their father at the 10th anniversary memorial event for Diana, Princess of Wales. The girls explicitly represented the Queen at a series of public events in Germany in 2013 at the formal request of 10 Downing Street. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have represented the Queen at the Belize independence celebrations and the King’s coronation in Swaziland. The Princesses are explicitly members of the British Royal Family. They will only carry out limited public duties but they are full members of the Royal Family and can represent the Crown and the British government if they are asked to. That is the thing; they are rarely going to be asked, though with Willy and Waity’s (lack of a) work ethic, I suspect they may be called upon more often than wished. They don’t have to “choose” from that list. The Queen in conjunction with the Government, can send whomever the devil she wishes.
In 15 years, the Queen and the Duke will be dead. The Duke of Gloucester will be 85, the Duchess, 84 (presuming they are still living). The Duke of Kent will be either 95 or dead. His sister will be 94 or dead. The Prince of Wales will be 82 (and likely King), the Duchess of Cornwall, 83. The Princess Royal will be 80. Between the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and the Princess Royal, they carried out 1,694 engagements in 2013. You’re going to tell me that Camilla (who has vertigo among other problems), Willy, Waity and Harry are going to pick up the slack? The Unholy Trinity did a combined 158 engagements in 2013. Charles will be King, so he’ll have a lot of ceremonial events, meetings with governmental ministers etc. and 3-4 hours of paperwork every day to do. Either there will be a lot fewer public appearances for the Royal Family (and a marked decrease in popularity as a result) or the ‘younger’ royals (the Duke of York, the Wessexes, and the Yorks) will have to pick up A LOT of the slack.
“A Buckingham Palace spokesman said they were hand-picked by the Prime Minister’s office at Downing Street to attend, saying: ‘Number Ten asked them to take part.’”
That isn’t the same as representing HM as official working royals supported by the Sovereign Grant. Charles will never allow them to be “picked” for these types of things once HM is gone. Like Beatrice visiting the Middle East with her father; that was a vacation for her but she wasn’t there officially representing British business.
There is a lot of splitting hairs when it comes to these two. They aren’t in the stable of working royals and they aren’t going to be. The more people confuse that, the more excuses some take to bash Beatrice and Eugenie in comparison to Middleton.
I can hear it now. “Beatrice and Eugenie should do engagements and let Kate be a stay-at-home mother. How mean and jealous of them not to do that.” NO you fanatics, they aren’t allowed to be working royals but Middleton is REQUIRED to be one.
Peter, Zara, Beatrice, and Eugenie (and Louise and James) are out-of-the-running as working royals. They never would have represented HM at something like the Denmark event. Charles is the one who has made the choice, he’s the one who will have to deal with his lazy son and daughter-in-law.
Bill and Kate have made it clear that they plan on doing the bare minimum always, and the thousands of engagements done by the BRF now will not continue once Charles is king.
This slimming down causes wrinkles in the future regarding Counselors of State, if Beatrice and Eugenie aren’t working royals, but he’ll have to figure that out himself.
Actually My2Pence, unless there is a change of law, Princess Beatrice of York will be required to serve as a Counsellor of State unless Charles ascends the throne after July 22, 2031. That is because the law requires that the first four people over the age of 21 in line of succession are to act as Counsellors of State. When Charles ascends the throne, the Counsellors of State will presumably be: Camilla, William, Harry, Andrew and Beatrice. Unless there is some type of radical change to install Kate in Beatrice’s place, that is how the Regency Act 1937 as currently written, is. She WILL be eligible and named as a Counsellor of State. Kate can’t be b/c she is not in the line of succession and never will be. She will likely be named a Counsellor if Willy takes the throne but not yet. I don’t mean to be rude to you, I respect your opinion and your insight is often valuable, but in this instance you are absolutely wrong. Unless the Regency Act of 1937 is modified or changed, Princess Beatrice of York will be eligible to act as a Counsellor of State until Prince George’s 18th birthday (presuming William is on the throne) or 21st birthday if Charles still is. That is the way it is in the matters of Counsellors of State. If you don’t like it, write to David Cameron and Buckingham Palace about it. That’s the law. Period.
Seth that’s what I was trying to say, but saying it badly.
Charles is booting out Beatrice and Eugenie as working royals supported by the Sovereign Grant, but odds are Beatrice at least will be end up as a Counselor of State even if she isn’t allowed to be an official working royal.
It depends on how long Andrew lives, and if he lives until George is 21, but odds are good Beatrice and/or Eugenie may end up as CofState for a time. Tricky if they’re not working royals and both are living outside the UK.
Impossible My2Pence for them to be Counsellors of State if they officially have moved to America. One of the requirements is that they must be domiciled in the U.K… though I suppose the question is, as a titled royal, are they allowed to not be domiciled in the UK? For someone like Peter Phillips who’s not an official royal or an ex-royal like Sarah, Duchess of York, there’s probably not much of a problem. Would there be a problem if Bea changed her residence officially to America? It’s probably academic since she has an apartment at St. James’s Palace; I presume that means she’s still a UK subject.
Tiaras here, tiaras there, tiaras and fabulous jewels everywhere!!
The birthday girl look great. I agree about the busyness of the top. It would have been better without the brooch, but you can’t deny her her jewels!
I actually really liked Mary’s look. Fred looked like a little boy playing dress up. Is it just me, or is Marie addicted to peplums? Does she favor them because she has narrow hips?
Queen Anne-Marie and her emeralds…wow!! Love those!!
Max really let me down with this outfit. I was even underwhelmed by the tiara. Maybe it was the dress bringing it all down. Just didn’t work.
Little Leti and her new tiara looked good. Felipe is just gorgeous to me.
Queen Silvia brought it, but she usually does. And I really like her handbag.
Giant sigh, no BRF representation. Maybe they are just going to fade off into oblivion.
And extra points to Silvia for having a sling for her injured arm made from the same fabric as her dress!
Today is Daisy’s actual birthday and it is really a big public party. She was woken by the public and her guests with a morning song at Fredernsborg Castle. Then there was a huge greeting for her and her family at Amalieborg Palace Square where the entire family appeared on the balcony followed by a carriage ride through Copenhagen to the Town Hall where she was feted with lunch, music and gifts as well as another balcony appearance and a nine-fold hurrah. People are out in the streets by the thousands and there’s a lovely festive atmosphere. Tonight there’ll be a “private” dinner at Fredensborg Castle with a few extra royal guests in addition to those that attended last night’s Gala Dinner. Cp Victoria as well as CP Haakon and Mette-Marit will attend tonight.
Regarding last night’s dinner:
It was Prince Henrik who had composed the menu and the wine selection.
Hi Lisa,
I agree that QM looked great tonight! But I feel that the brooch was a little too heavy for the fabric of this dress, I don’t like how it pulls the neckline askew.
I think she could have done without the brooch as well, but you know she pulls out all the stops with her jewels and it was her birthday celebration, so I have to cut her a little slack…lol
That pearl brooch is just all kinds of jewelicious! I covet it.
A link to a gallery of photos of this day’s events:
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Billedserier/2015/04/16123152.htm
And a link to a couple of videos, I recommend the last one though it is a bit long:
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/Video/2015/04/16/120905.htm
I love the photo of Daisy leaning out her bedroom (I suppose) window, very casual yet charming. It’s easy to see why she is so popular.
I’ve been watching the Tv coverage and the whole morning scene was just lovely to see, from the family and guests interacting before getting into place to Daisy’s happiness at the morning greeting and song. The song is a very well-known and beloved Danish hymn about the morning sun.
Lovely photos. She looks amazing in the teal dress. She has such an expressive and open face.
There’s also some pretty good pics from today’s celebration in this DM article (look of for Silvia in a magnificent purple cape!):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3040639/Diamonds-dickie-bows-palace-Queen-Letizia-Prince-Felipe-dress-celebrate-75th-birthday-Denmark-s-Queen-Margrethe-Copenhagen.html
Love C.P. Victoria in the white. Thanks for the link.
Her white Chanel suit was nice – not so keen on the odd hairband though.
I have been looking forward to this post for some time and you certainly did not disappoint KMR! Oh my goodness the jewels, the gowns, why I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.
Of course the birthday girl looked wonderful and so very happy, her smile is her best accessory. I would have loved to see her in a full on tiara but this hairpiece was lovely and this color of this dress is great on her.
I thought CP Mary looked lovely, as usual. For me it’s a tie between her dress and Helle’s, they are so similar and gorgeous I can’t decide. I don’t know if I’m a huge fan of this tiara, it’s almost more of a headband with the grouping of the leaves so close together.
Is it just me or has Marie been looking a little pecky lately? She just hasn’t looked very happy lately, not just at this gathering but at the last few as well. I know that she’s smiling and all but her smile just doesn’t seem to reach her eyes. I hope all is okay in her world. She is a fan of lace and peplum, sigh. Neither are my favorites but I guess if she feels great in them then that’s what matters. I love her tiara though, more than Mary’s.
Since if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything, I won’t comment on Mathilde’s dress or Max’s. However, I love both of the tiara’s!! I want that Bandeau Tiara of Max’s in the worst possible way!!
I love Leti’s look tonight. The dress is sublime, the Spanish blackwork is beautiful and her jewelry is gorgeous. What a great husband to buy his wife a new tiara (are you paying attention Mr. From Ca. ?) Felipe’s stock just went way up with me!!
Is it just me or does it look like Silvia is wearing a child’s beaded bracelet on her left hand? I’m thinking that maybe Estelle made it for her and how awesome that she is wearing it along side that substantial tiara!! Grandmas will do anything to please their grandchildren 🙂 And it looks like she is wearing a sling on her right arm made out of the same material as her gown, pretty smart idea. Grumpy Carl Gustaf looked appropriate in his uniform, does that man ever smile?
I read elsewhere that it is a plastic bracelet that is sold through one of her charities. I’m not quite sure though.
Aww, what a sweet gesture on her part. I love seeing these little odd bits at such a swanky affair, it shows the human side to royalty.
Silvia is such a class act!
It could be the World Childhood Foundation bracelet. I think Chris O’Neill wears one too.
http://www.childhood.org/shop/
Lauri, I’m not familiar with the term you used to describe Leti’s dress…”Spanish blackwork”. Does that refer to a particular type of lace, or tatting? Is it specific to Spain? I, too, think she looked great.
Hi Dag Tagart,
It’s a form of embroidery using black thread. Here’s a link that describes it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwork
Thank you!
Check out CP Mette-Marit’s skull earrings!!!
http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/
Good to see that M-M hasn’t let go of her spunky side.
I wonder if the eyes are made out of rubies?!
Wow, all that glitters! What an event.
I thought Daisy looked amazing. Mary and Marie were lovely, too.
Maxima! What happened? The skirt on your dress with all that fringe! Oh, no, no, no.
Leti is a beautiful woman. A tad too thin, I agree, but just amazingly beautiful facially. There’s a softness to her beauty that makes me think she is a kind person besides being so dedicated to her role as Spain’s Queen. Mary and Marie have that soft beauty, too. And, Maxima? Well, she is the whole package! Just did not like her dress for this particular event.
So sad the British Royals were not represented at this lovely gala.
A bit off-topic:
Queen Sonja of Norway couldn’t make it to the celebrations in Denmark as she is in NY at present. Tonight she is to open an exhibit of her own art and that of her teacher and another Danish artist in the Scandinavian House in NY. I didn’t know she also painted! However, she is a very close friend of QMII so she may have been encouraged in her artistic endeavours by her fellow queen.
QMII’s husband the Prince Consort Henri has also been absent from the festivities because he has been laid low by the flu, which isn’t a small thing when one is 81 years old.
She’s also a serious art collector.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-queen-sonja-of-norway-courts-art-1418302695
Thanks for the link! It’s an interesting article and interview. Queen Sonja is a very cool lady indeed – queen, artist and feminist.
BTW, Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” is a very famous feminist art work that celebrates women’s history through ceramics and needlework.
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home.php
I also love the story about the work she bought when she finally got her own office, and the story about the painting that travels around between the homes of her family members. The photo of her Warhol portrait also shows a very nicely decorated room where the colours of the room complement and contrast nicely with the art work that is the central focal point.
I didn’t know that she was such an avid collector and I love that she collects from love. Interestingly, CP Frederik of Denmark is also an avid collector of contemporary art, which wasn’t something that I knew about him because the press has always portrayed him as the wild, playboy prince who finally settled down. He has a really good collection.
Cute video of the kids:
http://programmer.tv2.dk/tillykke-margrethe/2015-04-16-troede-ingen-saa-hende-her-slaar-prinsesse-isabella-sig-loes
Very cute video! I love the shots of Christian chewing something while he knows he’s being watched. And then nanny swoops in to guide them away. Kids are the same all over royal or not. 🙂
I loved how Isabella, that little scamp, just cracked open the balcony doors to take a peek outside – and then doing her little twirly dance. She has always been such an exhuberant little girl. I hope she never loses that quality.
Oh my!!! The Tiara’s – WOW!!!
It was a tiara-fest extraordinaire.
KMR, You know if Carl Philip is at the birthday celebrations? The danish queen is his godmothe. C.P.
has been at his godmother’s birthday parties in the past!
No, Carl Philip is not there. The only Swedish royals in attendance are The King and Queen, and Victoria and Daniel joined them today.
Neither Madeleine nor Carl-Philip were present. Queen Sonja and Märtha Louise weren’t present either. I assume their schedules interfered.
For the formal dinner yesterday if was only sovereigns and consorts present, apart from the rest of the Danish RF.
I wonder if there will be coverage of tonights dinner with CP Victoria and CP MM?
They covered the arrival of the guests and their entry into the dinner hall. We didn’t get any good views of either Mette-Marit or Victoria since they were already in residence at Fredensborg. It was a private dinner so no tiaras, sadly.
Danish Tv covered everything on the official programme: the morning song, the balcony at Amalaienborg, the carriage ride to the Town Hall and the balcony at the Town Hall. The members of the Norwegian and Swedish RFs were in attendance at the Town Hall and the private dinner. The royal guests from Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Spain left that morning. Only the guests from Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg, who resided at Fredensborg, were at the morning event.
https://dk.pinterest.com/pin/141933825732986414/
I agree with the top being too busy with all the bling QM had on. However this is by far the simplest look I’ve seen featured on this blog. QM always looked SOOO busy with her fur, bling, order and frou frou, swoosh swoosh gowns.
I think when one does tiara, order, brooch galore, the dress should be very simple with very little sheen and embellishments. Otherwise, one looks like a glittering christmas tree with the lights going haywire.
I like CP Mary’s dress the best although it’s not great and QMax, umm..my apologies…the bottom part reminds of a poodle..
“the bottom part reminds of a poodle..” or an Eastern Fringed Monkey…
I’ve died and gone to tiara heaven! All the ladiess looked lovely, with the exception of Max and Leti, look great. Black is too severe for Max. Queen Daisy looked beautiful and so very happy. And I would have loved to eat the meal as it sounds so sumptuous.
Hey KMR this is a bit off topic but I have come across 2 recent articles that I had to make sure you knew about:
The first is about Kate’s buggy that she bought for George back in 2013. She had some upgrades put on it on the advice of her mom. One of them being a insect-net. Well, now the company puts them on all their silver buggies thanks to Kate. They gave her credit for helping them make a better product, even though they have been making them for decades and it was her mom’s idea! She just gets praised for everything. First Downton and now a Silver Buggy. How is she not supposed to believe all the hype?-
http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/1201504173968/kate-middleton-s-special-request-for-prince-george-s-baby-buggy
The second was from last week regarding Kate’s wedding makeup. It is an interesting article from the woman who helped do it and her recommendations. My favorite quote: “Kate really is the perfect example of the best way to approach and wear bridal makeup,” she says. “My role was to take what was already a classic, timeless and pretty makeup look and simply make her camera-ready for billions of TV viewers.” LOL. Seriously? Most make up artists will tell you that Kate is a great example of what not to do. Maybe it is just a cultural thing? Can anyone from the UK give me an opinion? Do people there think Kate’s makeup looks good? Anyway, what I found interesting is the media made a big deal about Kate doing her own makeup and now it is being reported that she had help the day of. I’m not sure why the run-around on something so insignificant. Where they trying to just make Kate seem more like every other bride? –
http://us.hellomagazine.com/health-and-beauty/makeup/1201504103787/13-beauty-recommendations-from-kate-middleton-s-wedding-makeup-artist
If I were that make-up artist I would never admit to making her look like a really bad cross dresser on her wedding day. If camera ready means putting lots more on, then they succeeded. There as nothing attractive about her make-up that day.
Well said. It was awful.
I remember the hype and I also remember how bad it looked. I have seen better make up jobs on drag queens. It is no wonder that the make up artist has kept quiet until now.
I so agree with you, that if I were the makeup up artist I would never admit to it. I can’t believe she is actually proud of it. Sadly, Kate uses this look all the time! She is always camera ready, aka packing the makeup on!
Hi Overit,
What I remember about this is that Kate had some makeup lessons prior to the wedding from the Bobbi Brown artist but did apply her makeup herself on her wedding day. I too used a makeup artist for my wedding and she applied my eye makeup darker than I normally would so that it wouldn’t wash out in the photos. I recall watching the wedding on tv and thinking that Kate went a little to heavy on the blush given that her natural color was probably up a bit that day due to nerves.
I have always been puzzled when people comment on her “natural” beauty, when she’s photographed wearing a ton of makeup.
Hahaha, of course Carole gave her two cents about what accessories Kate should have on the baby buggy. Sigh, Kate just can’t make any decision without Carole’s input.
Lauri, I remember that as well. That was why I was confused when I read this because it made it sound like the makeup artist helped her on the day of and not before (like originally stated). I applied my eye makeup heavier than normal as well, but Kate went a little too heavy. I remember seeing her and thinking she put way too much spray tan on. She was a hint orange. And she always puts too much blush on. It was just too much of everything, so I am surprised anyone wants credit for it.
I completely agree with you regarding her ‘natural’ comments. We don’t know how she would look naturally since she is always covered in makeup. I think she would actually look younger if she wore less. And not caking it on would not show as much of her wrinkles. I think Kate probably is naturally pretty, we just never see it.
And yes, Kate can’t do anything without Carol telling her what to do. I would love to have a conversation with Kate and see if she has any thoughts of her own.
Oh, and it is really frustrating to see someone so dependent on their mother. I am 2 years younger than Kate and I just want to slap some sense into her. I am very close to my mom, which I think is how it should be. And I will ask her advice on things occasionally because she is older and wiser. However, I am also very independent and have been for a long time. I don’t run to mom when I need to make a decision in my household. Rather it is decided between my husband and myself. I really can’t stand grown women who act like children around their parents. But it think it is telling when a grown woman calls her mom ‘mommy’. I am waiting for the media to actually get off the Middleton love train and start commenting on how peculiar their relationship is.
I think Letizia looked fantastic, but I’ll admit I’m not objective because I admire her so much. I think the tiara was perfect with the dress, or should I say it the other way around? I think if I regularly wore tiaras I’d pick out the head gear first and then find the right dress to go with it.
Also, as far as Letizia’s weight. Yes, she does seem to be quite thin. As a clinical psychologist who treats many people with anorexia nervosa, I’d like to just throw out a word of caution…there are many reasons why a person may lose weight without trying, some medical and most stress-related. Her sister died quite a few years ago, but there is no time-line for grief. Fresh waves of sadness can pop up many years after the death of a loved one. And sometimes people get too busy and preoccupied to eat when they are having a particularly happy, positive life. So weight loss isn’t necessarily a result of a problem. Also, as many have pointed out above, Letizia has a naturally small frame, so a 10 pound weight loss (or gain) is going to be much more noticeable on her than on a larger-framed person. I hope she’s healthy.
Thanks, KMR, for this incredible round-up.
Kate’s baby bunker: Fun days out at the petting farm, cosy nights in the pub… As Kate and Wills rip up the Windsor rule book, we take you inside the intensely private world of Fortress Anmer – as it prepares for a VERY special arrival
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3044882/As-Kate-Wills-rip-Windsor-rule-book-inside-intensely-private-world-Fortress-Anmer-prepares-special-arrival.html
The amount of ridiculous stories that are cropping up right now make me wonder how truly desperate Jason is to keep his charges in the media.