76 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: Crown Princess Mary, Queen Maxima, Queen Letizia, Queen Rania, Duchess Kate”

1. Oh my gosh, how did we all miss this video from August? lol

   When I saw the first still image of the video I thought Kate look like Angelina Jolie from behind. I thought maybe they had another meeting. Maybe Angelina is her style inspiration?

   Also, I hate to say it, but Kate looks so awkward in that video. Its probably a combination of too of long of stride, heels, cobblestones and wine. But gosh, I thought she might trip. Not so graceful

   I really like Rania’s coat with the bright pink popping through the slits. It is unusual and good on her for choosing a bight color to really show through. The coat would have lost it affect otherwise. I like it!

   1. I had to watch it a few times as I thought she was Angelina. I thought the color and her hairstyle was quite pretty and ethereal. Her gait did seem off. That’s why I tell folks if you wish to imbibe, wear heels that keep you stable and close to the ground, lol.

      1. There is a slight dip and that combined with the stilettos and her huge stride, threw her off balance. The officer after her hit the same dip, but he didn’t stagger as much. It would be nice to see her in something more mid-range in a heel. It’s either stilettos her her moccasins. Rarely have we seen her in mid-range. I do remember one photo of her shopping before the wedding and she was wearing a kitten heel. For some reason she needs to tower over whomever she’s with when making an appearance.

         1. According to some blogs those are Jimmy Choo she wore before and they are only 3 1/2 inch long which is not that high if you consider she likes 4 to 5 inch shoes.
            I liked the dress but her posture ruined it – that’s why I never believed she does yôga.

   2. Kate is giving off an Angelina vibe in that video.

2. Love the photo with the koala. They are great looking kids and I love that they get to go to Oz regularly where I imagine they are little recognised.
   I think both Leti and Max dress very sensibly for business type meetings – rewearing outfits, nothing too flamboyant not trying to take centre stage around a meeting table.
   Mary’s day coat over the gown looks wrong to me but love the dress and the way she has simplified it for a daytime event. Do the Danish royals have a tight budget or is she just a good recycler because she has the skills to do it?
   Love Rania’s coat. A little tweak can lift an outfit so quickly.
   Posture – first thing I look for now! These ladies have fabulous posture and it does completely lift any look.
   Kate’s smile looks very forced. Love the LK Bennett dress but it is a brand she doesn’t seem to wear to public engagements any more.

   1. From what I remember from ArtHistorian, the Danish royal family isn’t really all that independently wealthy (not like the BRF), so they recycle clothes from necessity, I think.

      1. There is no denying the BRF has a lot of funding, maybe a little too much to be spending on clothes, however they do recycle a lot, and I don’t mean Kate. Sophie, Camilla, Anne, HM, Princess Alexandra regularly, if not weekly, recycle outfits.

      2. The DRF wisn’t wealthy by royal standards. They lost the bulk of their private wealth when their bank crashed in the 1920s. They weren’t that wealthy before that either, mostly due to the vagaries of history and war. Until 1948, when Denmark became a democracy, the nation’s and the monarch’s wealth was the same – and Denmark was still recovering from the English bombardment and the national bancruptcy in 1814.

         When Frederik VII died without issue in 1863, he was succeeded by the rather poor Prince Christian of Glücksborg, who became Christian IX (the father in law of Europe). He didn’t really bring any independant wealth into the DRF.

         Queen Daisy is the master of recycling clothes – especially since she often has her gowns altered 2-3 times for a new look.

         I’d also add that I love when she wears Jørgen Bender. He was a wonderful couturier who was initially patronised by Queen Ingrid and later on by Queen Margrethe, Queen Silvia and Princess Alexandra. He died in 1999 so we never did get the chance to see Mary in one of his creations.

         1. Good to hear from you ArtHistorian. How are the DRF funded? Are they popular in Denmark or is there a strong republican movement – last question, why is the Queen referred to as Daisy?

            1. I can answer the last one–“Marguerite,” the French version of “Margrethe,” is also the name of a type of daisy.

            2. Daisy was also the nickname of QMII’s maternal grandmother Margaret, daugther of the Duke of Connaught and grand-daughter of Queen Victoria. Margaret died under tragic circumstances when her daughter Ingrid was 10 and Ingrid named her firstborn daughter after her late mother.

               The DRF is funded by the government with a yearly apanage. They are generally popular, Daisy especially. However, there are people who don’t like the monarchy and they are vocal on social media (especially in the wake of Herik’s retirement). However, there isn’t an organized Republican movement.

         2. Great info, thanks!

            1. Thanks ☺️

         3. I love Daisy in that fur trimmed outfit!

   2. I like Mary’s dress, but I agree that the coat throws off the look.

      Kate wore two LK Bennett dresses last year, and two the year before.

      1. You are right as ever KMR my bad ! The red one she wore to Wimbledon is in the sale and not selling fast – comments suggest that for the price it should be lined and it isn’t. She has abandoned the sledges though!!

   3. My fashion vote goes to Princess Mary. Rare missteps. Naturally elegant, charming, and sophisticated. Everything she wears looks good on her.

3. I think Queen Max looks really good in that brown ensemble – it flatters her coloring.

   LOVE the dress/coat combination of Queen Rania! Great style, color, and tailoring.

   1. I agree on Max. Very flattering. I maybe in the minority here but I’m not sold on Ranias coat. I love the bright pink and black combination but the cut outs on the coat just don’t work for me.

      1. Not keen on Rania’s coat either. I do, however, really like Letizia’s unusual coat with the split sleeves. It lends an otherwise causual outfit a bold not.

         Max looks great. I love her big hats!

   2. +1 Maxima and Rania look fab!

      1. Maxima’s best accessory is her wide genuine smile! 🙂

         1. Cathy~Agree 1,000%! Her smile is not only genuine, but very warm plus, the smile reaches her eyes, if that makes sense. She truly comes across as a caring, happy woman. 🙂

   3. I agree on Queen Maxima’s color choices; they’re usually spot on. In fact, I really need to have access to all her wardrobe, such is my love for almost everything this lady wears; just look at that hat!

4. Love the little Danish twins. I wonder if Mary decided to start releasing her photos of the kids because her little sister Kate did. I will say I love the colors in her photos. With the exception of the mural when George went to school, Kate’s backgrounds/colors are washed out.

   I love that Mary and Margrethe rework their outfits. At least they know how to accessorize to change up the look.

   Max’s outfits were a bit bland for her but I did really like the brown top. I love that Leti will wear trousers, but I wasn’t too crazy about the top half of her outfit.

   Rania’s coat is interesting. I like the pink so that the detail of the coat can be seen, but I don’t know if I’m sold on the coat. Maybe a bit too informal? Or maybe it’s just me…probably.

   I saw that photo of Kate on Twitter and wish they had chosen another. Belated Happy Birthday, make something more of your 34th year, please.

   1. Actually Mary has been releasing photos of her kids since long before Kate. She is usually the one who takes the kids official photos.

      1. Thanks Snowsie, I didn’t know that so I rescind my comment. 🙂

         1. No problem Lisa, I thought you would like to know. 🙂

5. Interesting how there has not been a lot of press coverage over the fact that yesterday was Kate’s birthday. I think the press is giving the Cambridges only the necessary amount of attention when needed.

   1. About to comment the same thing. Awfully quiet no? In fact, if I didn’t stop by here, I wouldn’t know it was her birthday.

      1. They’re making up for it today. I still dislike the outfit that she repeated from Christmas

         1. I so dislike that repeat outfit too. It’s dour and dark. A very depressing outfit.

6. What a great roundup. The Danish kids are so adorable! I think that it was sweet to release joint and individual photos of them.

   Max looked superb. Both palettes suited her extremely well. Siging the loan is huge. Kudos for that. I appreciate her support of financial empowerment. Leti added an adorable, on trend jacket to her shirt and trousers. This is how to wear a trend and not get lost in it. Rainia looked nice, but I wish it were red to showcase her Louboutins. Btw, I give any woman credit for wearing those stilettos. They are narrow and uncomfortable. I purchased a pair of kitten heels and they are perfect. I only break them out for special occasions.

   Mary looked wonderful with the exception of the coat. Her belt and jewels get lost in it.

   Way to start 2016, KMR. This roundup has something for everyone.

7. Thanks KMR for a great round up to start our year off. My favorite is Max in brown, the richness of it accentuates her lovely smile. Leti’s pants are perfect but that top is awful. It’s like a straightjacket with the ugly under fabric holding Leti inside and she’s clawed her arms out. High marks to Mary continuing to release great pictures of her children in natural poses to connect with the people. Glad KP is starting to figure it out. Raina looks great but I would have liked it more if the color was a slightly different sophisticated hue. This feels teenage dance party to me. And thankfully we know she’s a mature woman so she wasn’t sitting there twirling her finger in her curls little-girl like to try and work Cameron.
   I’m a little surprised at KP picking what are to me unflattering pictures of Kate to post. Her child picture is nice but I’ve seen better. Her adult one is similar to the he-haw one at the stock exchange. They’re not bad in any way, but I thought KP would have a more sophisticated eye. All just MO. Have a great day all.

   1. The bubblegum pink is a bit too young for Rania.

      1. KMR, I agree. Too youthful.

         1. I think the sausage curls do more to damage to the overall look. I think that an up do, sophisticated jewelry and the hot pink would have worked better.

8. Maxima’s brown outfit looks amazing on her, and I like it when she wears her hair down. You know, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen her hair down while she’s wearing a hat (not complaining!)

   Leti has attempted the modern styled cape. If she would have kept he whole outfit sharp and symmetrical, I think it would have looked better. It just looks so rigid over the poufy blouse. She needed a crisp button down instead.

   Huge fan of Mary and Frederick and their family. I think Josephine is quite the little personality, like Estelle ( who is my “favorite” royal child).

   1. Their second child, Isabella is also quite a strong personality – according to a friend of mine that have met the two eldest children.

   2. I agree Ray. Letizia wore this capelet to an event recently with a puffy/bell sleeved white blouse. Didn’t like it then and dislike it even more now (although I love that top on its own). A crisp white button down would have elevated the look.

9. From the sound & sight of things, Harry wasn’t involved in Kates birthday weekend. More evidence of the chill in their relationship.

   1. I noticed that too. If she had really become like a sister to him, he would be there for her birthday. He seemed very enthusiastic around the time of the wedding and expressed publicly that he was thrilled to be getting a sister. Things have clearly changed. He is almost never photographed interacting with Kate and only ever shoots her cold looks and side eye. Personally, I think that he gets what being a Royal is all about, realizes and appreciates how privileged he is and, like his mother, genuinely cares about giving back and connecting with people. I think he sees through the whole stay at home mum sham and realizes that his brother and sister in law are selfish, petulant and lazy. I get the impression that Harry avoids Kate and doesn’t like or respect her. I know that I would feel that way if I was in his position and saw that my brother and supposed future king had married an incompetent and spoiled woman who encouraged his sulky and hostile behavior. I’d be pretty ticked off, actually.

      1. 100% Bets!

      2. I agree but I think there’s more; that he overheard her say something that contradicted the down-home sweetie that she may have appeared to be, or she was helping to get him and Pippa together. She may have really had a hand in his break-up and he doesn’t appreciate the interference. Something happened but Harry’s too classy to say anything. It’s probably too why he’s going his own direction so much, in part to keep him away from Pippa. Maybe it explains the palace mystery of bringing back Diana’s spectre. They’d rather have that then more Middletons. Says a lot about the Midds.

      3. I agree 10000000000%

   2. It’s possible that she’s come between him and William, like insisting that William stay home with her and the kids instead of doing things with his brother. Somehow I can picture her not wanting anyone, including his brother, to be any kind of influence on William.

      1. If Kate is doing that (coming between the brothers), she’s being incredibly controlling and it’s gonna bite her in the rear. I hope that’s not the case though.

10. YAY!! My first Royal Round Up!

    1) The Danish twins are adorable and are going to be heart-breakers when they get older.

    2) I may be in the minority here, but I didn’t like CP Mary’s gown/accessories for the reception. The blue + pink + coat + large pearl necklace = way too much going on. Perhaps the belt and shoes should’ve been blue and the necklace be more subtle? I dunno. It just seemed too much for my eyes.

    3) I LOVE both of Maxima’s outfits. The black/white might seem “blah” to some but her large hat gives the outfit the zing it needs. As for the brown/wine colored top? Appropriate for this time of year and her warm smile makes the outfit shine.

    4) I did not like Leti’s top, she looked like a circus performer to me. The puffed sleeves looked weird to me.

    5) as for Rania? The hot pink looked great on her but the “cut-out coat” did not. The velvet blue color was fine but the cutout part drove me nuts.

    6a) (Duchess’s birthday) I knew it was Kate’s birthday because it was trending on my Facebook! Like others, I truly hope this year becomes memorable for her.

    6b) (responding to the video) WHY doesn’t she look like this during her engagements?! Her dress is a good length, the hair isn’t overshadowing her (plus, it’s pulled back!)…..

    1. In regards to 6b, I’ve often thought that Kate should try wearing her hair straightened instead of always wearing the bouncy curl look. I think it would look rather nice on her, maybe not now with the shorter hair and fringe, but when it was longer.

       1. Agreed. Usually when she’s at engagements and “super primped” she looks ridiculous. Whenever she looks casual (even during the GF years), she looks a lot better.

11. I love the picture with the koala bear! What a sweet way to honor their mum’s home country. Max looks radiant and fabulous as usual. That woman could wear a potato sack and still look incredible! For the first time ever, I hate Leti’s outfit. It looks like she is wearing suspenders over a clown shirt. Considering that she usually looks flawlessly elegant, I’ll give her a pass on this one. Queen Rania is drop dead gorgeous! I don’t like sausage curls on anyone older than five, but she pulls them off far better than Kate ever has. I do like Kate’s birthday dress. On the model. She has such poor posture that it looks all wrong on her. Her awkward, stumbling walk in those heels was cringeworthy. If you can’t walk gracefully in a pair of shoes or if you’re going to be boozing it up and that causes you to not be able to walk, wear shoes you can actually walk in! If you put on designer clothes and shoes, yet you don’t have the grace and posture to pull it off, you’re going to look far worse than if you had just worn jeans and a jumper. She is really looking haggard and miserable. Not a very happy looking birthday, but I suspect she is utterly exhausted from the almost half day’s worth of work she’s put in recently.

    1. Just to clarify one thing: the video is from last summer, not Kate’s birthday.

       ” suspenders over a clown shirt” – LOL

       1. Yeah, and I also realized that the pics where I thought she looked particularly haggard and unhappy were actually from the morning after her birthday. Oops my bad! 🙂

12. Oh My, I’ve just watched the video. Kate’s walk is, ah, what to say, Hideous. I don’t know if one day she will correct her posture. She looked drunk.

    1. I think she might have been tipsy. She doesn’t strike me as a big drinker, so I’m guessing that her tolerance is lower than it was during her party days. I don’t drink at all anymore (due to rampant alcoholism in my family) and the last time I did have a glass of wine (my last drink) it got me totally smashed. I am a shy, reserved person, but I was singing in French and trying to teach amused strangers how to dance the Charleston (probably the most embarrassing dance you can possibly do randomly). I was just watching The Royals (my biggest current guilty pleasure) and there was a scene with a little whisky drink off and I realized that I could never, ever keep up with the level of drinking the royals do. As soap opera cheesy as that show is, I don’t think that the rampant alcoholism and substance use portrayed is that far from the truth. I think Kate is unusual among the royals in her light drinking. It’s too bad she didn’t go with pretty flats instead of heels, as she would have been able to walk more gracefully while tipsy. If she wasn’t drinking, I don’t know what her excuse was!

       1. According to William, at least during the girlfriend years, Kate could “drink him under the table”. Don’t know if that’s changed but she did say while in Oz that she was happy that she could drink again after giving birth to George.

          1. In KN’s book, I came away with the opposite impression of her while at Uni. Which is funny, because those are normally the “drink you under the table” years. The accounts were that she rarely indulged, especially in public, and only ever got carried away with drink once, and it was over William.
             But then there were all those party pics of her and Pippa, after being kicked to the curb in 2009. Who knows if she was drinking though, it was more trying to keep a high profile to get William’s attention. Looking back, she put in a lot of work to keep this guy’s attention. How awful if the whole rest of her life will be consumed in the same way.

             1. How true that it is sad. I couldn’t be paid enough, or get enough perks to be William’s sidearm for the rest of my life. I honestly think he would have been a different person in his adult life if he had adjusted differently after his mother’s death. I believe Diana would have kept William on course, and prepared him for his Royal duties, as she seemed to do when she was alive. I feel as if he was allowed to become petulant and everyone gave him too much of a wide berth after her death. Harry seems to have grown into a much easier sort of man who is comfortable with himself and knows what Royal life means to him personally. Now Kate’s entire life will have to be devoted to being a dancing horse to – hopefully keep William in-line and interested. Poor girl.

13. Thank you for the roundup. Happy Belated birthday Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Those two kids are cute. I was at University when there elder brother was born. It is nice to see them in the spotlight for once.

    I am not a fan of the brown top but to be honest Maxima pulls it off. I like the way Maxima chooses her colours of clothes for certain events and she is always cheerful and interested.

    Happy Belated birthday Kate. May the year ahead be happy in your personal life and industrious with your charities.

14. Thanks for a great Royal Roundup KMR!!!

    I have to say I love all the outfits here!!! These ladies know how to accessorize and wear clothes as opposed to letting the clothes wear them. They know how to nod to trends without being overwhelmed by them. I think my two favorites are CP Mary’s white dress, the hair and accessories are perfect for this event and Max, she dresses bigger and louder than I ever would but on her it works!! The large hats, vibrant colors and incredible jewelry imo really allow her large and vibrant personality to show through.

    Cute photos of the Danish royal twins, but I sure do wish they had smiled 🙁 Princess Josephine looks to me like she will be a handful when she grows up 🙂

    1. They do have interesting expressions though. I would rather my nieces smiled but not fake one. If they feel sad I would want them to tell me as I know something is wrong.

       1. Lol, I understand, I don’t have many family pictures where my kids are smiling 🙂 It used to drive my crazy!

15. Kate certainly has been listening to the Queen’s advice on hemlines when she sees the Queen

16. Personally, I think Kate needs to change directions entirely with her look. She should dress less fussy and frilly and more tailored. Getting rid of the sausage curls and messy extensions helped her look, but she should embrace her body type more and go with more tailored clothing that befits her lack of curves/boyish look. I would love to see her in wide-leg pants for less formal occasions. Not to make Diana comparisons, but I remember in the beginning of Diana’s joining the BRF, she often wore outfits that made her look like a silly cupcake. It was only after a few years of trial and error that the sleeker, more sophisticated Diana emerged, and she looked fabulous. She, like Kate, had the height to wear the more tailored look (although Diana definitely had more curves and a nicer figure than Kate). But of course, it’s up to Kate and what she ultimately feels comfortable in.

    1. +1

       Before she went on her extreme diet (during her late teens/early 20s) she did have some curves and I wish she had kept them. Her entire body looks softer when she’s got a bit of meat on her bones.

       1. I know she suffered from bulimia, which she talked about openly after she got treatment for it. She said Charles had set off her eating disorder before they got married by saying to her, “You are getting a little chubby, don’t you think?) Jerk. I agree about her looking softer with a little “texture” to her. I remember the first time she appeared in a formal, evening setting, newly-engaged. She wore a black, strapless taffeta ball gown, very full, very 1980s. I had heard that the Queen was “shocked” at her revealing so much of her cleavage and would wear black, which at that time, was not worn by the BRF unless they were in mourning.

          1. Actually, I was talking about Kate. She’s always been athletic but still had meat on her bones and still had a (somewhat) womanly figure back in the day. Now she just looks like a stick!

             As for Diana? I also agree, once she got got help for her bulimia, got in shape and started exercising she looked like a healthy, lovely woman.

             1. Oh, I am sorry, Kimothy I see I misunderstood. But yes about Kate! I must also say that I believe Kate may have some bulimia. What makes me say that? Well, it’s very hard on tooth enamel, bulimia, and it seems every time I see Kate’s teeth, she’s had them coated with veneers and more veneers. Her natural teeth used to look very pretty and the correct size for her face. Unless her face is not just so thin her teeth look larger? Hum.?

             2. Lisa S.~Good point about the teeth. The veneers just wig me out and makes her (Kate’s) smile seem fake and insincere. Wiglet too, come to think of it. Is hair loss related to extreme dieting? I know I lost my hair during a medicine switch and have been taking biotin for years (which has helped a lot).

    2. I know that this has been said before but I believe that since Kate really had no real world work experience she simply doesn’t know how to dress professionally. I agree Lisa S., a more tailored, sleek look, with some great accessories would really fit Kate more than the frilly and sometimes frumpy looks she is tending to gravitate toward.

       1. Yes, sleek would suit her very nicely!

    3. Queen Letizia is extremely thin and yet she chooses ensembles and gowns that flatter her figure. She pulls off most of her fashion picks successfully. Kate can do the same yet she’s struggling to get there.

       1. It’s a bit strange to say, Yorkie, and while agreeing with you about Letizia, she seems to me to be a woman and not a girl-woman like Kate. I believe that is why she may look more substantial in her clothing. I know Kate is in her mid-thirties, married, a duchess with two children, but she still seems immature emotionally and even physically with her extremely thin body.

          1. I agree that Letizia’s age, maturity and position contribute to her sartorial choices and flair. But one can’t help but think of Beatrice Borromeo (who married into the Monaco royalty) who is in her early 30s and is probably one of the chicest and most sophisticated women on the planet. She makes Kate look like her lady in waiting.

             1. I disagree. Beatrice Borromeo’s style is nothing special to me.

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