I didn’t have time to finish the post I was going to do today, so instead here’s a quick round up of some photos of various royals out and about: Queen Maxima, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Marie, and Queen Rania.
Queen Maxima started a three day visit to Indonesia yesterday, August 30, in her role as special advocate of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Inclusive Finance for Development. Maxima was in Jakarta where she gave a speech at the “OJK Fintech conference”. She wore a skirt and top from Etro.
It’s a long speech with lots of information, I’m only quoting a very small portion of it:
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“Indonesia has long been a global leader in the financial inclusion movement. That leadership has recently taken on an added dimension with the possible launch of the national strategy aimed at making rapid progress. By providing people with the catalytic financial tools they need to protect themselves against hardship and invest in their futures, financial inclusion can unlock economic opportunity and improve the lives of all. […]
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“The starting point for all of us is a deep understanding of long-neglected customers–people whose needs, wants, and habits have been essentially invisible up to now. In addition, consumer protection and financial education must be strengthened. Our efforts to open up the financial system to the most vulnerable members of society should not end up harming the people we actually want to help.”
[Full transcript here, in English]
On August 24, Maxima and King Willem-Alexander met with the Dutch Olympic medal winners at the Palace Noordeinde. Maxima wore an orange dress from Natan.
Crown Princess Mary has started a trip to Greenland this week, but here’s a few photos from some of her other recent appearances.
On Saturday, August 27, Mary attended the city of Glostrup’s 850 year anniversary celebration. Mary wore a white skirt and top, Christian Louboutin nude pumps, and a Prada clutch. She also wore a headpiece/hat thing.
Back on August 23, Mary attended a preview of an exhibition of French painter Monet called “Monet Out Of Expressionism” at Ordrupgaard Museum in Charlottenlund in Denmark. She wore a very pretty blue dress from Prada with a white coat from Ole Yde and nude pumps from Prada.
Princess Marie was out and about. She attended the international food summit ‘Better Food For More People’ at Copenhagen City Hall in Denmark on August 25 where she gave a speech. Marie’s skirt is from Danish brand Ganni and her shoes are from Salvatore Ferragamo.
On August 22, Marie and Prince Joachim attended the victory ceremony for the Top Dog Charity competition, which is part of the Copenhagen Cooking and Food Festival. Proceeds from the event go to a climate project in the village of Kasapo in Tanzania.
Marie looked really pretty in her floral print top from Charlotte Sparre, white pants, and “Ripley Rope Wedge” sandals from LK Bennett.
On August 21, Marie was at the Copenhagen Jewellery and Watch Show. Marie’s red peep-toe wedges come from Tod’s and her dress is from DKNY.
Queen Rania inaugurated the first Amman Design Week in an opening reception at the Ras Al Ain Gallery and Hangar on August 30. Rania toured the exhibition hall and listened to Jordanian designers explain the concepts behind their displays and designs.
Rania’s look is… a bit fussy for me.
Not to be morbid, but today marks the 19th anniversary of Princess Diana‘s death. So here’s a few photos of her just because.
Princess Mary looks a bit like Kate in that first outfit, the white dress and beige shoes. I love the fascinator though, usually I find them a bit silly but this one is pretty to me.
I love how Maxima isn’t afraid to be so much taller than the woman standing beside her in the picture. She just radiates confidence.
I’m not a fan of white lace, but I would wear this outfit any day! Mary has something Kate hasn’t – in my eyes she somehow manages to make even very simple outfits or outfits that look very mainstream worth paying attention to. She has a great posture, have once spotted her out and about in Copenhagen wearing jeans and a simple sweater and yet she looked stunning!
Note to Mary: Ditch the nude pumps! Please!!!
Mary’s mint-and-white outfit misses for me because both elements are fussy. The frilly white overdress needs a plain dress underneath, or the fussy pleated dress needs a plain, unpatterned jacket over it or to be worn alone.
Letizia has a similar frilly overdress, but she pairs it with a plain mint sheath which looks better to me.
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/king-felipe-vi-of-spain-queen-letizia-of-spain-queen-sofia-paloma-picture-id474072154
Both of them wear the outfit with nude pumps. Ugh
Letizia does wear that idea better.
I agree, Letizia wears it better.
Diana outshines them all, Max is a close second. Love her bold clothing choices. Many of Diana’s outfits may look dated now but at the time she was considered very adventurous. Max works to her strengths too, which Diana also did.
Lovely post to cheer me on a grey morning, thank you KMR.
I like how Maxima gives speeches concerning finance because she used to work in finance herself.It adds to the genuineness of her work.It is something that she is interested in and knowledgable about.Something that she is qualified for.At least her past is proof that she is qualified for the job that she undertakes.Also,totally feeling her looks.In the first one she has that tall,bright beach goddess vibe going on.She’s bright looking-so she photographs well at her charity visits.
Candice, you described her perfectly, love it!
I’m in Maxima and Diana heaven. Maxima exudes confidence, intelligence and beauty in all she does. Her background has made her an effective Queen. The Netherlands is so lucky to have her. She looks radiant in all of her pictures. Her smile is the real deal.
Mary and Marie look good. Mary’s comportment is stellar. I know that I need to be fair and call Mary to the carpet for nude shoes as I would Kate. Marie’s outfit at the food summit was lovely from head to toe. I’m a total sucker for a pair of Ferragamos. Rania’s outfit is too much. There’s ruffles and texture and netting and busy shoes. She looks good in sleek designs.
Rest in Peace, Diana. She was a complex woman with good and bad traits. One thing that cannot be denied was how she shaped and changed the BRF and influenced other royal families.
Beautiful post, KMR!
+1
Your assessment of Diana is spot on.
+1.
Lovely comments as always Rhiannon! I do have to say, in this instance I feel no need to call Mary to the carpet for her nude shoes for the following reasons: A) the bright blue dress with the white cover really needed a nude shoe or else the whole look would have been a bit too much; B) while she certainly could have worn a colored heel with the white lace dress, I can see that she was going with a completely neutral look plus she accessorized it with that fun fascinator and some understated jewelry. I understand your wanting to be fair in your comments but imo Kate’s constant use of nude pumps and clutches drown her outfits with beige because she does nothing else to make them pop, while when Mary wears nude pumps or carries a nude clutch you can bet she is working some other accessory to make her outfit stylish.
+1
+1
19 years ago today and you are still missed as much as ever. Always in my thoughts and prayers. It still hurts how soon you were taken away from your boys and your people.
Thanks KMR…..needed this. Xx
+1
To my eye of today Diana looks very young – at the time I thought she looked very grown-up… Just shows how one continues to age oneself, I suppose….
Maxima has a knack for looking genuine – Kate has not got that knack at all, she always looks as if she is trying to be something she is not.
All the ladies featured here today exude confidence in their roles and that makes them stand out. I love how happy Maxima always looks and I love her speeches.
This is definitely my favourite look of Diana’s. May she RIP.
Oh my goodness KMR how you spoil us!! Keep it up 🙂 I really feel for readers of some of the other Kate blogs, either their blogger is quiet during Kate’s downtime or they just get tour fashion possibilities and Kate’s diet coverage. So again Thanks KMR for filling this downtime with fun and interesting articles about inspiring royals.
I can’t say it enough, Maxima is the cat’s meow! This woman is a ray of sunshine, coupled with intelligence and a killer sense of fashion, W-A and the people of the Netherlands are very lucky indeed.
I just love that blue dress with the white lace cover on Mary! It’s so fresh and summery and that blue really works great with her coloring. If I had to wear a white lace dress I’d pick one similar in style to Mary’s. Imo, it’s cut and style is a woman’s dress not a dress for a little girl’s confirmation ceremony, as some many white lace dresses look like. As I said above, I’m not at all bothered by Mary wearing nude heels or carrying a nude clutch because she adds other accessories to make her outfits stand out.
I’m loving and coveting all of Princess Marie’s outfits here, especially the DKNY summer dress with the red wedges!! I don’t always like Marie’s looks but these 3 are perfect and I want all of her shoes ( I wonder if we’re the same size?)
I just don’t know what to say about Queen Rania’s dress here 🙁 It appears that the designer decided to throw on every design element he or she could think of and pray for the best, unfortunately their prayers were not answered today.
R.I.P Diana. I hope you have found your peace and happiness.
Wait until you see Marie’s outfit from the Goodwill event. Another win in my book. Black sparkly sheath with feather accents.
http://www.billedbladet.dk/sites/billedbladet.dk/files/styles/full_height_8grid/public/storage_1/media/20160829_hjp8707.jpg
I want this dress. So. Bad.
I can just imagine the look on Harry’s face when he sees you in it 🙂
That is the kind of dress that makes you stand a little bit taller and walk with a little sass.
Lol, I love wearing clothes that make me feel like that 🙂
I want this dress, right now!!! Marie has really been on her fashion game lately!
One of Prince Joachim’s sons celebrated his 17th birthday on the 28th. New pics were released of him and his brother. Those two boys are going to be heart breakers if they aren’t already.
http://heavyarethecrowns.tumblr.com/post/149716952579/filmgeekroyalist-more-photos-released-for-prince
Have you seen the pictures in the DM today of CP Victoria, Prince Daniel with baby Oscar dining at 15 in London with Jamie Oliver welcoming them personally? Apparently she wants to extend the children’s healthy eating campaign that Jamie has championed in UK & US into Sweden.
She looked lovely and Max is in Jakarta!
Max is just smashing. That’s all. She is so confident and kind. So very, very smart and beautiful. The orange dress wowed me. Her demeanor and that beautiful smile do, as well.
Thank you KMR for remembering Diana. She was the ultimate Princess, imo. So beautiful and loving. So interested in helping others! I know her boys must miss her greatly and I hope she is at peace. She touched so many hearts and those who knew her — even as small children – were lucky to see what a caring Princess could accomplish. She was one of a kind!
Ooh I love maxima! Not only does she always look like she’s having fun she brings her quirky style and looks fab. While WK essentially had a fun trip to India, max went to a location in Bangladesh that focuses on financial inclusion in rural areas! For some reason the US media only wants to focus on the BRF,
when there are some royals actually working and trying to make a real difference.
Thanks for the max fix!
I am a big fan of Maxima , everything about her , her personality , her fashion , her work ethics , the woman is simply amazing , today I listened to a video of what she says about helping women in Indonisia and her English was lovely in a posh but clear way , which reminded me of lovely Kate “being sarcastic”.
I also love Princess Mary’s sense of fashion and colors , and while kate put me off nudes Mary made me love them again because of her using them in a trendy sense of fashion.
but you have really made up my night with these lovely pictures of Diana KMR , I was going to ask you for a post about her , I can feel the resentment of those who did not live at the time when she was alive , but I think it’s very difficult to have another royalty as charismatic , lively and close to people as Diana , when everything is said and done we can feel that her difficulties turned her into a better human with people instead of bitter towards them , she was THE PRINCESS who was beautiful inside out , her loss was a great pity , a great pity , may she RIP
If I did a post about Diana, what would you want it to be about?
Ooh. Her charities. God children. Her evolution of style or confidence.
+1
thank you for your reply , I think it would be nice to show how she was a human , like she was the first to visit an AIDS patient , draw attention to land mines and those who were injured and affected by it , war victims at the time it was Bosnia and Hersgovina , actually that’s what I liked about her , how she was using her position as a princess to “in her way” care about people in need and draw attention to them , not only engagements for appearances sake ,anyway I think you’re good enough to bring something very interestin . Again thanks for your answer
AIDS and land mines .
That is how she changed the world.
And her relationship with her boys. I have sons only and I adore them as Diana adored her boys. You know the ‘bad’ but you only see the good. She did so much good but the best thing she did was be a fantastic mother, and her boys would agree with me on that.
Her fashion was amazing as it evolved, but it wasn’t what made her so very much loved.
so true , and she was the first among royalties to show her affections towards her sons publicly
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that she was a fantastic mother.
Much of the pathology of William is a direct result of her pulling him into her adult world.
Plus those boys were in boarding school at 7/8yrs, so all those lovely pics of her ‘mothering’ were self serving PR.
Not to mention her jealous firing and or denigrating all the boys’ nannies.
Let’s not forget William sanctioning an article in which he said he was choosing to be a STHD because his parents (plural) were mostly absent in his life, choosing to work and leaving him and Harry to an empty nursery floor.
She was good at her public role, and she loved her boys, but viewed objectively, she wasn’t good with personal relationships.
+1 Herazeus.
No doubt Diana loved her boys, though William, as eldest, bore the brunt of his mother’s emotional insecurities. It’s a tricky emotional spot for him to be in: the world heaps praise on Diana, her work, her beauty, her mothering, yet she did not protect him from her problems.
So much to say about Diana. Mostly, the fact that she cared so much for those who needed help. Her turning people’s prejudices around regarding AIDS. Her work to bring awareness to the fact that so many people/kids were being harmed by landmines.
Her ability to put the Royal Family in a new light. She changed many things for the better.
Her hard work. The appearances she made were done with great care. She understood the issues pertaining to each one and actually spent time with the people at the events. Even after the media left.
Her love for her children. The fact that she introduced them to the problems that other people had.
Yes, she had problems, but nobody can take away the fact that she was a hurt woman who helped others despite her own pain.
Her fashion sense and her Princess Glamour. Gosh, she was amazing. I’m sure there are many other things to say, but all I want to remember is that she really made a positive impact on the world. She was a bright light.
Herazeus , I have a friend who is a successful banker , and she divorced her husband , so trying to console her , I said you’re lucky that you have an excellent career ,as she is taking excellent care of her children and educating them abroad , her answer was , this I owe to my ex and the awful family life he gave me , which made me throw myself to my work to forget it…so yes Diana had her mistakes but she was a human who was suffering with no one to turn to , so maybe she threw herself to work to forget her problems instead of isolating herself out of pity , but despite everything , and from what I saw she did a brilliant job as a princess and even as a mother given the circumstances
Her sense of duty. Where it came from. etc. Related: her commitment to the royal family, to being a royal, to what that meant and it entailed. Why she thought a public role was necessary for herself and her country.
I’ll post this obituary from someone who was one of the only royal reporters not afraid to write the truth about the royals.
I think it’s a fair assessment of Diana.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/princess-dianas-life-and-death-obituary-1282386
Sobering and accurate.
“… the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana…” (Charles Spencer, funeral oration)
Tears in my eyes after reading the words of Diana’s brother. So true.
This was a great piece, thanks for sharing it.
I don’t fully understand the British educational system. What are O levels?
O levels is shorthand for General Certificate of Education ORDINARY level is the set of exams we take to graduate High School at 16.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCE_Ordinary_Level_(United_Kingdom)
As of 1988, the exams are GCSEs aka General Certificate of Secondary Education.
On average, you were expected to take a minimum of 5 subjects and a maximum of 10 subjects including maths and English for O levels. GCSEs do not have a subject minimum or requirement.
Diana failing her O levels twice except for pet keeping is an indication of how intellectually challenged she was because with the variety of subjects on offer, she couldn’t pass a single exam in any subject.
Pet keeping only required to keep the pet alive not undertake detailed study like a junior vet.
Fun fact: Tilda Swinton was at school with Diana in the same year.
Distracting fact: JK Rowling’s Harry Potter O and A level wizarding exams are a nod to the British school system and the O/ A level exams we take.
Thank you for posting that link.
I miss James Whitaker. What a meal he would have made of W&K’s laziness, attitude, and profligate spending for the last five years.
From what I read before, James Whitaker was one of the few journalists who openly questioned Kate. He didn’t find her suitable. If I remember right, he predicted what we see now and he was taken to task over it.
Diana fan here. May she rest in peace. I wonder what she could have achieved had she, Dodi, and Henri Paul lived.
+1 Diana is in a class by herself. Her compassion, style, courage still amaze me.
Lovely post, KMR!
I agree with all the other lovely comments. I am in Diana heaven as I still miss seeing her almost daily in the news and what a wonderful dress you featured her in! thank you!
It was nice to see Big Blue on it’s original owner and, even though I agree with everyone that it is a bad engagement ring for Kate, it certainly looks lovely on Diana’s hand; she could really carry off all the bling.
thank you for such a lovely post.
I honestly think William was being CHEAP when he did not buy an engagement ring for Kate. In the beginning I thought it was sweet of him wanting to include Diana in his new life journey but I the end I think it’s not appropriate. He could have given the ring later as a sentimental gift. As for him not having enough money to buy a beautiful & expensive ring, well, he could ask the Queen’s permission to dismantle the unused Royal jewelleries to create a new ring – just like what Prince Philip did when he dismantled his mother’s tiara to create a beautiful ring & bracelet for the Queen. I think William was taking the easy & lazy way out by giving Diana’s ring. It’s more like creepy than romantic. After 5 years of marriage I don’t see him buying Kate any substantial jewellery. Who told Kate that she should wear the big blue every time she’s in public? It’s as if telling everyone that this marriage is doomed just like Diana’s.
I think Maxima doing her job as special advocate is fantastic, especially as Maxima used to work in that field. . I think Maxima in the first dress looks stunning. I always find Maxmia , intelligent , radiating warmth and confident.
Thank you KMR, for remembering Diana. I like the photo of Diana wearing the Lovers Knot Tiara. It really suited Diana. Diana was a lovely mother to her sons and was so compassionate to others around her. I can’t believe it is 19 years ago. I hope Diana has found her peace and happiness.
Maxima is the sort of woman that I would love William and Harry to marry. She bright, intelligent, outgoing. Her support of her adopted country in fantastic, even down to hearing orange (in support of the House of Orange) is just brilliant!
I’m loving that outfit Maxima is wearing in the first photo!
And, as always, Maxima’s best accessory is her big smile!
I would love Harry to marry a Maxima. That would be great.
Jordan released an official portrait of Queen Rania for her birthday. She looks really good in the portrait!