New Years tiaras from the Danish & Japanese royals

Crown Princess Mary Danish Royal Family Fashion Japan Imperial Family Jewelry Tiara Event

New Years tiaras from the Danish & Japanese royals

by katemiddletonreview82 Comments on New Years tiaras from the Danish & Japanese royals

Both the Danish Royal Family and the Japanese Imperial Family celebrate the new year by donning tiaras. The Danes hold their New Year’s Banquet at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, while the Japanese hold their New Year’s ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

Queen Margrethe‘s blue gown is a repeat from her 70th birthday celebrations, and her fur wrap is something we see every year at this event. She’s worn this gown so many times since she debuted it that I’m fairly sick of it by now. Margrethe is also wearing the Danish Pearl Drop Tiara, the stomacher from the Danish Crown Ruby and Pearl parure as a necklace, and the collar and star from the Order of the Elephant, as well as her Royal Family Orders.

Crown Princess Mary wore a gold Jesper Høvring gown which she previously wore in a portrait last year. It’s a gorgeous gown, and while I like the color combination with the cape, I would love to see the gown without it. The jewels are pretty much business as usual. The only jewels she has large enough to match the importance of this event are the Danish Ruby Parure, which she wore with the collar and star from the Order of the Elephant.

This dress on Princess Marie seems a bit out of character for her (in the limited exposure I’ve had to her fashion). Marie wore a new metallic Ole Yde gown with a ruffle on one side. Even with the ruffle, this gown is much more sleek than she usually goes for, which I appreciate.

Marie’s jewels are even more predictable than Mary’s, since this is pretty much the only tiara Marie has available. She wore the Danish Diamond Floral Tiara, the collar and star from the Order of the Elephant, and the Royal Family Order.

Here’s a video of the royals arriving.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, along with Princess Kiko, Princess Mako, and Princess Kako, showed up to the New Year’s ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

japanese-imperial-family-new-years-2017-s

The Emperor wore the collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum and the riband of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers. The Empress just wore a pearl necklace and earrings. And the Princesses wore their own parures and the riband and star of the Order of the Precious Crown.


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82 thoughts on “New Years tiaras from the Danish & Japanese royals”

  1. Thanks, KMR.

    From the photos, Queen Margrethe really knows how to make an elegant entrance.

    Princess Marie’s dress looks like she borrowed it from the wardrobe department of a dystopian film. Don’t like that dull bronze look suggestive of chainmail.

    Love Mary’s tiara, but giggled at Frederick’s furry Napoleonic hat.

    The Japanese princesses look sweet, but wish Masako had been there.

      2. I wonder why their daughter is not included in the line up of royal princesses. She’s also not dressed in court dress like everyone else.

        ETA: her age perhaps?

    1. Yes, I know. That’s why I said “pretty much the only” instead of “the only”. She hardly ever wears that other one so her tiara choice is extremely predictable.

  3. Marie looked great – the dress was unusual, but suited her. The tiara always looks nice and I liked her rose-shaped cocktail ring.

    Mary’s look was too much of everything for me.

    The Japanese event makes my own family get-togethers seem much happier and more relaxed by comparison, but then again most minor court appearances would be, too.

  4. The Japanese royals and how the Imperial Agency controls their lives disturbs me so much. You can just /see/ it in the photos of them, especially the women. Stepford Wife robot syndrome or something. I don’t know, it just makes me so sad for all of them living like that.

    3. My 1st college roomie was from Japan and all she wanted to do was really study music but she was told what her major was going to be (business)with no input from herself. It really was an eye opener of how things could be for an 18 yr old girl from the sticks.

    4. There’s a fantastic book called The Commoner that, while a work of fiction, gives a really good glimpse into the Imperial Household. Stepford Wife is being too lazy about it. It is worrisome.

      2. I shall check it out. All I have read about the IHA is disturbing to say the least. The amount of absolute control they hold over the royalty in Japan is… man. I don’t know, disturbing I have already used, but…

  5. Hello to you all. It’s been a while, have finally relocated and settled in.
    I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year and hope you and your love ones are well and happy.
    Only now just got the Internet after 10 weeks!
    Thank you KMR for a terrific page.L
    The royal ladies look beautiful, some may have repeats but how beautifully groomed and elegant they are.
    Looking forward to a wonderful interesting year on the review.

    1. Hi Sophia, hope all is well with you and your daughter. New Year, new beginnings, all good. Can’t imagine being without the internet for ten weeks; no NBN?

      1. Thank you Jen for your kind wishes. Yes it was welcomed when it arrived! New year and fresh start Jen, keeping my fingers crossed, take care.

  6. Thank you for the video, KMR. I had not seen it before and it really helps to see the dresses in motion. After viewing, I have gone from being on the fence about Marie’s dress to firmly in Camp No. IMO, it is too tight and too shiny for this event. And the peep toe shoes must go. Great hair, though.
    Mary’s dress and jewels are perfection. I like the color coordination of the cape and the rubies but would have loved a dramatic evening cape the same length as the dress. I’m not sure why she is wearing the Sofia of Sweden updo but the middle part and hair over the ears is not the most flattering style for her.
    Daisy, Daisy, Daisy…her usual OTT self and I love her for it.
    The Japanese ladies are elegant in their simplicity and even their uniformity.
    Thanks again, KMR for the excellent coverage. I am new to your blog and love it. It is much more interesting than some of the more fawning Kate-fan blogs. Of course I love Kate or I wouldn’t be following her but I love the different points of view.

  7. The colour of Queen Margarethe’s gown is beautiful, the silk sheen enhances that perfectly.
    For all Danish ladies: while I understand that each piece of jewellery they are wearing (on their torso) is worn for a reason, IMO they clash visually – less would have been more….

      1. I think it’s best to wear as plain a gown as possible. Without flounces or stylish notes. It’s the only way the jewels, brooches and orders don’t overwhelm.

    2. Mary would look much better with out the piece (stomacher?) on her dress. I’m all for the bling but it’s too much with everything else. It’s like a child playing with mom/auntie’s jewelry-just throws everything on.

  8. Mary’s tiara is beautiful! And I think her dress is too. Frederick of course looks interesting, but I like these historic uniforms when there is a big event.
    The Japanese princesses and emperess are also, in their own way, beautiful. You can see that it is a different way to live than in Europe or the US, but even if we are not common to it, we should respect it.

  9. Does anyone know about gown construction? Mary exits the car and I her gown drag on the ground. It makes me wonder how the fabric does not get ruined.

    1. I wonder about that with all trains. That and how gross the train must be at the end of the night after being dragged around the ground all night.

      1. Actually I saw a full length picture somewhere and there was black crinoline underneath. Clever idea although I’m not sure it is meant to be seen.

      2. The trains must get gross. The train from my wedding dress was disgusting when I went to take it off. We took pictures outside, and there was shrubbery stuck in between the tulle layers!

      3. The lining of the train is ruined, if there is one. At their spending level, damaged trains are not their concern. In the past there would be a LIW or other helper keeping the skirts off the ground until inside a building. ‘Dusting’ the floor with a train is expected. Watched a program on PBS about 18th & 19th century women’s clothing. The trailing gown is the major reason for irreversible damage and rejection for display in museums. Clever designers could put loops in the dress so women could keep the train out of danger but not all would use it.

    2. It would make sense to have a sturdy, removable lining put in the skirts, especially the trains. When it gets ruined in one wearing, remove the lining, sew in a new one, and repeat.

      1. I don’t care for it either. My idea of the perfect tiara is The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland. I wonder if Kate will ever get to wear it.

        1. I hope not. I love that tiara but it screams pageant to me. HM carries it beautifully due to her hair style. I just can’t see Kate pulling it off

          1. Thanks for this. Now that I know the history of the tiara, and the limited options Mary has for tiaras, in general, I can see why she wanted to give the piece a bit more pop. Too bad it didn’t work out!

  11. Edited version of my comment from an earlier thread.

    I really like Mary’s gold gown but the fuchsia cape doesn’t work for me. This would have been better with the blue velvet cape. I expected her to have this gown altered to add long sleeves, after it was used with short sleeves for a recent portrait. 3/4 sleeves like the ones on Anne-Marie of Denmark’s (and Greece) wedding dress.

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L7JC05D4BC0/TBmSpEE1JlI/AAAAAAAAAFU/UOcb_PCvke8/s1600/1964-09-18–SideViewFull–Corbis.jpg

    I couldn’t tell if the black underskirt was supposed to show or not. If it wasn’t supposed to show, the tailor needs a talking to.

    http://www.billedbladet.dk/sites/billedbladet.dk/files/styles/full_height_8grid/public/storage_1/media/_han4011_1.jpg?itok=FctNWpO-

    I almost like Marie’s gown, and I rarely like her gowns. The color, shape, and ruffle train are good overall. Much better than the gold one Mary has from the same designer, which was very unflattering. Given how awful some of Marie’s evening gowns are, this one is more a winner than a loser for her.

    1. She is tall and slim enough to wear slinky. I like the cut, but the material looks like a glitter wetsuit to me.

      1. Marie isn’t tall though, she’s 5’2″ or 5’3″. That’s why I don’t like her peplum gowns, because they visually make her shorter than she is. I’m not crazy about the fabric, but the designer likes using it.

        I’d almost prefer if it was reversed – the majority of the gown being black matte, the lining of the ruffle being the silver/bronze/metallic.

        I like the overall simplicity, because all of the orders (esp the Order of the Elephant) look good against a simple background.

    2. I love the black underskirt on Mary’s gown. To me, it looks like it is supposed to peek out just a bit. Gives it a kind of smoky feel, very elegant yet interesting. Without it the gown might have looked a bit plain.

      Amazing how the two simple gowns elicit such widely varying opinions among us watchers. The royal ladies know how to entertain us 🙂

      2. I really don’t think it was a deliberate stylistic element. I think it was meant to be concealed under the skirt, and be there to puff it out a bit. That it sticks out underneath shows bad tailoring.

  12. Call my weird but I like the tiaras from the Japanese. Maybe it’s because of my own small size but I like the delicacy of them and they don’t overwhelm the women. The tiaras from the Danish are a bit too….clumpy (don’t know if that’s the best choice of words) for my liking, especially Mary’s.

    And maybe I’m just in a cynical mood (awesome birthday present to myself 😉 ) but I don’t like any of the outfits on the Danish royals. Usually, Mary knocks it out of the park but not this time for me.

    Ah well.

  14. I don’t really follow the danish royals. I found it all rather meh
    I’m against wearing fur but do think some pieces can be quite lovely. My mom has a mink/silver fox coat that back in the day (before I became so opinionated)I called it her Auntie Mame coat (now call it other things) but the Queen’s look like a dead carcass draped over her. Not lovely at all. And is that mauve tulle at the top of her dress?
    I didn’t love any of the outfits but out of the 3 found Marie’s whole ensemble the best

  15. KMR, please tell me you’re going to have a comment or post for us about Kate being honored by the Royal Photographic Society. I’m dying to hear your take on her obvious photographic “talent” with that black and white shot of an orangutan.

    With that out of the way, I always like the tiaras the Japanese Princesses wear. The tiara Crown Princess Mary is wearing looks odd to me, like it was meant to be something else but was instead worn as a tiara. Maybe it’s just the angle of the close up picture, but it doesn’t look like it’s sitting right.

    I think Queen Margrethe keeps wearing that dress because the color is perfect for her. It looks great, and I think, especially as you get older, it’s hard to veer away from something that you know works.

    1. KMR, also hoping you do a review of an article in today’s DM titled:
      Put down your fork after three bites, greet people with a kiss and NEVER let guests wash up! Etiquette expert reveals the Duchess of Cambridge’s rules for hosting a successful party

      I was laughing as I read it.

      1. I thought the part of the article copied below explaining the reason for her crotch clutching was very interesting…

        Carry a clutch bag to drinks parties
        The Duchess of Cambridge always holds her bag in front of her with both hands in when she is attending events.
        This sends a subtle signal that she’s not free to shake hands, and relieves the awkwardness of having to do so with every person in the room.

          1. Okay read article, not so much satirical as common sense etiquette with Kate parts (un) intentional humor/bate?
            I find the statement “elegant formal invites even by email” to be an oxymoron.
            We’ve actually seen Kate carry her wineglass by the bowl not the stem.
            I love the demure duchess slant, when we’ve all been exposed to her nether regions via flashing and any basic etiquette/cotillion classes teach young ladies to not cross your legs at the knees but you can sit with legs in front or at an angle and crossing at the ankle is acceptable but by all means, let’s give Kate the credit.
            Hmm just three bits? Yes, I can believe that of Kate but I myself do not limit my caloric intake to the extremes.
            And isn’t shaking hands part of the job requirement? Especially at a party! I myself believe in the powers of hand sanitizer or be like the Queen and start wearing gloves.

    2. From what I read on another site, anyone can be a member of the Royal Photographic Society who pays dues. The RPS site has single memberships starting at £120 a year. With membership you can enter your work in contests and other activities. So basically the RPS gave KM a free lifetime membership. It not necessarily a comment on her talent or ability. Maybe the Society is trying to attract new members by way of this announcement.

  16. W&K have engagements next week. I’m shocked. Yes, the bar is that low, but I’m glad they’ll be doing something instead of hiding out all of January.

      1. Ha! Do you think it is meant to distract from it?

        I doubt anything will happen to W&K. Nobody cares much they skived off work except people who post here I’d imagine. :/

      2. Interestingly, the comments on the DM are uncharacteristically few – less than ten at time of writing – having been moderated to high heaven, I’d guess, mostly bland, though hundreds of arrows indicate not great support for W+K.

        No context in the article as to why W+K were in France, rather than at the Paralympics or prepping for their Malaysia tour, their reason for ditching the Games. So the spin of ‘poor W+K’ is still in place.

        1. Jen, I noticed the paltry number of comments. DM deleting comments because of fear of reprisal from the machiavellien Midds and baby Wills. I hope W&K get slammed.

        2. I’m sure it is being heavily moderated. It will be interesting to see if any negative comments end up getting through moderation.

          This is an interesting tidbit from that article, don’t know if it is true. “The former hunting lodge is a hotel with its own staff, but at the time the Duke and Duchess are believed to have been the only guests.”

          They cannot claim this was invasion of privacy at Linley’s private home if it is legally considered a hotel, right?

          1. Nota, I don’t have any knowledge of the law, but it seems to me that if they are calling it a hotel that it’s public. My issue is that W&KM never show common sense. And they are liars. So there was bound to be embarrassing repercusions at some point because they lie so often and KM flouted her disregard for modesty so often.

    1. Lol, I literally just finished my article on this article. You posted while I was working on it.

      1. Ha! I just saw it too. 🙂

        I was really impressed with some of the things he said, though I agree with you on the point– Bah, why am I commenting here. I’ll comment on the actual post. lol

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