65 thoughts on “Silvia, Victoria, Sofia at royal wedding dress exhibit”

1. I hate white lace and frills in general, so I never liked Sofia or Madeleine’s gowns that much. Victoria’s gown looked too stiff, like it had been made of paper, on her, but on its own it looks gorgeous. However, Victoria looked so happy on her wedding day that I give the dress a pass. Silvia’s dress is the winner in my eyes, but I also like Lilian’s gown very much. Those two dresses look timeless in my eyes. I’m going to visit this exhibition soon, will let you know what I think then!

   1. I hated Maddie’s gown – I didn’t like the lace, the bed ruffle at the bottom, and I thought it didn’t fit her correctly. Sofia’s was okay, but not stunning. I loved Victoria’s gown. Both Silvia’s and Lilian’s just look super dated to me.

      1. The dresses of Silvia and Lilian absolutely have 70’s style sleeves, but I think it’s the photos I have seen from the weddings that make me think those gowns are timeless. They represent another era to me somehow, and I like how they are not embellished or drowned in ruffles or lace. In addition to this I think Silvia on her wedding day is the only one ever who looked good wearing the cameo tiara. It’s a lovely piece, but extremely difficult to wear in my opinion. When it was on Victoria’s head, you could see it didn’t fit as it could not be adjusted, there was an empty space between her hair and the tiara on the sides. I loved that she choose her mother’s wedding tiara, but in my eyes it didn’t look good because of the tiara’s difficult design.

      2. I love that we all have different views. maddie’s gown is almost exactly what I’d want my own dress to look like! Although, I will admit it was fitted a little odd around her torso.

      3. I give them all credit for looking like wedding dresses and not giving into the ‘ball gown as wedding gown” trend that is still going strong here in the US, which I admit, I gave into for my wedding.

2. I am trying my best to talk my boyfriend into going to sweden next year to see this exhibit! I want to go sooooo badly!!!!!

3. That looks like a great exhibition!
   Silvias and Lilians are probably nothing which we would wear any longer but I like them. And with the tiara and veil one also doesn’t need that many details on dress.

   Victorias dress was lovely, it fit her well and reflected who she is. As usual it wasn’t so much about her dress, but more about her presence, the smile, positive aura – she truly looked happy and that’s most important.

   Madelaines wasn’t bad but idk it looks like it didn’t fit well!? Especially as the shoulder part kept falling off a few times. And like the bottom of her 2nd dress, the top not so much.

   I always thought the design of Sofias dress was lovely but white was bit too harsh on her. Like too bright, idk how to explain it better. But I really really like her 2nd one! The fabric with the little details, the one shoulder cut. Maybe my favorite just thinking of the dresses.

4. I thought Victoria looked sensational on her wedding day – the dress was perfect simplicity and a great choice with the Cameo etc. Maddies dress not so much a win but che was a stunning bride – beautiful indeed. Sofia – I have to say so much better than I expected – I guess it was ok for a non Royal marrying into the family but no particular style statement – which possibly was for the best – a good match for the tiara that is underwhelming as well

5. Love this post! Victoria’s gown is stunning and has always been my favourite from recent royal weddings. 70’s wedding trends leave a lot to be desired.

6. I like all dresses, but I think Madeleine has a nice taste, her shoes look like they belong to a princess (I know she is one) :). It’s beautiful to see them all connected together and I think Queen Sylvia has a big part in this. I wish them all the best!

7. These dresses are beautiful in their own way. While some may not be my taste, they are beautiful in the eyes of the women who wore them.

   My two favorites: Silvia and Victoria. Silvia’s was simple and classic Dior. The simplicity of it is gorgeous. I love the piping on it. It’s pure 70s and I would rock it.

   Victoria’s dress was breathtaking. Clean lined. Wonderful neckline. I see the dress like I view her: classically beautiful. Imho, Victoria (outside of Diana for sentimental reasons)was the most beautiful riyal bride. She’s a prime example of a beautful woman wearing a beautiful dress, not vice versa. She looked happy and full of joy.

   Thanks for sharing this, KMR. What I would give to see this in person.

8. I’m so over lace dresses, so I don’t really care for Madde or Sofia’s dresses.

   Victoria’s dress – LOVE LOVE LOVE.

   1. Victoria’sa dress was so classic. Simple, elegant, just lovely. Maddie’s gown looked better on her, but is not my fave. Silvia’s dress was also most elegant.

      The second dress that Sofia wore was stunning. Maddie’s was very sweet.

      Love looking at wedding gowns. Puts me in a great mood. Thank, KMR.

      The shoes with the heart on the soles were amazing. Who thought of that? So very full of what every marriage should be based on. Love, love, love!

      Queen Silvia looked so elegant at this exhibit of family gowns and spoke with great feeling.
      I loved the color of Sofia’s dress. Victoria’s dress? Not so much. Still, she is a woman with such presence! Too bad, Maddie and her kids were not well. Missed her being there.

9. Tbh I’m not too impressed with the Swedish royal wedding gowns. I mean, Victoria’s is really beautiful and I think hers is the most well crafted but her overall look for the wedding gave it the greatest impact. I wonder why hers, Silvia’s and Lilian’s were so little on the details thought (i.e. no bits of embroidery or anything similar, etc).? Anyway who owns the shoes with the heart-shaped sole? It’s cute but I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at that.

   1. Those were Sofia’s. I believe they are Charlotte Olympia shoes.

10. Have many family members in town and have not had one moment to myself. Maddie’s grandparents (both sets) took her to feed the ducks at a nearby pond, so, I am logging on quickly.

    Just want to say that the wedding gown exhibit is lovely. A nice way to escape family angst for me! Only half kidding. Note to others: If both sets of parents come to town to visit a married couple with kids, make sure they are put up in a nearby hotel! Two sets of parents (mine and husband’s) are in town for the entire week and our house — even if it were a mansion — would be too small for my comfort! My aunt, who has a huge nearly empty home, invited the parents to stay with her husband and her, but they politely declined. If I get through this week, I want a vacation abroad!

    Loved, loved, loved Victoria’s gown. So simple and elegant. Amazing. Silvia’s gown, from a different era, was also stunning. The less the sometimes the better when it comes to gowns that make an impact. Let the veil, headpieces (in their case, the tiaras) speak for themselves. Any jewelry, too.

    I did like Sofia’s second dress for the day. It suited her!

    It was nice to see the three ladies at the exhibit and I, too, wish Maddie felt well enough to have been there. Sofia’s dress was a gorgeous color and the style was lovely. Queen Silvia looked beautiful and she spoke so nicely about the traditions of the Swedish family and the ways weddings bring families together in lovely ways They story about the sprigs of myrtle was lovely. I did not like Victoria’s dress too much, but she always carries herself with such grace and poise. She can make a fashion mistake, imo, and still come out a winner.

    I appreciate this post and wish I could visit the exhibit, too. Seeing Princess Diana’s gown when it toured the States is a memory I will always think of fondly. It made me feel like a kid again and all the feelings for beautiful princesses that captured my attention during my early years could be revisited! Definitely a treat to be treasured.

    1. Sending coffee and patience. Find time to get fresh air as often as possible.

       1. Thanks, rhiannon. Seriously, I could use some patience.

    2. Sorry for your predicament. I’m in the opposite situation. My husband decided at the last minute to go on a four day cruise to the Bahamas (for work) and leave me alone with the kids on my birthday, and every single one of my friends (3 people) are out of town. I’m jealous, lonely and stressed.

       1. Ah JET, if you can, treat yourself to something lovely, just for yourself; hopefully, if children are at school, you can have a great lunch, buy some beautiful flowers, see a movie or just while away some time at a gallery or museum or whatever you fancy. Many happy returns for your birthday. If not, I’d store up some IOU’s from Mr JET…

          1. JET, wishing you a wonderful new year of life. I also hope you can find time to do something wonderful for yourself. Jen had some great ideas. When your husband returns — your friends, too, I hope they do some very special things for you. And, enjoy your kids, too. How old are they? Old enough to make you pretty cards and do some thoughtful things for you?

             Happy, Happy Birthday. I say celebrate the year through and each day do something special for you.

             Forgive my complaints. My daughter turned one on Tuesday and her grandparents came to celebrate with us Of course, it is wonderful to have them here, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to bite my tongue from some of the remarks about my housekeeping, mothering skills and dinners. Not my mom. My mother-in-law. Patience is a virtue. One, I must try to cultivate. In the meantime, when I can grab some me time, I will continue to visit katemiddletonreview.com

             Cheers on your birthday. And, again, sorry for my complaints. I wish you well!!!

             1. Thank you for the birthday wishes, and full understanding on the complaints! My girls are 4 and 2 so it was a full on estrogen fest at my house this weekend. I finally caved and went out for ice cream just to kill time. My eldest decided I needed a toy for a present, and when I said I didn’t want a toy, she said I could get one and she could play with it. Husband came home in time to watch the Walking Dead. I am trying to arrange a spa day for me, I think I deserve it. So do you, family, however much loved, can be a lot to deal with.

             2. Oh, JET, just had the time to come back to your comments.

                Kids can be funny and selfish, yes? Your little one wanting you to have a toy for your birthday so she could play with it? Yikes! She’ll grow out of that!

                I think you deserve a day at a spa. Man, I could use one, too.

                My mother-in-law was as sweet as pie before my daughter was born. Now, she is the biggest Buttinsky, you can imagine. When she started in about what I am feeding the baby, I just wanted to light into her. Instead, I just smiled and said, “It’s pediatrician approved.”

                My mom, on the other hand, is wonderful. I am glad Madeleine’s family wanted to be with her to celebrate her b’day, but I’m wiped. My mom finally got the message and she and my dad went to stay at her sister’s home for the rest of the visit. She encouraged the in-laws to join in, but the answer was “no.”
                I so hope your husband has done something nice for you. Your friends, too.

                Again, Belated B’day greetings. Treat yourself to something great.

                Thanks for your support!

11. I’m looking at them again, and I prefer Sofia’s 2nd dress to the 1st. She probably had to cover her shoulders in church, but I wish she would have worn that one during the actual ceremony.

12. I would love to see this exhibit, too.

    Victoria’s is my favorite, but I can appreciate Sylvia’s and Lilian’s.

    I thought Madeiline’s didn’t fit her quite right, and I hate a dust ruffle, but we all know she is so pretty that she can rise above what she is wearing.

    Love Sofia’s shoes.

    Why did Lilian wear blue?

    1. Lilian was divorced in 1945. She and Bertil waited 33 years to be married – he was second in line to the throne after CG (who was only 9 months old when his father was killed in a plane crash). In those days, if Bertil had married a commoner, he would have had to renounce his titles. They could only marry after his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, had died and CG became King. CG granted him special permission to marry Lilian and keep his titles, as well as making her Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland.

       Much like Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, her wedding dress was blue.

       1. What a sad and romantic story. Thanks for the info.

       2. As soon as Silvia’s pregnancy was confirmed (which put Bertil one step further from the throne), Lilian and Bertil married. I *think* that is another reason that Lilian was so close to Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine. Besides the fact she had no children of her own, their births allowed her to marry (finally!) the man she dearly loved and had waited so long for 🙂

    2. She had already been married and divorced so she could not marry in white obviously. I am not even sure if they married in church or if it was just a civil wedding.

       1. They married in the chapel at Drottningholm.

          1. Thank you for clarification KMR. I did not know whether a previously married + divorced woman could marry again in the lutheran church of sweden.

             1. M from Germany: You do realise that there is no rule to wear a white wedding dress to church, don’t you?

                The preferred societal rule has always been to wear your best dress whatever colour or style it came in.

                White as a wedding dress is actually a fashion fad that came about because Queen Victoria of UK wore a white wedding dress to her wedding to Albert.

                The victorian style of wedding dresses we all wear ie covered from head to toe in a dress reminiscent of victorian fashion only came into fashion in the 50s 0r 60s and gained momentum in the 70s. Prior to that there was no definitive wedding style and as a result when you go to source vintage wedding gowns from prior this period, they are more inkeeping with the fashions of each decade than an overall victorian silhouette/style.

                Finally, in christian history, blue has always been the colour of virtue NOT white.

                The idea of a white wedding dress is as much a fad as the solitaire diamond engagement ring and nothing to do with genuine christian societal values.

                I don’t know how religious Princess Lillian was, but if she wore blue to her wedding then she was making a much more christian statement than if she had worn white.

             2. Yes the Lutheran church of Sweden does allow divorced people to marry in church. The same goes for the Lutheran churches in other Scandinavian countries.

13. I also love Silvia’s dress the best, it’s classic haute 70’s with an austere medieval vibe. She was so beautiful back then- wish she wouldn’t have had the work done on her face, she would have aged so gracefully- but now it’s just too obvious?

14. I love Victoria’s dress! It’s simple, but effortlessly elegant. Maddie’s and Sophia’s dresses are pretty, but not stunningly so. I want to see this exhibition desperately!

15. I admire the craftsmanship that goes into these dresses. And also the curators who store and take care of them!

    I liked Silvia’s…well, maybe not the T-shirt type neckline. Beautiful workmanship though, as Dior was famous for.

    Victoria was so beautiful and happy that day, so she could have been wearing a garbage bag and she still would have looked gorgeous.

    I was a bit surprised at Madeleine’s. I don’t know what I expected, but ruffles wasn’t it. She and Chris made a beautiful couple. BTW, her 2nd dress was the same one that Silvia wore on her silver anniversary and at the Nobel banquet in 2001. Perhaps that was her “something old”?

    Sofia’s was, I thought, a bit “off the rack”, and I was also tired of the lace wedding gown phase. There are other fabrics out there, people.

    If you are interested, there was a post the other day at http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2016/10/royal-exhibition-of-day-october-18.html One of the commenters lives in Stockholm and went to the exhibition. If you feel like scrolling through 600 comments, she took some closeups of some of the detailing. Magnificent needlework. (KMR, hope it is OK to link to another blog.)

16. Queen Silvia’s dress looks like what my sister wore for her wedding in 1975, but with shorter sleeves and train. A style for that time, and my sister was beautiful in her simple dress, as I’m sure Silvia was in hers. The cut is gorgeous on a feminine figure. My dress in 1981 was much more lace, puffed sleeves, etc., typical eighties, but I still love it. I enjoy seeing all the Swedish dresses on display for the reason that they show the style of the time. Each lovely in its own way.

17. Did Valentino make Madeleine’s 2nd dress as well? I actually really like that one.

    On a side note, I didn’t really like Vic’s zebra print dress the first time I saw her in it but it seems to be growing on me.
    I’d also like Sofia’s dress, if it was a size larger.

    1. No. Maddie’s second dress is actually an old one of Silvia’s.

       1. Thanks, makes me look at Silvia in a new light for wearing that dress!

          1. I agree. What a lovely tradition passed on from mother to daughter.

       2. I think Nina Ricci has designed that dress. If I remember correctly, Silvia wore it to the Nobels, just don’t remember when.

       3. Oh, I had no idea hat Maddie’s second dress was one of her mother’s. It’s lovely.
          And, what a sweet thing for Maddie to want to wear that dress. Really nice. Thanks, KMR.

18. Even though I am not a huge fan of Sofia personally, I like her latest outfits. The pink gucci from the christening was a favourite of mine and I am so glad she wore it again! It is lovely. Silvia looks as elegant as always. But Victoria’s zebra dress is hideous and awful, I hate it. Sometimes her clothes are so nice and sometimes they are just a huge miss like this dress :/

19. Wedding dresses. Lets talk.

    I adore CP Victoria’s dress and Princess Sofia’s first dress. I do like the lace I have to admit. I like the buttons on Victoria’s dress and I like the sparkly buckles on the shoes. I am not too keen on Princess Madeleine’s dresses though the second one looks like a typical party princess dress to me. Princess Lillian’s blue shade looks nice though dated. I like how Queen Silva spoke about renewing traditions and called Sofia her daughter. Including everyone is so sweet. I hope Princess Madeleine and the children get better soon. It would have been nice to see Madeleine there.

    1. I’m sorry to say but Silvia in her speech called Sofia her “svärdotter” which is daughter in law, not daughter. But I still think that Silvia does like Sofia, at least she likes how happy Sofia makes Carl Philip.

       1. Ah, thanks for that. Google translated both to “daughter”.

20. I think all the dresses have merit for their times. I’m in a lace overdose right now so I prefer the clean lines of Silvia, Lilian and Victoria. I love Maddie’s shoes! Didn’t really care for Sofia’s shoes at all. I’m not sure why she wore nude shoes with a white dress.

    Anyway, I’d love to be able to see these dresses in person, but unless I hit the lottery very soon it won’t be happening…lol I would love to be able to attend any retrospective involving royal clothing, jewels, art, whatever.

    I watched Silvia’s speech and it was a bit long, but I loved that she used cards rather than giant sheets of paper for her notes and she has a pleasant voice. I also thought the staging of the dresses was very nice. It appears to be well thought out and showcases the dresses beautifully.

    1. I actually looked up ticket prices to Stockholm and they were way to expensive for me right now. I would love to go to this exhibit.

       1. Keep your eyes open late December/early January. Airlines start to have big international airfare sales around then!
          Another option is Icelandair. I flew round trip nonstop from Denver to Iceland for $530!!!!! They do an extended stay option, where you do Iceland for so many days, then can fly on to another destination for cheap! ✈️ I ?Traveling

       2. I’ll go and visit this exhibition next week, will tell you how I find it!

          1. Grace, you are so lucky. Can’t wait for your report. Have fun!

21. I think every inch if Victorias dress is perfection, I really really love it. And she wore it very well on her wedding day, she was stunning.

    Madeleine’s dress was a suprise when seen closer, I really don’t know what to think if it. It’s a nice dress but perhaps nothing more. Her second dress was nicer. I would love to see Silvia wearing it.

    Sofia’s both dresses were a bit boring, the second dress is perhaps a little less boring. Her shoes I loved!

    Silvia’s and Lilian’s dresses I don’t like, the 70’s style just don’t appeal to me. They were maybe really pretty in motion and I am sure both the brides were beautiful on their wedding days.
    Carl Gustav did at least something right as king, when he granted Bertil and Lilian permission to marry.

    Thank you KMR for this post! I had a lousy day and this was exactly what I needed.

22. Every one of these wedding dresses are hideous! What a waste of public money. And what is Sofia’s profession again?

    1. What is Silvia’s profession?
       What is Victoria’s profession?
       What is Madeleine’s profession?

       But let’s not stop with the Swedes…

       What is Camilla’s profession?
       What is Kate’s profession?
       What is Sophie’s profession?
       What is Anne’s profession?
       What is Maxima’s profession?
       What is Mathilde’s profession?
       What is Mette-Marit’s profession?
       What is Letizia’s profession?
       What is Charlene’s profession?

       But let’s not be sexist…

       What is Daniel’s profession?
       What is Carl Philip’s profession?
       What is Philip’s profession?
       What is Charles’ profession?
       What is William’s profession?
       What is Harry’s profession?
       What is Andrew’s profession?
       What is Edward’s profession?
       What is Haakon’s profession?

       What is the profession of any non-Head of State royal?

       1. I know for some inexplicable reason, Sophia is liked in this blog. I’m an anti monarchist and I think royalty is silly. But at least someone like CP Victoria is a head of state and she seems to be good at her role. It’s too bad that Daniel isn’t allowed to still work at his civilian profession because of non democratic monarchy crap. Again I ask, what use is there for Sophia and Carl Philip within the monarchy? Why are they incapable of looking after themselves? Monarchy needs to become extinct and I hope the it happens in my lifetime. People like Harry would still be the humanitarians that they are, even without a royal title. Let’s see how long people like Sophia and Kate will stay with their husbands when they can’t be princesses on the public dime anymore.

          1. Victoria is not Head of State. Carl Gustaf is Head of State.

             If one is an anti-monarchist, shouldn’t one be an anti-monarchist toward all royals, not just the ones one dislikes? If there is no use for Carl Philip and Sofia, then there is no use for Harry either and he shouldn’t be on the BRF payroll. Why isn’t he capable of looking after himself? If he wanted to continue his humanitarian work then that’s his choice, but he shouldn’t be on the public payroll as there is no use for him and he doesn’t have a real profession. Same for Sophie. I mean, she and Edward are not needed at all really. Take them, Anne, and Andrew off the public payroll completely because why aren’t they capable of taking care of themselves? And what about Philip? He should have kept his navy job because his royal duties aren’t a real profession. And pfft to Diana. Why didn’t she get a real job instead of taking millions from the taxpayer to spend on designer clothes? Would she really have married Charles had he not been Prince of Wales seeing as she was mad that her HRH status was stripped after her divorce? Clearly the draw there was his status; it’s not like they were at all compatible.

             If we are going to say that royals are pointless and royal duties aren’t a real profession, then we must say that about all royals, not just the royals we dislike.

             1. I agree with KMR, on every point.

             2. As I said in my comment KMR, I think royalty is silly. And I have repeatedly made commenting as such. So this includes all members of royalty, including the ones that you’ve mentioned. However, at least people like Harry and Charles and Diana did do humanitarian work and use their privileged platform to do something for people less lucky. I can respect them for that. I don’t respect the so called royalty like Kate and Sophia a Carl Philip who mostly gallivant around, doing the bare minimum.

                And as for the profession of the various royals, you do forget that many of the married-ins were professionals prior getting married such as Charlene being an Olympic Athelete and Letizia a journalist. Daniel was a business owner owning his own line of gyms. I have respect for them for that. It isn’t like Kate and Sophia who pretty much latched onto their prince, did very little of note or even had a profession, prior to their marriages. I think if we are going to be critical of Kate for certain things, we should be critical of Sophia too for the same things.

                But boy I learned my lesson! There is no room of looking at Sophia’s role within the SRF and asking if she’s really needed, on this blog.

             3. @Red Tulip:

                Re the married-ins’ professions prior to being royals… Why did they give up those proper professions to now do a fake one? Why didn’t those people keep their jobs and not live off taxpayer money? I mean, royal duties aren’t a real profession and those people are not head of state so there is no reason for them to live off the taxpayer. Mary, Maxima, Charlene, Daniel, etc. should have just kept their jobs and refused titles – just like you think Sofia should have done.

                My problem is not that you criticize Sofia; my problem is that you show a bias but then claim you have no bias. Just say you have a negative bias toward Sofia. That’s why I’ve been pushing you on this whole “royal duties aren’t a real profession/Sofia shouldn’t be on the payroll” thing. Because if you, as you say, are anti-monarchy then that idea should apply to literally every royal, not just the one’s you clearly dislike like Sofia and Kate.

          2. If it makes you feel better red tulip, I’m not really a huge Sophia fan. What’s nice about this blog is that we can almost all agree that Kate is disappointing in her style, her work ethic and so on and then there are differing views on several of the other Royal ladies. If we all agreed on every point this would be a very boring place to come visit =)

             1. I think it is fine not to like a specific member of Royalty. I just think that KMR answered the questions RT posed in a very fair way.

                If one is truly against the idea of monarchs, then why, indeed, like any of them? I live in a country where there is not a monarchy, so I often wonder if it is fair for me to comment here. However, I also live in a country where there is free speech, so I do!

                I don’t think it’s fair to say that you have learned your lesson, RT, and feel that there is no room for criticizing Sofia on KMR. If it is done fairly, you are definitely entitled to your opinion. We all are.

                I am not sure how I really feel about her, but I am trying to give her the benefit of the doubt and compliment her on things that I think she deserves credit for doing.

                I’d do that for Kate when I think she deserves credit, too.

             2. Without trying to be too political I think Red Tulip you need to think of the alternatives. The current USA presidential situation does not lead to the rest of he world believing their system brings the best to the top. If we no longer had a monarchy, what would we have ? I am a fan of HM, was a huge fan of Diana, and have no respect for Charles or Will. So I’m conflicted, but as yet I don’t know of another system that gives me greater comfort, or indeed lowered costs. I imagine the POTUS costs are very high?

             3. I think the difference birdy, is that the people voted for them vs a hereditary monarchy.
                We can vote people out of office if we don’t like the way they are performing and yes sometimes numpties win but then the people have no one to blame but themselves and then can vote them out of office in return. Whereas the monarchy your stuck wit people whether you like them or not and maybe with that comes the confidence to do very little.
                Power is in the vote!

             4. @Birdy:

                I don’t think it’s too political to say this entire US election cycle has been a sh-tshow. I think people on all sides of the political spectrum can agree on that.

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