Author: The Handbag

I have been following royalty since the Diana/Fergie days. My favorite royal, sartorially speaking, is Queen Letizia, followed closely by that ageless scamp, Princess Astrid of Norway. I love following the less followed in the royal world. My general duties here in Handbagland are the Bits & Bobs and whatever Random Royaling arises.
Bitty Bits and Bobs
Britain · Greece · Norway

Bitty Bits and Bobs

The HandbagLeave a comment

Yes, it’s Bits and Bobs, back again in a little bitty fashion. This temporary name also fits our love of cheesy alliteration around here. There still isn’t a great deal of exciting royal news, but let’s soldier on with what we have.

The Week in Getty Images

Two of the Benelux royals represent in orange, one in crazy pants, the Spains were out everywhere, and the Chelsea Garden Show went on in a virtual fashion. See it all here.

Other Voices Other Blogs

  • The Royal Hats blog has continued valiantly on in the face of an Ascot free year. I have to thank her for showing me the way to the Milliner’s Guild Instagram Challenge, where people are re-creating their favorite Ascot looks. Also, here is a great look back, suggested by ardent royalist Mitten Mary.
  • Mary From the Start is up to 2012. They featured Margrethe’s 40th Jubilee celebrations and I have no memory of this gold lame jacket.

Two Weddings that Weren’t

I can’t tell you how depressing it was to type out that header. Both of these weddings would have been barn burners for royal watching. It seems the couples have come to terms with the situation, and I hope they are planning something spectacular for royal watchers in the future.

Theodora Greece promises a celebration in Greece once it’s safe. We’ve talked about the enormous social capital of the Greek royals, and how they are close to everyone. You know that when this wedding does come off, it will be a bonanza of royal sightings.

Princess Beatrice had already planned a smaller, more intimate wedding, but I am sure there would have been plenty to talk about between tiaras and dress designers and immediate family guests. Oh, well, next year will be big.

Happy Birthday

Jetsun Pema celebrated her 30th birthday and, generous as she is, gave us a present. Look at the gorgeous photos of the new family configuration, including the bébé. The name will be made public in the next few days.

The Brits Being Veddy British

I am quite relieved to see that the coronavirus isolation hasn’t taken any of the zip out of HerMaj. Here she is with her favorite animals, doing her favorite activity.

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Charles loved his grandmother. This is very sweet.

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“We decided each movement should reflect an important aspect of her character. The smile, the love and the sense of duty which remained deep right to the very end.” . 🎧 The Prince speaks of the special piano concerto that he commissioned in memory of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. . ⬅️ The piece will be played in full this evening during the second of two special programmes on @ClassicFM. Tonight’s programme will be presented solely by The Prince of Wales, who will highlight the great importance of classical music, particularly during this difficult time. His Royal Highness will add to last night’s programme with more of his favourite classical pieces, of which two were recorded by The Duchess of Cornwall’s musical patronages, @nyo_gb and @lcoorchestra. . 📻 Tune in to Classic FM from 8pm or follow the link in our bio.

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Let’s End with a Classic Princess

Isn’t this a lovely photo of a lovely young girl? Behold Princess Astrid at the time of her re-unification with her family, post World War II.

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21. mai var det 75 år siden Prinsesse Astrid og Prinsesse Ragnhild møtte sin bestefar, Kong Haakon, igjen etter fem års fravær. – Det ble et hjertelig møte med bestefar. Han synes nok vi var blitt store, for vi var jo bare småpiker da vi måtte forlate far og ham i 1940, forteller Prinsesse Astrid, fru Ferner. Prinsessene reiste fra USA med fly til Skottland, og deretter med tog til London. – Mens vi ventet i Skottland, torde vi ikke å spørre om annet enn et glass vann. Vi hadde hørt at det var knapt med mat i Storbritannia – så da ville ikke vi spørre om mat, forteller Prinsessen. Prins Harald kom med neste fly. På stasjonen i London ble prinsessene møtt av Kong Haakons sjåfør og kjørt rett til stedet der Kong Haakon og Kronprinsesse Märtha oppholdt seg. Kronprins Olav hadde allerede reist hjem til Norge. Prinsesse Astrid forteller at Prins Harald og Kong Haakon raskt fant tonen. – De to første dagene snakket de engelsk med hverandre. Harald skjønte forståelig nok ikke hva bestefar sa. Han snakket jo avslepent dansk. Kronprinsesse Märtha og barna bodde sammen med Kong Haakon i påvente av at alle fem skulle reise sammen hjem til et fritt Norge den 7. juni 1945. Foto 1946: A. B. Wilse / @dekongeligesamlinger #kongehuset #prinsesseastrid #frigjøring #hjemkomst #dekongeligesamlinger

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What did I miss?

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Random Royaling – The Masked Mathilde
Belgium

Random Royaling – The Masked Mathilde

The HandbagLeave a comment

Modeling good behavior and a twist on the Natan style, Queen Mathilde cut quite a figure in a flowing royal lady orange pantsuit and matching protective mask. She recently visited the Gediflora Chrysanthemum nursery, which specializes in the propagation of chrysanthemums, focusing on sustainable entrepreneurship.

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I spent a good twenty minutes on Getty looking at the gorgeous photos of the Old Masters Museum visit by Tils and Phil. You should check them out, too. They are full of gorgeous light and beautiful art. Mathilde wore a floral Erdem midi, which reminds me strongly of the Vilshenko that Mary and Charlene wore a few years back.

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Mathilde, accompanied by Princess Eléonore, visited the  Kamiano restaurant for homeless people. The restaurant has provided strong support to vulnerable populations during the pandemic. Tils wore a pale blue Giorgi Armani blazer, and alas, no matching mask.

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How do you feel about Mathilde’s pandemic wear?

Spam A Man – Prince Frederik is 52
Denmark

Spam A Man – Prince Frederik is 52

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If you can even believe it. He is our perenially youthful prince.

Fun facts about Fred:

  • He has a master’s degree in political science, and extensive military training
  • He speaks four languages, Danish, French, English and German
  • When he was born, his grandfather was King of Denmark, and his great grandfather was King of Sweden

My personal favorites? Well, older Fred works for me.

We have be-spectacled Fred.

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We have be-scarfed Fredi.

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We have be-jeweled Fred.

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And of course we have perpetually injured Fred. The man knows no limits to adventure, and it backfires on the lad every so often.

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And this, from our own LiL, just never gets old.

Send us your best Fred!

Random Royaling – Royal Blues
Britain · Jordan · Netherlands

Random Royaling – Royal Blues

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May 25th was Jordan’s 74th Independence Day, commemorating the end of British rule, and the declaration of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The King, Queen and Crown Prince all appeared at the ceremonies. Fortunately for us, the very good looking family all sported shades of blue and white. Rania, as usual, is at her best when wearing versions of traditional dress.

The King and Queen also made calls to both the children and caregivers at Dar-Al- Hanan orphanage. I think Rania’s shirt is a deep navy, but I admit is Abdullah in his sharp blue who catches my eye here.

This compilation video doesn’t follow the blue and white theme all the way through, but it was so lovely that I felt it should be included. Rania obviously has a rapport with her public.

Princess Laurentien had a birthday, 54 years young, and she appeared in a bright blue and white blouse that just makes me happy. Happy birthday, madame.

Would someone join me in imploring the Earl and Countess of Wessex in getting their own social media feeds? I feel we miss so many of their events. Sophie and Ed helped the community start Ramadan by joining them to pack food parcels for those self-isolating. Sophie is wearing a pure blue flowy shirt, and I sure would like to see more of it. And her good works.

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Today marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid celebrations for Muslims across the world. #EidMubarak • The Earl and Countess of Wessex were pleased to join volunteers at @shahjahanmosque on Thursday, where they helped pack food parcels. Ramadan has been very different this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, however these challenges have not stopped communities coming together to help those in need. The Woking Mosque is running a 24-hour service offering food parcels to those self-isolating, NHS workers and families in need of support. Donations from the Mosque, local churches and supermarkets are keeping the service going, with people of all faiths coming together to volunteer – so far the initiative has helped over 400 local households. Visit our YouTube channel (link in story) to watch an #Eid message from the Earl and Countess.

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Although there still aren’t enough events of interest to start up Bits and Bobs, we’ll sticky this post for people to add information as it happens throughout the week. Hope all the blue made your Tuesday better!

Random Royaling – Queens-in-Training (Updated)
Belgium · Netherlands · Sweden

Random Royaling – Queens-in-Training (Updated)

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The Netherlands

OC made me laugh when she said, “Clearly this one wants to be known for handbags.” That makes Amalia fit in perfectly at this particular blog, and, if she’s emulating Betty, I am all for it. In all seriousness, the Princess of Orange looks fantastic. They all do.

Belgium

All the royal children got into the act, calling on senior citizens to bring a little royal sunshine into their lives. They look more comfortable than their parents do working from home, particularly Elisabeth who has made that corner of the library quite a stylish office.

In later breaking news, it was announced that Elisabeth has finished her studies in Wales, and will enter a one year program at the Royal Military School.

Sweden

The ultimate Queen in Training (really, she needs no more training, she’s the pro), gave a video address to the European Conference on Rare Diseases. It’s always good to hear Vickan speak, isn’t it? She projects such gravitas.

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I dag höll Kronprinsessan ett inledningstal på den europeiska konferensen ECRD2020, om sällsynta diagnoser. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kronprinsessan, som är beskyddare av @sallsyntadiagnoser, inledde den digitala konferensen med att bland annat säga: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “That is why organizations such as yours, and meetings such as this, are so important: To give voice to those who need to be heard. To share knowledge and experiences. And to remind us, that even when the world gives you plenty of reasons to feel that way, you are not alone.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📌 Kungafamiljen är angelägen om att visa sitt stöd för de insatser som görs i olika delar av samhället för att bekämpa covid-19-pandemin. Genom samtal, digitala möten och besök informerar sig Kungafamiljen om hur pandemin påverkar Sverige. Besök planeras utifrån rådande rekommendationer och med en strävan att inte i onödan ta verksamheternas tid och resurser i anspråk. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🎥: Victor Ericsson/Kungl. Hovstaterna

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