Category: Netherlands

Open Post – Prinsjesdag 2019
Netherlands

Open Post – Prinsjesdag 2019

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Prinsjesdag! Where the Dutch royals remind the population that they have a monarchy. Elaborate carriages! Morning dress for men and long dresses with hats for women! It’s as if a bit of the 19th century swoops into the 21st. The hofdames, of course, love every bit of it.

We’ll be updating the post periodically, but given that we are working folks it might not happen until later in the day. We are throwing it out to our community – please post anything Prinsjesdag-related in the comments. Often our community is ahead of us and we don’t want to hold you up!

The proceedings begin at 7:00 a.m. ET. If you would like to follow along in real time, try the following link:
https://www.npostart.nl/live?fbclid=IwAR2srlEa3EVFM_I-miAooaukQvWlNpwvaVqT6R2b9CaFwTbBJmXmTKQ_8J4

The initial photos have come in through Getty. I do like the detailing on the cape although it does still seem a little evening to me. I think I like Laurentien’s pink better in larger photos. Great jewels!

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New My Royals indicates that this is a new dress by Jan Taminiau and the hat is by Philip Treacy.

I like this little glimpse.

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Great close-up of the oranges in the garlands.

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Also, the whole fam damily gathered for Princess Irene’s birthday yesterday. Nice to see some of the folks we don’t see very often, including my favorite Princess Carolina.

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Hofdame Bits and Bobs
Belgium · Britain · Japan · Netherlands

Hofdame Bits and Bobs

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It’s Prinsjesdag week! We will have two Prinsjesdag posts: today we’ll ask the community to post their favorite Prinsjesdag dresses from the past (worn by Max, Oma or the royal of your choice). On Tuesday we’ll follow the action with an open post. We hope everyone jumps in with their favorite comments and photos of the ongoing action. Next week we’ll return to weddings on Tuesdays.

This weeks Hall of Fame vote will be Grand Duchess Stephanie – Evening division. We think you’ll be surprised when you review some of her evening looks. We sure were. The woman has worn some things that just announce “Grand Duchess.”

Working

Look who we found! Princess (always Queen Oma to us) Beatrix attended the Zwaluwen Youth Action event, an initiative to help young athletes to raise money for their peers with muscular diseases. Holy bows, Oma ; ).

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Queen Mathilde attended the Global Summit for Vaccination in Brussels, wearing an ensemble by by Dries Van Noten. I like the color and wish for a bit more shape, somewhere.

I know I keep returning to her tour to Canada, but she’s just so darn engaging. Princess Takamado (Hisako) wore an unusual for Japanese royalty floral dress during her recent visit to Edmonton, Alberta.

The Duchess of Sussex is returning from maternity leave. Last week she debuted her capsule wardrobe collection. Sussex Royal released some photos of thrilled clients trying on some of the pieces.

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Last month, The Duchess of Sussex surprised Smart Works clients during the capsule collection shoot in west London…Today, The Duchess, alongside @SmartWorksCharity – in partnership with @InsideJigsaw, @JohnLewisandPartners, @MarksandSpencer and @MishaNonoo – are incredibly proud to reveal to everyone, #TheSmartSet – a five piece capsule collection that will equip the Smart Works clients with the classic wardrobe pieces to help them feel confident as they mobilise back into the work space. • “Since moving to the UK, it has been deeply important to me to meet with communities and organisations on the ground doing meaningful work and to try to do whatever I can to help them amplify their impact. It was just last September that we launched the ‘Together’ cookbook with the women of the Hubb Kitchen in Grenfell. Today, a year later, I am excited to celebrate the launch of another initiative of women supporting women, and communities working together for the greater good. Thank you to the four brands who came together in supporting Smart Works on this special project – placing purpose over profit and community over competition. In convening several companies rather than one, we’ve demonstrated how we can work collectively to empower each other – another layer to this communal success story, that I am so proud to be a part of” – The Duchess of Sussex The collection – which features a shirt, trousers, blazer, dress and tote bag – will be on sale for two weeks starting today, with the objective of selling enough units to give Smart Works the essentials they need to help dress clients for the coming year! For every item bought during the sale of the collection, one will be donated to Smart Works, this 1:1 model allows customers to directly support the Smart Works women by playing a part in their success story – how they look and more importantly, how they feel. Photo © @JennyZarins

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This and That

The trio of Prince Harry, Queen Letizia and Prince Daniel celebrated their shared birthdays on September 15th. Quick – who is 47? Who is 35? Who is 46? Daniel, of course, was born on the day Carl Gustaf became King. If you ever have to make up a royal trivia game, that day is full of fodder.

If you want to hire out some fantastic replicas of the British Crown Jewels – among various other things – LiL found this for us. Dare I say some of these are an improvement over the genuine article? Or you could call on this company. If you click the link you will see an excellent replica of the Vladimir.

What did I miss?

Prinsjesdag Preview
Netherlands

Prinsjesdag Preview

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Tomorrow is Prinsjesdag, the yearly event during which the monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the Dutch congress. The event is quite a spectacle, and follows very specific traditions, particularly in the sartorial department. Here is a quick primer at Order of Splendor.

So…. that leads us to our business. To get in the mood, let’s post our favorite Prinsjesdag ensembles. Although Max is always a great source, don’t limit yourself. Queen Beatrix was always a delight at this event, and Laurentien often astounds us with many surprising combinations. You can even throw back to previous monarchs, if you feel inclined.

Here is a sampler of our favorites. What are yours?

Random Royaling – Max, Kate and Cams
Britain · Netherlands

Random Royaling – Max, Kate and Cams

The HandbagLeave a comment

It’s almost autumn! Everyone is returning to work, or at at least to public appearances. They look refreshed and renewed and all patterned up (for the most part).

The Duchess of Cambridge took her two oldest off to school, and to my North America eyes this whole set up is quintessentially British. The uniforms! Kate in patterned Michael Kors, which I find fresh and flattering. OC is twitching a bit over the belt/shoe color collision, though.

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In the Netherlands Max marched off to in full Max gear and I love every bit of it. I should since it’s Carolina Herrera. Please Max wear more of this and Tory Burch! Hit up ModekoninginMaxima for more intel.

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Camilla! I didn’t know how much I missed you until you returned. She looks lovely in soft blue, although I yearn for a bit more structure here.

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However the dress was comfortable enough for some dancing, which the Duchess did.

What do you think of the return to work ensembles? Let us know below!

ROYGBIV–Floral jewelry
Albania · Britain · Denmark · Japan · Monaco · Netherlands · Spain · Sweden · Tiaras

ROYGBIV–Floral jewelry

OrangeChiaLeave a comment

A big hello to the community as we land here on Thursday and another extended ROYGBIV category–Floral jewelry! Get a cup of tea or coffee and relive our fun times with Red jewels, Orange jewels, Yellow jewels, Green jewels, Blue jewels, Purple jewels, Pink jewels, and Black-White-Black & White jewels. It’s been a fun series to write and I hope you’ve enjoyed all the categories we’ve explored. On with the show!

Japan

The Imperial Chrysanthemum is a hefty piece, and is only worn by the Empress. I love that the symbol of the entire monarchy is encapsulated in a sparkly piece of jewelry worn only by the leading lady.

Pinterest

Denmark

Mary’s arrangement with Ole Lynggaard means she has exclusive use of the Midnight Tiara. It’s not to everyone’s taste (though it certainly delights me!) but there is no doubt a floral motif was created here and it inspired the brand’s Leaves collection.

A sweet and historical gift from her dear mother Ingrid, Daisy’s daisy brooch delights each time it appears. Just look at the Queen’s wedding ensemble here–my favorite royal wedding gown EVER, historical veil, the Khedive tradition and her mom’s brooch. If you’ll pardon the phrase, this brooch has really grown on me over the years.

Britain

I love me some pinecones, but in the original version where the round piece is centered. You can’t beat the stones in this piece, but I think the design really suffered when Anne had it shortened.

Betty’s Australian (HOW did I do that?!?) New Zealand Fern is fabulous–both delicate and sturdy at the same time. It goes anywhere with anything.

Betty gets two entries today, because She Is Deserving. The Maple Leaf Brooch has been shared around the family quite a bit. It has presence and is simply pretty at the same time. Be sure to scroll through the pages of the Instagram post for great individual portraits.

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The Maple Leaf Brooch 🍁 This diamond brooch in the shape of Canada's instantly recognizable maple leaf was given to Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, by her husband George VI in advance of their wildly successful Canadian tour in 1939.The sizeable gem was a particular favorite during the war years, when she'd even perch it jauntily on her hat from time to time. She kept it until the end of her life, when it passed to the current Queen like the rest of her jewels. We now see it pop up in Canada and at Canada-centric activities.The Windsors are not generally a family that does a lot of jewel sharing, which makes this brooch an interesting case. Queen Elizabeth first wore it in 1951, when her mother lent it to her for her first tour of Canada alongside her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and she's now carried that tradition forward. She loaned the brooch to the Duchess of Cornwall for her first tour of Canada with the Prince of Wales in 2009, and Camilla wore it several times during the trip.The Queen did the same thing in 2011, lending it to the Duchess of Cambridge for her first Canadian visit with her husband and also in 2016. #queenelizabeth #katemiddleton #duchessofcambridge #royals #princewilliam #dukeofcambridge #windsor #westminster #royals #royalfamily #duchessofcornwall #queenmother #brooch #royaljewels #england #kensingtonpalace #buckinghampalace #greatbritain #frogmorehouse #britishroyals #britishmonarchy #followme #followback #tagsforlikesapp #tagstagramers

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Friends, indulge me, please on my very last ROYGBIV jewelry post, would you? I don’t usually post items that are not identifiably royal in nature, whether that be current or historical use. But, I am IN LOVE with this acorn tiara and really want Billy to buy it for Queen Cathy, when their time comes. I’ve chatted about it for years, but what a way to harken back to her Middleton coat of arms in a tiara fit for a queen. She’s even got matching earrings already. Sigh.

Spain

The royal ladies of Spain have a beautiful floral tiara at their disposal, and I look forward to seeing it on Leonor’s head in the coming years. Editor’s note: This particular Instagram link was displaying at huge sizes for some, so a screenshot is now displayed with a link to check out the fantastic photos. Click through the pages of the Instagram post!

Germany

This charming piece was worn by a Swedish princess to marry into the Hohenzollern family. I think it has real possibilities and I’d love to see it fanned out in the current style.

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We’re looking at the Hohenzollern Clover Coronet! It’s a beautiful Family heirloom worn by many a Hohenzollern bride featuring 4 diamond clovers which connect via a diamond base and arches to make a full circlet or coronet. . This bride pictured is HRH Princess Birgitta of Sweden who married into the family via Prince Johann Georg in 1961. She wore this for her German wedding service. I really like it on her! . They remained married until his death in 2016 although they had been openly separated for several years but still attended family events such as weddings together. . Although she may have spent much too much time in the sun in her years, was she not a gorgeous bride? Incidentally her sister Princess Désirée borrowed the dress for her wedding too a few years later ☺️ . . . #swedishroyals #hohenzollern #royalsofeurope #germanroyalty #jewel #jewellery #jewelry #jewelryblog #jewelleryblog #gemsanddiadems #tiara #crown #diadem #diamond #diamondtiara #royal #royalfamily #europeanroyalty #britishroyalfamily #crownjewels #royaljewels #coronet #clover #weddingtiara #wedding #gems #gemstones

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Russia

This very tall piece speaks to me each time I see it. Large, but airy. Full of symbolism. Sparkly.

Sweden

Not. One. Diamond. Amazeballs.

Found in a cupboard. Not kidding.

Monaco

Charlene wore these lovely diamond flowers on her wedding day, on loan from Caroline. I’d really like to see them make another appearance, on anyone. Ever. In my lifetime, please.

Netherlands

I beg forgiveness again as I present a repeat! You simply cannot beat the Dutch Laurel Wreath tiara. Magnificent.

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In ancient Greece, victorious athletes were crowned with wreaths of laurel leaves. Laurel wreaths have been Western cultural symbols of victory for centuries since, so it shouldn't be surprising that the wealthy and powerful have often commissioned their own diamond versions of laurel wreaths. The style is still so associated with ancient Greece that, in French, these tiaras are often called bandeaux à la grecque.The laurel wreath tiara is one of the oldest pieces in the Dutch collection, but there are two competing theories about its arrival in the family’s vaults. One posits that the tiara originally belonged to Princess Louise of Orange-Nassau, the sister of King Willem I of the Netherlands. The other theory suggests that the tiara was made in the early nineteenth century but purchased by the Dutch royals much later. According to this narrative of the tiara's history, it was acquired in the 1950s by Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard and given to Princess Beatrix to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. Whether it was newly purchased or dug out of the depths of the family’s collection, Beatrix did indeed receive the tiara as a birthday gift, and she wore it regularly as a young princess. She also shared the tiara with two of her sisters, Princess Margriet and Princess Christina.In recent years, however, the focus has been on the Dutch brides who have worn the tiara. Laurentien Brinkhorst wore the diadem at her wedding to Beatrix’s son, Prince Constantijn, in 2001. And Princess Irene's daughter, Princess Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, wore it at her 2012 wedding to Albert Brenninkmeijer. #dutchroyaljewels #tiara #diadem #diamonds #diamond #wreaths #leaves #greekstyle #bandeaux #dutch #royals #foundation #vault #historical #jewels #jewelry #queen #queenmaxima #beatrix

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Who doesn’t need a giant convertible piece of jewelry for all occasions? This aigrette is ready for duty.

Albania

Now, you didn’t think I’d get through all of these posts without the GOAT, did you? Here it is in all it’s glory. It’s got the goat, yes. But it also has some lovely floral elements that help to soften the fact a medium sized milkable mammal is in the top spot.

And with that, I bid you a fond adieu from ROYGBIV-land. I hope you have enjoyed yourself and please show me your favorite floral pieces in the comments below!