Hofdame Bits and Bobs
Belgium · Denmark · Japan · Passages · Spain · Sweden · Zulu Nation

Hofdame Bits and Bobs

The Handbag

Happy April to you! May it bring you joy wherever you are, and whatever season you find yourself in.

Getty

If you, like me, are a great fan of the Great British Baking Show, there’s a nice convergence in Getty this week. Also, the King of Norway is back at work, Princes Charles visits Cambridge and there is a platinum jubilee exhibit at Balmoral. See it all here.

Spam the Sapphire Earrings Earrings Results

I think the terrific trio of Baguettes/Hofdudes/Hofdames loves sapphires in all forms. The response to the poll was overwhelming and we ended up with a nice selection from various styles and eras. Did your favorite make the top ten?

1. Leuchtenberg Sapphires
2. Barberini Sapphires
3. Queen Mum’s Sapphire Fringe
4. Duchess of Camridge Sapphire
5. Dutch Figure 8 Sapphires
6. Diana’s Saudi Suite
7. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia sapphire 
8. Maxima’s Sapphire, Moonstone and Diamond Drops
9. Luxembourg Sapphires
10. George VI Victorian Sapphires

Belgium

Mathilde has kept herself busy – as always – and there are two Royal Lady Pantsuits and one rather cushiony dress suit to consider here.

The Queen attended the exhibition ‘Le monde et l’intime’ by the artist Charles Szymkowicz, wearing an oft-repeated Natan ensemble. I think she chose beige so as not to clash with the dramatic art.

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Switching gears, she visited a business event: Sustainable Value Chains. From legislation to action. This is my favorite type of Tilly, all business in an Armani zip-front jacket and black trousers. Seriously, wear this often!

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With the King, she visited  Freyr Castle and Gardens and she channeled the greenery of spring in a repeated Natan. As always, Modekoningin Mathilde has the details on all the outfits!

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Denmark

We don’t often feature the twins since they are busy living their lives, but they popped up at a football match looking cute. So hello Josie and Vincent!

Princess Marie is on a visit to Cambodia in her role as a patron of DanChurchAid. You can read a little more about her impressions and her mission here. She is wearing a Zara dress and her Tod wedges. (H/T to Heaven of UfoNoMore)

Spain

Queen Emeritus Sofia of Spain traveled to New York last week and attended several events. She was a guest at the presentation of the Royal Academy of History’s Electronic Biographical Dictionary, the largest database of characters in the history of Spain. I was entranced by her deep purple blazer.

She presented the Sophia Awards for Excellence, a commemoration of individuals who have participated in the influence of Hispanic culture in the world. It was a chance to see the Queen with the great Carolina Herrera, who has pretty much retired these days and isn’t seen as often. Two Classics!

I knew all the European royals were worldly polyglots, but it is still amazing to me how well they switch from one language to another. The Queen gave her speech in English and it was nice to hear her voice.

Sweden

There’s a lot going on in Sweden, but let’s focus on Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip, who attended a concert in aid of Ukraine. The Princess is wearing a Rodebjer blazer, but it’s her Caroline Svedbom Penelope Earrings that fascinate me. As always, UFONoMore has all the details.

Japan

Avery posted this on last week’s Bits, but I know lots of you don’t get back there. Princess Hisako is a favorite around these parts. She attended a cherry tree planting at the Pakistan Embassy, and the lovely mask and bedazzled chapeau were extraordinarily spring-like.

We have a Pocket Profile about Empress Meiji in the very early draft stages but in the meantime, I invite you to feast your eyes on this fabulous court dress. It’s on display at the Yokohama Museum of Art, and what I wouldn’t give to see it! The embroidery is incredible.

South Africa

(Note: The Zulu royals participate in polygamous marriages. It’s a big world. We touch on many different cultures here. However, if polygamy is something you don’t want to read about, skip over this section!)

We posted about the death of the previous Zulu King, His Majesty King Zwelithini, last year. There’s been a lot of back and forth and general drama over who would be the next ruler. Although he has not had a coronation, one of King Zwelithini’s sons, Misuzulu Zulu, has been generally accepted as the new king. He has been in a union with Ntolozo Mayisela for a long time, and she will now be his official first wife. Last week the families held an umembeso. Two of the deceased king’s wives attended the event. You can read more about Umembeso celebrations here.

That long explanation was a lead-up to posting this photo of some brilliant color on the Queens on their way to the event.

Here’s a video of the ceremony.

Tiaras in the Wild

Isabelle Junot, the daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco’s first husband, married Álvaro Falcó last weekend. The dress was by the design house Pronovias and said to be a bespoke piece designed by the firm’s artistic director, Alessandra Rinaudo. See here for more information. What fascinated me the most were the pockets!

The Falco-designed tiara belonged to the groom’s great-grandmother, the Duchess of Montellano, and was bought in Paris, where she lived with her husband at the end of the 19th century. You can head to last week’s Bits comments for some photos of the interior and guests. (H/T to our Baguette Iselen!)

Passages

The great Patrick Demarchelier died at seventy-eight, and it was a sad day for photography and for all those who appreciate the beauty in the world. You probably know him best from the series of portraits he did of Diana in the nineties. A great talent is gone.

Comments

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