Hofdame Bits and Bobs
Britain · Denmark · Eswatini · Japan · Monaco · Spain

Hofdame Bits and Bobs

The Handbag

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, like the Hofdames, this week is very much “Hello Summer”. The royal sartorial efforts are definitely geared to the sunny season. Let’s peek in.

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All the Royal Ascot a royal-watcher could ever want, Countess Eloise (Princess Laurentien’s daughter through and through) writes a book, and the Spains were out and about every single day. Read it here.

Back in the Bag

Two years ago, in the innocent days of 2019, The Order of the Garter ceremony created some of the biggest excitement this blog has ever seen. That’s what happens when the Kings of Spain and the Netherlands participate and bring along their glamorous consorts.

Britain

There were no Ascot appearances for the Cambridges last week, but the family was busy elsewhere. The Duchess launched her new initiative, The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. She emerged on a rainy day with a Pride umbrella wearing an LK Bennett light purple dress. She was on her way to a roundtable to discuss the foundation. She also released a video message in support of the launch.

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The Duke is celebrating his 39th birthday (yes, I clearly remember his birth so AHEM). The day before he took the two oldest Cambridge children to the half marathon at Sandringham. Charlotte is wearing a polo sweater coordinating with her pink sneakers. Way to represent, kids.

Monaco

Remember when we said La BB could wear anything? Case in point here with her appearance in a not-for-amateurs Dior. Some days you just need some Borromeo.

Tiara Sighting – and a pretty one at that. Princess Maria Carolina really reminds me of her mother.

Spain

The Royal Spanish Nuclear Family all attended the “Order of the Civil Merit” ceremony. If Ascot hadn’t knocked everything else off the calendar, we would have covered this more thoroughly last week. The Queen and Infanta coordinated in pink, Letizia wearing her Moises Nieto Teja dress. The Infanta stood apart in a blue-gray VOGANA Vitoria Dress and an endearingly scraped knee, proving that she might be a Queen-in-Training, but she’s still a kid.

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Denmark

Here in the States, European-bound travelers sometimes worry that if they wear something floral on a continental vacation they will “look touristy”. I would say the opposite is true, you will fit right in. Particularly if your destination is Denmark. No one really does a print like the Danish women.

Crown Princess Mary stepped out to make two sensitive visits, wearing what I consider to be her equivalents of Princess Diana’s “caring dress”. She stopped at the Nældebjerg Care Center in Greve, in the patterned Ralph Lauren dress, a flattering style for her.

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She also opened a children’s hospice, wearing a floral H & M dress with a handkerchief hem.

If you want more information on the visits or a breakdown on the clothes, Style of Mary has her posts up.

The Danish Girls (or, more accurately, a Queen and a Princess) went a-culturing to the ballet. The production was held at the Pantomine Theater at Tivoli, a place I would dearly love to visit. The Queen channeled springtime in a royal way. Here is a better look at the Princess’s dress. She has been rocking the red lately.

There was some excellent Classic Princessing going on last week. Princess Benedikte took in some Vivaldi at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Copenhagen, wearing a perfectly princessy red print dress.

Japan

This was a few weeks ago, but since we recently profiled her it’s worth a look. Kiko, Princess Akishino, showed off her sassy style chops with a trimmed Chanel-style jacket and her usual grin. She was participating in a webinar on maternal care, a subject no doubt close to her heart considering the issues she faced with her third pregnancy.

Eswatini

We will definitely do a Pocket Profile of this Queen at some point, but in the meantime let’s just wish Queen Siboleno of Eswatini a happy 52nd birthday. I fell down a rabbit hole with her last week – this is a woman unafraid of any style, color, or embellishment – and a woman of great accomplishment to boot. She is known as “The Advocate” in her home country, and self-describes as staunch, candid, and individualistic. If you want to know more, see ZefDahlia’s post here.

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