Trooping the Colour 2011 (with bonus coverage)

What is ostensibly a military parade has become an all-out royal affair.  Trooping the Colour marks the monarch's official birthday in June each year (opposed to the Queen's actual birthday, in April).  So, we get to see some royals in their military get-ups and others in the latest (or not-so-latest) fashions.

Date:  11 June 2011
Place:  London, England
Event:  Trooping the Colour

The Princess Royal is wearing the outfit of a colonel in the Blues and Royals (in which her nephew Harry serves), an honorary role for Anne.

Here, the Countess of Wessex is wearing an unidentified outfit that commentators have noted is just a bit too low-cut for such an occasion (but then again, the Countess doesn't mind showing off her assets, does she?)  At one point on the balcony, her bra was in plain view.  But at least she wears underclothes.  In any event, her hat is a repeat from Ascot 2006.  She was criticized at the time for the gigantic cabbage rose plastered on it.  One wonders why she has failed to prune it back in the intervening years.

Oh, and for the first time in my memory, Prince Edward got to wear a military uniform to the Trooping.  Here he is seen wearing the uniform of Colonel in the London Scottish regiment--also an honorary role for him.  We'll get to Eugenie in a bit.

Prince Harry is wearing the outfit of a Captain in the Blues and Royals, a position in which he actively serves.  His uncle Prince Andrew looks a bit plain in what looks to be a morning suit and top hat.  (His waistcoat has nearly disappeared!)

Royal watchers usually enjoy the balcony appearance during Trooping the Colour as it is when the extended family (including some far-flung cousins) is most likely to make a public appearance.

This is only about one-third of the folks on the balcony!  Look how happy the Queen looks.

Now back to Eugenie....

What . . . what is that thing on her head?  To me, this is worse than what her sister Beatrice wore to Kate and Will's wedding.  This wouldn't fetch anything for charity if sold on eBay.  The bow alone should be a prosecutable offense.

Also, whatever she has on from the neck down is doing her no favors.  She's a curvier girl than her sister and thus needs more structure in her clothing to keep her from looking dumpy (which, actually, she isn't).  The smocking on her belly adds a stone of weight that she hasn't got.  Why, Eugenie, why?  Silver lining:  we can happily distract ourselves with how adorable Lady Louise is!

Next up, Camilla and Catherine--the two Cs are chumming it up a lot.  I wonder if they decided they should both wear cream.  It's sort of Camilla's signature color and she doesn't look half-bad in it.  Here, she's recycled the Philip Treacy hat she wore to her civil marriage ceremony in 2005.  It's an absolute stunner (even if we think it's a bit odd to re-use one's wedding apparel).  Also, her outfit looks similar (but still different) to the cream outfit she wore at Buckingham Palace when the Obamas visited last month.  Same designer perhaps?

The Duchess of Cambridge is also wearing a Philip Treacy topper, except hers is black (guess they forgot to coordinate that bit).  Her coat is by Alexander McQueen.  This whole white-coat-thing is starting to get to me.  The royal family may be a bit barmy, but there's no need to run about in straightjackets all the time! 

Also, this is quite a structural jacket that really loses something when the wearer is seated and covered by a tartan blanket.  Here's what it looks like:

Then, of course, there is Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh.  Word has it that the Queen's ensemble is a repeat, but from when and where exactly we've not quite figured out.  Philip is wearing the uniform of a colonel in the Grenadier Guards, another honorary position.  Considering he's just turned 90, he's still pretty spry!

Later that day, Kate joined her sister Pippa at the wedding of friend Sam Waley-Cohen to Annabel Ballin.  Beatrice even showed up, though she was absent from the Trooping.  Kate's hat stayed put, but changed into a black print dress by Zara that she was first seen wearing in May 2007 at a nightclub with Pippa (during that famous, and temporary, break-up with William).  Or maybe she had this dress underneath the coat.  She carried a black silk purse by Anya Hindmarch, which she also carried when meeting the Obamas at Buckingham Palace this spring.

Pippa was seen wearing a poorly fitting coat in a most pungent color--it didn't seem to go with anything else she was wearing.  Not to mention the wrinkles!

Finally, Beatrice wore a cute blue lace dress and stylish high heels.  Unfortunately the fussiness of the jacket takes away from the whole look.  The mismatched hat doesn't help, either.  We are always glad to see Beatrice with her best accessory--long-time beau Dave Clark.

Stay tuned as we continue to catch up on June--our favorite month of the year!  Lots to cover in July as well.  Not to mention, blasts from the past.  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal!

Breaking News: Camilla's Hat Was Recycled

We recently brought you coverage of the fashion of the royal wedding party including information about the Duchess of Cornwall's Anna Valentine outfit and Philip Treacy hat.  Now we can also tell you that Camilla's hat for the big day was not new!

Date:  June 2009
Place:  Ascot, England
Event:  Royal Ascot Horse Races

Seen here in 2009 wearing an outfit by Vivienne Westwood, the Duchess of Cornwall also wore that familiar-looking Philip Treacy topper.

She was picked to hand out a trophy, so she was sure to be photographed.  Funny how no one seems to have noticed yet that her hat was reused.  She even seems to have worn the same jewelry!  Well, good on her for saving a bit of money.  It went perfectly with her outfit on Kate and William's big day.

Tune into Fashionably Royal next time when we explore more Ascot fashions with a look back at 1981.  See you then!

The Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William: The Day After

The title sounds dramatic--too bad there wasn't some near-miss cataclysmic natural disaster to go along with it, like in the movies.

Date:  30 April 2011
Place:  London
Event:  Day after the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

First we see the happy couple walking the grounds of Buckingham Palace, preparing to depart for the first leg of their honeymoon.

In fact, this is just a mini-honeymoon for the couple.  They spent a few days at a yet undisclosed location somewhere in the UK.  They left the palace via helicopter--a great way to keep people off the scent.

The newly minted Duchess looked lovely in what seems to be her signature color--blue.  The dress is a pleated, sleeveless, belted number from a store called Zara.  In fact, the dress was available for sale online, but seems to have now sold out.  Inventory in-store varies, and yes there are Zara stores in America!  (Mainly on the east coast.)

The Duchess also wore a tailored black jacket (designer yet unknown) and a pair of patent wedges that we actually saw her wear the day before the wedding, as well.  The "Greta" wedges are by LK Bennett and are in the process of being reissued, as they are a slightly older model, to meet the demand to dress like Kate.

Finally, we have the sister of the bride leaving the hotel the day after the wedding with her family.  Rumor has it that she was up partying until 5 a.m. and only managed a few hours of sleep before this photo was snapped.  I want to know what her secret for looking so well-rested is!  Anyway, Pippa, too wore Zara the day after--in this case, she is wearing a Zara blue blazer.  (Did they plan that, do you think?)  She is carrying a Bristol medium grab handbag by Modalu London.  There's been a feeding frenzy for it, too, but if you're interested in buying, look here.  My favorite part of her ensemble is her footwear--she's purportedly wearing a pair of Tory Burch ballet pumps.

So, now we conclude our royal wedding 2011 coverage.  That is, until Zara Phillips gets married in a couple of months.  Hurrah!

Now, back to the regular schedule!  Thanks for reading and stay tuned.

The Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William: The Wedding Party Edition

Now, let's get down to looking at the rest of the wedding party.  My working definition of the wedding party is "anyone who appeared on Buckingham Palace's balcony to wave to the crowd."  See here:

Date:  29 April 2011
Place:  Westminster Abbey, London
Event:  Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

First, let's look at the parents of the bride:  Michael and Carole Middleton.  Mrs. Middleton wore a light blue suit designed by Catherine Walker's design team.  (Catherine Walker designed more clothes for Princess Diana in her life than any other designer; she passed away last year.)  The coat was wool crepe and the dress was made of silk shantung.  Her hat was designed by Jane Corbett.  There were reports in the press that she hired and fired a number of designers to create her look for the day.  I like to think she's a bit more decorous than that.  Either way, she really looked lovely--elegant but not too look-at-me.

Next, the father and brother of the bride.  They wore matching morning suits--the type of suit traditionally worn at weddings in England.  The suits are believed to have been made by exclusive Savile Row tailors Ede and Ravenscroft.

Both Middleton men wore tie pins that were specially made by Robinson Pelham.  They were made to match the jewelry worn by Kate, Pippa, and Carole--all of which was based on the newly created Middleton coat of arms.

I would like to take a moment to give a shout-out to Mr. Middleton for looking so, so proud of his daughter.  The look on his face really made me think he would be just as proud if she were marrying a janitor, so long as she was happy.  (Warms the heart, doesn't it?)

On to the parents of the groom!  Well, the father and step-mother--in case you're not comfortable with Camilla being referred to as William's "parent."  Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wore a champagne silk dress and hand-embroidered champagne and duck-egg blue coat, and carried a coordinating clutch bag, all designed by Anna Valentine.  Valentine also designed her outfits when marrying Prince Charles in 2005.  Her shoes were made by Jimmy Choo and her hat was one of many Philip Treacy creations seen on the wedding day.

Charles, Prince of Wales, wore his Royal Navy Ceremonial Day dress uniform.  He served in the Navy from 1971-76 (and was also in the Air Force).  In 2006, he was granted the rank of admiral--thus the uniform.  As much as the royal family tend to have a laughable number of military decorations on their uniforms, they often earned most of them by actually serving in multiple branches of the military.

Next, we come to Her Majesty, the Queen.  She chose a lovely shade of yellow for her Angela Kelly created crepe wool dress and matching coat with hand-sown beading at the neck in the shape of sun rays.  The bright color not only looked love on the unusually-spry monarch, but also indicated an optimism for the marriage.  Her hat was also designed by Angela Kelly and, rather sweetly, the Queen wore her grandmother's True Lovers' Knot brooch.  (Awww.)

The Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, of course wore a military uniform.  Specifically, he wore a Grenadier Guards uniform, with whom he has ranked as a colonel since 1975.  Of all the uniforms he could have chosen, it is unclear why he chose it especially considering he was a long-serving naval officer.  (He had just entered the navy when he first met Elizabeth; they were both teenagers.)

Prince Harry's uniform was, in my opinion, the most dramatic and hulking of the day.  He, like his brother William, is actively serving in the military.  He wore the uniform of the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment within the Army, with whom he serves as a Captain.  The tassels and epaulets alone must have weighed 20 pounds!  One of the most interesting aspects of his uniform was where he kept the ring William placed on Kate's finger.  He had a pocket specially sewn in his left cuff so that he could easily retrieve it when the time came.

The bridegroom himself, William, wore the Irish Guards Mounted Officer's uniform--he was appointed an honorary colonel with them in February of this year.  It came as a bit of a surprise as nearly everyone assumed he would wear the uniform of Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, with whom he actively serves in Wales.  The uniform he did choose to wear is the highest military rank he holds and, additionally, the motto of the Irish Guards is "Who shall separate us?"--perhaps a sentiment he feels toward his new bride.

Now, the bridesmaids and pageboys.  (Bridesmaids are not to be confused with the maid of honor, Pippa Middleton, who is featured just below.)  The bridesmaids included Grace van Cutsem, 3, Eliza Lopes, also 3, Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 8, and Lady Louise Windsor, 7.  Their dresses were made by Nicki Macfarlane and her daughter Charlotte and were designed to echo the bride's dress.  They were made of the same fabrics (silk gazar with Cluny lace trimming and net underskirts) as the bride's dress and had similar "structural" qualities.  The girls also had optional capes that were not worn because the weather behaved.  Their shoes were created by Rainbow Club of satin in the Mary Jane style with buckles decorated with Swarovski crystals.

Sweetly, the bridesmaids wore ivy and lily of the valley wreaths in their hair as Kate's mother Carole had in her wedding in 1980.  The bridesmaids also carried bouquets made of hyacinth, sweet William, and lily of the valley.

The pageboys were William Lowther-Pinkerton, 10, and Tom Pettifer, 8.  Their outfits were made by Kashket and Partners (who also fitted William's uniform); the design originated in the Royal Household--but we don't know who exactly!  They were made to look like uniforms worn by Foot Guards in the 1820s Regency period and included the insignia of the Irish Guards (as seen in William's uniform).  The collars and cuffs were produced by the Royal School of Needlework, who also made the lace for the bride, bridesmaids, and maid of honor.  (Tom Pettifer, the blonde pageboy, had the biggest, happiest grin on his face throughout the day.  If only all children involved in weddings were so well-behaved!)

Last, but certainly not least, was the most talked about member of the wedding party--maid of honor, Pippa Middleton.  In another surprise, Pippa, Kate's sister, wore a white dress!  I have never seen a maid of honor wear white before.  I can't say that I disagree with it, as smashing as Pippa looked--but at the same time, it was a bit distracting from Kate, and it was her big day.  Pippa's dress was a very figure-hugging white, satin crepe dress, also designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, with a low cowl neck, a row of buttons down the back (matching the bride's dress), and lace details (also matching the bride's dress).

Well, there you have the wedding party!  Next time, Fashionably Royal will explore The Wedding Reception and Day After.  Until then!

The Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William: The Guest Edition

We've looked at that dress, now let's look at some of those fashionably royal guests at the wedding.  With 1,900 guests, though, we can't look at them all.  We'll limit ourselves to a selection of royal guests--we'll get to the wedding party in a later post.

Date:  29 April 2011
Place:  Westminster Abbey, London
Event:  The Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Married to a cousin of Prince William, here we have Sophie Winkleman, Lady Frederick Windsor.

Lady Sophie easily wins the style stakes in my opinion in this beautifully tailored, sleek navy blue Armani Privé dress and coat.  (I have a soft-spot for the actress as she is in one of my favorite television shows.)

She topped off her outfit with a relatively restrained Philip Treacy creation.  (See below!)

Here she is at the final fitting with Philip Treacy (on the right).

The night before the wedding, she set the tone for her navy suit with another navy Armani Privé design.  She wore this gown to a reception hosted by the Queen in anticipation of the big day.  (Here she is trying it on, as well.)

Next up, Autumn Phillips (wife of Peter Phillips) and Zara Phillips--Peter and Zara being Princess Anne's children.  Autumn had her first child a few months ago and doesn't seem to have regained her confidence just yet.  She wore a coat dress that swallowed here.  Her shoes are adorable, by Emmy.  Zara dressed as her usual, sleek self in a custom grey coat dress by Paul Costelloe and black Jimmy Choo stiletto Mary Janes.  She has her own upcoming nuptials in July.  Rest assured we'll bring you the fashion scoop!

Then, we have Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in a lovely peach dress by Elie Saab--have not yet confirmed the designer of the hat, but it really suits her.

She looked especially lovely the night before at the Queen's party in a red gown by Escada.  Same hair-do!

The Countess of Wessex, Sophie Rhys-Jones, looked well-put together in a pale suit by Bruce Oldfield and head-wear by Jane Taylor.  It is believed that Sophie suffered a broken rib a week before the wedding after falling off a horse--she doesn't show any sign of it!

Finally, I simply cannot omit the most talked about guests at the wedding:  Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.  Eugenie wore a blue Vivienne Westwood concoction that not only didn't fit her proper, it didn't suit her at all.  The matching fascinator (topped with, among other things, a dragonfly) was made by Philip Treacy.  Beatrice wore a very flattering dress and coat by Valentino couture.  However, it was quite difficult to notice the Valentino for the Philip Treacy thing stuck on her head.  Some have criticized the color of the outfit for "clashing" with her hair, but we here at Fashionably Royal think the color was fine--the hat totally negated everything else, though.  She's certainly worn interesting headgear before, so I'm sure we'll continue to see her take risks.  Maybe the next one will pay off.

Make of the royal wedding fashions what you will, but they certainly are interesting!  Stay tuned for more from Fashionably Royal.