Epsom Derby 2011

The Royals do love their horses!  And fashion . . . .

Date:  4 June 2011
Place:  Epsom, England
Event:  Epsom Derby

First up, the ever blossoming Princess Beatrice.  She took the blossoming bit rather literally with this floral ensemble and fascinator with white leaves and ivory rose.

The fascinator is interesting and beautiful in its own right, but the unflattering hues and potato-sack nature of the dress clash with it.  Meanwhile, her sister Princess Eugenie wore a white cap-sleeve dress with black polka dots and a matching wide-brimmed white and black straw hat.  The structure of the hat is stunning on her, but the dress is a bit plain.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who is purportedly undergoing intense physical training sessions to slim down (though she's thin already, we would like to point out!), chose a champagne colored Bruce Oldfield concoction.  Sophie seems to be less than amused by Philip's humor.

The hat she chose is one of those hats that looks better from certain angles that from others--this angle being less than stellar.  (I could not locate a suitable photo from the other side, but you can see a hint of the feathers and flowers on the underside in the above photo.)

Her Majesty popped in a bright, crayon pink outfit and hat, which she wore before to Ascot in 2009.  Looks like Liz is pulling a Kate.  The hat is by milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan.

We here love the geometric pattern of the dress fabric and the fact that Prince Philip almost seems to have coordinated his look with his wife's.

Should I?  Or shouldn't I?  Okay, I'll do it.  "We are not amused."  Sorry.

Finally, we have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge--Will and Kate.  William's suit looks ever so slightly like he may have borrowed it from his father-in-law's wardrobe.

Catherine continued her affordable chic trend by wearing a Reiss "Peacock" dress (£195), a JOSEPH "Nessie" tweed jacket, L. K. Bennett "Sledge" leather court shoes in light taupe (£175--she's been getting a lot of mileage out of these shoes), L. K. Bennett "Natalie" handclutch (£140--she's been seen with this several times), a pale brown straw beret by Whiteley, and Kiki Mcdonough citrine drop earrings (£495).

The Reiss dress is, sadly, hidden by the slightly straight-jacket-esque look that Kate had going on.  Here is what it looks like underneath.

Another small quibble we have, though it is indeed minor, is Kate's poor posture.  She naturally looks amazing in practically anything, but she would indeed take it to 11 if she stood up straight with less rounded shoulders.  Don't be shy, girlfriend!

So, that was it for the Epsom Derby this year!  Stay tuned for lots lots more.  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal.

Chelsea Flower Show 2011

It's that time of year!  Flowers are in bloom and the royals are, too.  So to speak.

Date:  May 2011
Place:  London
Event:  Chelsea Flower Show

At this year's Chelsea Flower Show, Princess Beatrice was the belle of the ball.

She wore a figure-hugging dress by Roland Mouret.

She paired it with a pair of nude, platform pumps and a structured black jacket (designers unknown).

She looked great from all angles!

Even when goofing around with her father, the Duke of York.

Here is Beatrice with her aunt, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.  The Countess wore a black outfit that looked far more appropriate for a funeral.

Queen Elizabeth caused a bit of a stir in these quarters for wearing . . . a black hair net.

It simply did not compliment her outfit and looked quite out of place.

Her design team, led by Angela Kelly, would have made the monarch look less like a lunch-lady had they coordinated the hairnet with the frock rather than the handbag and shoes.

And finally, we have a few other royal guests at the flower show:

Prince Albert of Monaco looking smart in a well-cut suit.

Prince Philip looking like his usual self in a trench coat.

Prince Edward, Sophie's husband, looking a bit plain in a slightly baggy suit.

Princess Michael of Kent (looking a bit kooky) and . . .

Her husband, Prince Michael of Kent (first cousin of Queen Elizabeth).

And finally, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, looking not-too-shabby.

Though a different shade of shoes and handbag would have made the suit even better!

That's all for now.  Come back tomorrow.  We have a lot to go over, including the state visit to Ireland and the Obamas visit to Buckingham Palace!  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal.

The Honeymoon of Sarah, Duchess of York

More honeymoon fashions!

Date:  July-August 1986
Place:  England (London and Portsmouth)
Event:  Honeymoon of Andrew and Sarah, Duke and Duchess of York

Following their July wedding, Sarah and Andrew left Buckingham Palace and took a helicopter to Heathrow Airport.  From there, they boarded a jet and flew to the Azores.  There, they were met by the royal yacht Britannia and spent about a week exploring the islands.  Then, they set a course for England and returned there, docking at Portsmouth, on 2 August.

Sarah wore this floral dress (designer unknown) while leaving Buckingham Palace and Heathrow Airport.

The carriage was reportedly filled with flower petals by Princess Diana and included a huge teddy bear and humorous signs ("Phone Home") attached to the back provided by Prince Edward.

Sarah and Andrew were not as pursued by cameras during their honeymoon as Diana and Charles. They also chose a slightly farther afield destination. Thus, there are fewer photos of the honeymooners.

Sarah was photographed wearing this patterned, white sweater (unknown designer) when the royal yacht Britannia returned to England at Portsmouth.

Stay tuned for more honeymoon fashions in the coming days!

Sarah Ferguson's Wedding Day

In the lead up to Kate and Will's big day next week, we continue the wedding theme today with the marriage of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew.

Date: 23 July 1986
Place: Westminster Abbey, London
Event: Wedding between Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew

After Diana's dress five years previously came out of the carriage looking like a balled up tissue, the silk taffeta was left behind. Designer Lindka Cierach made the dress out of satin.

The bodice and train were embroidered with a bee motif to incorporate the Ferguson coat of arms.

The long veil was made from silk tulle with scalloped edges and dotted with sequins.

Sarah wore a diamond tiara and necklace set that were given to her by the Queen as a wedding gift. They were created by the Crown Jewellers, Garrard and Company.

Stayed tuned to Fashionably Royal for more royal wedding style retrospection in the coming week. Next week--royal honeymoon fashion!