Top 10 Worst of 2010: #9. Prince Henrik at the Royal Hunt

Let's play a game! Come on, it'll be fun.

Let's turn back time and pretend that you had yourself a hot little ticket to Victoria and Daniel's wedding. Let's also say that you got to choose who you were seated beside at the banquet (we're playing pretend here, go with it). Any two royals to be seated between. Who would you pick?

Me? If I was in the mood for gossip, I think I'd go with Madeleine and Mary. Out of pure curiosity, I might go with Letizia and Felipe just to see what that's like. If I was on the mood for...something else, I'd go with Guillaume and Félix and Carl Philip (that's three, but I can cheat because it's my game).

On the other hand, if I wanted to have the most fun night ever, I rather think I'd go with Máxima on one side and none other than the Prince Consort himself, Henrik, on the other.

I mean, if this guy can make me laugh out loud just by getting dressed in the morning, can you imagine what fun I'd have over dinner?

I admire the spirit, but that kind of fashion statement (punctuated by the fact that it is no more a costume than anything else he wears is) has to have a place on the list.

Now, pop down to the comments and play our game! I promise, it's fun. Plus, I'm nosy and I wanna know your answers.

Photos: PPE

Gold Star: Prince Harry in Berlin

I don't talk about royal men's fashion too much on the blog, apart from some incidental admiration and/or doses of eye candy for the lady (and selected gentleman) readers. It's not that interesting, really: suit, tie, repeat. The Danish royal men are prone to the occasional show of sartorial flare...

But even the best laid plans have a tendency to go astray.

So I was particularly excited to see these pictures surface of Prince Harry in Berlin.

 Now, this is how it's done.

Well fit coat atop a sweater atop a shirt and tie in coordinating patterns. I could get used to this.

Who makes your list of best dressed royal men?

Photos: PPE/ddp/Langbehn/Bauer Griffin/Zimbio/Getty/Daylife

Royal Fashion Awards: National Day Celebrations in Luxembourg

I'm feeling very spoiled: first, my favorite Luxembourg royals turn out in force for Victoria's wedding, and then they just roll right into National Day celebrations.  I think you already know the gentleman will be getting equal billing alongside the ladies in this very special edition of the Royal Fashion Awards.

Day 1
Guillaume and his little sister Princess Alexandra visited Esch-sur-Alzette, while their parents the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess visited Diekirch during the day.  The evening brought a fireworks display and all the rest of the family. (Almost.  Where for art thou, Félix?  You are the most delicious of them all.)

Left to Right: Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Princess Alexandra (she wore just the pink sleeveless dress underneath during the day), Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prince Louis, Princess Tessy, Prince Sebastien

Day 2 - Day

In the morning, the family attended a Te Deum mass, and then the Grand Ducal couple and Guillaume reviewed a military parade.

L to R: Guillaume, Alexandra, Henri, Maria Teresa, Louis, Tessy, Sebastien

Day 2 - Evening

Gala time!  Very disappointed we aren't seeing Alexandra and Tessy here; both of them made tiara appearances two years ago.

Crown Princess Victoria has this Elie Saab in gray (and we just saw it, too).  The deep blue is gorgeous with her sapphire and diamond jewels, and I think we're working a new hairstyle here.  Love it, and love the gentlemen all dapper in their uniforms.

And now, for the awards.  Drumroll, please....

The "How old are you, again?" Awards

Princess Alexandra, Day 2 - Day, and Princess Tessy - Day 1

Alexandra went woefully older than her youthful age for the Te Deum, and for proof you need look no farther than the fact that Máxima wore the exact same thing on the exact same day.  Tessy ran straight in the opposite direction for the fireworks - this is like a little girl's party dress, not something you want to see on a mother of two.

The Coco Chanel Award
Princess Tessy, Day 2 - Day

Louis's baby mama turned it on for the Te Deum, didn't she?  This is trés chic.  A little black dress, barely accessorized - it may not actually be Chanel, but it's surely worthy of praise from the Great One herself.  A great multi-use choice for Tessy, who certainly doesn't have a need to go buying outfits suited solely for royal duty.

Fiercest Pose Award
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Day 1

Dare I say, this is the most attractive picture of Guillaume I've ever seen?  And I'm predisposed to finding all his pictures attractive.  The beard, the stare....oh my.  Someone had to make up for Félix's absence.  Well done, G. 

Worst Dressed
Princess Alexandra, Day 2 - Day

Oh, NATAN.  A bow flopped straight on top of the boobs is flattering only to flat-chested runway models (who, coincidentally, are not exactly NATAN's target customer).  And the yellow....is it mustard?  Or something out of either end of a sickly baby?  On its own, I'm a big fan of the hat - she's working a whole International Princess of Mystery air here - but the wide brim combined with the lines of the dress are making her shorter and wider than she really is.  Alexandra, you're a lovely girl.  But please, wait at least 10 more years before you become a full-time NATAN patron.

Best Dressed
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Day 2 - Day

See what happens when our Grand Duchess gets it right?  Day 1 might have included some dodgy ruching choices, but this makes it all better.  The suit is divine, and the hat gives it a retro flair - my favorite MT is the MT that gets her Eva Perón on.

UPDATE!

A video from the National Day celebrations, as referenced by Mlle. Sunshine Awesome in the comments below, is online now: view it here.  It's a very interesting watch - Maria Teresa appears at around 9.30.  I grabbed a few quick screen caps:

 The dress Alexandra is wearing has many layers, like something Mette-Marit might wear.  It has great movement.  And Tessy is shining in fuchsia, which is an excellent complement to the family's turquoise tiara she's wearing.  Alexandra appears to be wearing the same tiara she's been seen in before, the smaller of the family's floral tiaras (they have at least 2 diamond-only floral ones that I'm aware of):

Photos: PPE/Nieboer/Mark Renders/Getty Images/Cour gr ducale/C. Hommel/Belga/RTL

Royal Trend Watch: World Cup Fever Edition

I wonder how many royals cursed silently when they received Crown Princess Victoria's wedding invitation and discovered the mandatory event was scheduled smack damn in the middle of the World Cup. "Well, I'm dashed!" they said as they clutched their pearls and gasped. (Royals should always swear like Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady, don’t you think?)  Surely some of them are the sort to prefer a bit of football over getting all fancied up, right?

Or maybe, dashing from home to South Africa to Sweden and back, they were just glad for a reason to show off their patriotic sartorial flare. Plus, think of the frequent flyer miles.

First up, we saw Princes Frederik and Willem-Alexander at the Denmark/Netherlands match. Clearly, Fred didn’t get the team spirit memo. Maybe that’s why Denmark lost. Willem-Alexander, on the other hand, orange-d himself to his princely max. Is there anybody in Holland that doesn’t like orange? Is that, like, grounds for denied citizenship?

 Letizia brought her ubiquitous khaki trench coat along for her pre-wedding stop to cheer on Spain vs. Switzerland.  This scarf-n-safari look is so typical of her, it barely counts that the scarf is kinda red. (They are in South Africa, maybe she actually was going on safari afterwards? One can only hope.) Felipe took half a page from W-A’s book with his snazzy red tie, but overall, it was clearly not a colorful enough appearance by the couple, as Spain lost 0-1.

Eugenie kicked off the Windsors’ ode to England at Trooping the Colour, and William and Harry finished it out in South Africa. Since the British royal family’s insistence on ignoring important foreign royal events by sending the fewest (and lowest on the totem pole) acceptable members is still well intact, William and Harry were content to stick around in South Africa and football it up. (Boo, by the way, Queen Liz. I know you all are very busy, but come on. You’re not even that far away from your European cousins. For the love of Jimmy Choo, send us some more bling next time.)  Their royal twin appearance didn't help, though:  the English team got booed off the field after their 0-0 draw against Algeria.

Undeterred, the brothers took their team ties to an event supporting England's bid for the 2018 World Cup:

Why yes, I am just including that picture for the eye candy.  Gotta love sporty princes hanging out with dashing athletes.  That's the best part of the royals catching World Cup fever, isn't it?

2014 World Cup recommendation:  team scarves for everyone!


Pictures: Pacificcoastnews.com/Jamie McDonald/Luca Ghidoni/Daylife

Let's Hear It For The Boys: Crown Princess Victoria's Wedding

It's not just the ladies that get all dolled up for the big events, you know; the gentlemen bring their very own version of the glitter.  Let's sit back and admire them for a minute, shall we?

Sovereigns on parade (left to right):

1. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden:  Sometimes the King can look so dour; it was lovely to see him emotional and happy today.  He gave a rose to the Queen during his speech in honor of their 34th wedding anniversary (which is today!), and then danced a super cute waltz with her.  Awww.
2. King Albert II of the Belgians:  He always has the most amiable expression on his face, doesn't he?
3. King Constantine II of Greece:  I know men in white tie have the option of wearing sashes over their shoulders or around their waists, but his always looks like it's about to fall off.
4. Prince Albert II of Monaco:  Unfortunate waistcoat.  And marry Charlene, already!
5. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg:  Dapper as always.
6. King Harald V of Norway:  Anyone sitting beside him or Constantine at these events always seems to be having the grandest of times.  They must be quite the cut-ups.
7. King Abdullah II of Jordan:  Years ago, I saw him on Larry King, and the two of them were discussing the fact that they both have wives much taller than themselves.  He seemed quite proud of it, and I've liked him ever since.

Future sovereigns on parade (left to right):

1. Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant:  I think I liked him better without the beard.
2. Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange:  Have you ever heard him speak?  He has the BEST voice.
3. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway:  One half of the cutest Crown Princely couple around, in my humble opinion.
4. Felipe, Prince of Asturias:  He always looks so serious, but tonight at the banquet they showed him totally animated, smiling and laughing and entertaining the ladies at his table with a story, and suddenly I'm remembering just how cute he is.
5. Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan:  Don't you wonder if he misses the days when his wife accompanied him?
6. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark:  Very cute, getting emotional today.  He and Victoria (and Haakon too) are quite close, I think.

Yet more princes (top left to right, then bottom left to right):

1. Prince Henrik of Denmark:  The always-eccentric complement to Margrethe.
2. Carlos Morales:  Yummy hubby of Princess Alexia.
3. Prince Laurent of Belgium:  Looks....like he always looks.  Confused, maybe?
4. Inãki Urdangarín, Duke of Palma de Mallorca:  Yummy hubby of Princess Cristina.
5. Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands:  Married to Laurentien.  Isn't the sash supposed to go outside the vest?
6. Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark:  The man that brings us the lovely Tatiana.  Well chosen, Nik.
7. Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau:  Married to Mabel.  Shouldn't he have said something about that...ensemble?
8. Ari Behn:  Loved it up with Märtha Louise the whole weekend.  Super cute.
9. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex:  Representing England in Garter blue.  Those are some high-waisted trousers.

Naturally, I saved the best for last:

My personal favorites, left to right:

1. Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark:  Looking more and more like his older brothers every day, no?
2. Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg:  Now here's a beard I can get on board with.  My personal favorite hops between Guillaume and his brother.....
3. Prince Felix of Luxembourg:  For the life of me, I can not understand why the cameras did not pay more attention to Guillaume and Felix (and Philippos, too).  Do television directors need the concept of a cute, unmarried prince explained to them? 
4. Prince Carl-Philip, Duke of Värmland:  How adorable was he, standing next to Daniel in the church?  He looked so proud of his sister.  Almost makes up for the fact that he's dating a pin-up girl, or whatever.
5. Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland:  While I can't say he makes my favorite list for cuteness, he won me over today.  Crying at the altar would have been enough, but then he gave that speech....wow.  I can't say I was a fan before the wedding, but now I'm on board.

Well done, gentlemen.  A dapper turn for you all.