Royal style and gossip: the frocks, the rocks, the shocks

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Here we go again!

And by popular demand, here are the previous threads:
Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3
Thread 4
Thread 5
Thread 6
Special edition: Eugenie wedding thread

Harry and Meghan have 2 days more in NZ before they head back to London and, if I was her, I'd put on pyjamas, get Netflix fired up, and not leave my bed for several days! William and Kate will be out for a sporty engagement in Essex tomorrow and I'm sure we'll start to see them more as she's now officially back from maternity leave..

No idea what the continental royals are up to but New My Royals (does that title even make sense?) is my go-to link for them!

Well. I just made a complete tit of myself at a party where I clearly forgot that most young Scottish people (I am an old Scottish people) aren't exactly Royalists.

Me to acquaintance: oh love your (slouchy, slightly oversized dog-tooth) blazer
Acquaintance: oh thanks!
Me: actually it really reminds me of the one worn by the Duchess of Sussex (yes, full title and everything) the other day
Acquaintance: are you fucking joking me? Thanks for the heads up, I'll not wear it again

Apparently not everyone is in full accordance with these threads!

Wow CoachBombay. Your calf muscles must be strong. Good for you!

Have to say I feel for the younger generation. Maybe, actually, this is a pleb thing that applies to the royals too. I’ve never felt any pressure or need or obligation to look polished when I work. Clean and tidy and presentable, but that’s it. It wouldn’t have occurred to me that I needed to look “polished”.

Maybe the same goes for KM and MM and so forth, vs HM and Anne etc (even though you’re a bit younger than the former and I’m a LOT younger than the latter 😀). Of course they wore heels and make up too, but not to the lengths KM and MM seem to, even setting aside changing fashions. Maybe they feel a pressure that HM etc didn’t feel. Anne, Camilla etc don’t GAF beyond quality, decent, appropriate. Their polished-ness was a by-product of their privileged lifestyle, not a goal in and of itself.

Not sure where Diana, Fergie, Sophie fall in all this.

Just realised I have a pair of booties just like Meghan's in photo 23 from Curly's retrospective link [gasp]. Mine are greige suede, not black, and they are not Stuart Weitzman either but I love them. Must wear them a bit before it turns all snowy and bad for suede here.

salmon That other thread going on about not wearing make up is surreal. I'm a CFO. I wear make up and I wear a suit with tights. I wouldn't dream of wearing no make up to work. It just wouldn't cross my mind. I also wouldn't dream of going to work with bare legs. All these women wearing no make up....they are not in my industry.

When I was working, I wasn’t in your industry (it doesn’t have CFOs). In fact, make-up and too much attention to appearances was deemed (still is) frivolous, unserious, lacking in gravitas.

It’s funny how these things can be so different. That thread from the graduate wondering if she had to wear make-up was totally normal to me. To you, surreal. Can you imagine how utterly laughable it would be to KM and MM?! Actually, I kind of feel for them that they have to care so much (to the point of perfection) how they look each and every time they go to “work”. I’d feel it devalues my worth, if people place so much stock by my outwardly appearance. 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's part and parcel of life though. It applies to men too. I find men are much more aware of their dress than they let on. Most of the men in my office will go get their hair done during lunch if after work on their way to a client dinner. They go about every 2 weeks. They also all work out at least 2-3 times a week.

I work in a very corporate environment where most of the women wear what i would say is subtle professional make up but very few wear either loads with red lips or none at all. I would never go in without my hair done in an up do or blown dried or without make up. Thankfully I can work from home a few times a week so can slob out then but honestly I wouldn't feel professional or dressed for work without being made up.

@ Moononthehill28
Great article, interesting perspective on how hectic the Royal tour was behind the scenes.

@Queen
Liesel from the Sound of Music!

Camilla has picked some pretty colours for The Gambia trip.
You don’t often see her in Green.
I love the pistachio gown from last night. It is not high fashion but it totally suits her. Camilla totally has her own style.

Also liked the green tunic top, but what did it for me was the cherry print clutch and the cute parasol.
Camilla does a good accessory!

Good! Back on to royal fashion. I agree CurlyWurlyTwirly - it's not high fashion, it's style. She's 71, always struggles in a hot climate, but is managing to look elegant and appropriate. Love the little clutch, too!

I finished watching Queen of the World, documentary about the Queen and mainly the commonwealth. I had not seen so much importance placed on it till this year. Probably due to Brexit; but I know it has always been very important to the Queen.

Anyway, now that Harry is commonwealth youth ambassador, in a few decades, when he is no longer youthful. Is this a role which will pass on to their child.
Well the point I am trying to make is, what will the commonwealth think of a «merely» titled; as opposed to actual Royal figurehead?

I totally get why Charles wants to streamline the Royal family. Once the older Kent’s and Gloucesters have popped off; I doubt whether the 3 rd cousins will be on the balcony.
Equally there may be too much pruning and not enough working royals to take up the slack.
Béatrice & Eugénie attend events when the Queen is present, but they don’t attend any royal functions on their own.
Perhaps when they are a bit older and Meghan has her portfolio, they can do a few more engagements...

That was a great documentary, both parts gave fascinating glimpses into the Royals and the Commonwealth. Harry and Meghan's commonwealth duties will continue, but may well be passed on to Charlotte or Louis. Apart from the cost, and ever more constrained security issues, the image of a massive family with hangers on is not a good one. The family can be streamlined. They can hold a series of events at a Palace, or fit in several on one day. Charles (and William) have reasons to be reserved about the Yorks.

A rare miss from Maxima here and the single glove makes it look like a tribute to Michael Jackson!

That's a strange one! A bit of an odd mix of formal and casual. I quite like the top, but it's not styled well here.

Charles (and William) have reasons to be reserved about the Yorks.

And those reasons are Andrew and Fergie! Eugenie's wedding was so OTT and smacked of keeping up with the Cambridges/Sussexes.

Those silver wedges are very retro.

To me it always looks like Camilla's popped out in her housecoat or fancy pjs, but it's a look that works for her!

Camilla has a whole wardrobe of fancy house coats!
But that look suits her.

Returning to Max, I think it’s the pillbox hat popped on top of her head which makes it look the most incongruous . I think she struggles with her hair when there is no hairdresser to hand. (Remember the New York pics earlier this year?)

Also proportions of top look wrong ( short sleeves; length at the widest part of her hip) and she looks cold.
If she had ditched the hat and even worn her hair in a pony tail and worn the other top by the designer with her necklace on the outside it would have been an improvement.

Not sure about the giant turn ups and the peep toe shoes in November.

Máxima has been through a giant tragedy, losing her sister earlier this year. It must be hard on her as everyone expects the dazzling Queen with her Megawatt smile. I hope she has enough support in RL.

Camilla always gets it right. She’s very stylish.

I don’t mind Maxima’s outfit - she manages to make anything look good, but it’s not one of my favourites. Not a fan of the one glove though!

Happy Halloween from Princess Madeleine of Sweden!

I’ve been having a good old trawl through the site linked by @Queen
Here’s someone we haven’t seen in a looong time; Princess Caroline of Monaco.

I think she is wearing Chanel

That's an amazing dress on Caroline, she's still a beautiful woman and Charlotte is the image of her.

The Belgian Royals in Portugal.
Fantastic tiara on Mathilde and nice to see some more royal handholding

Love is in the air for the Max we know and love; earlier in October in Germany