Royal style and gossips: gowns and crowns but please no frowns!

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Just in the nick of time! Clothes and light-hearted gossip only please...

So, back to clothes....

Lovely photo from 1939. Funnily enough, the shoes look familiar!

Oh at dinner tonight another of DHs cousin shared that her top was the same as Princess Mary wore earlier this year. It was very nice and both were very complementary about her. I got the impression she is well liked, not as someone said on a previous thread about her being not so popular.

Want you do talk a lot of nonsense. Both William and Harry are (quite famously) keen polo players, like their father.

I think want was talking about the duchesses but I think that's pretty logical I didn't grow up around horses and though I like the idea of riding I'm not sure I would have the inclination or the patience to learn now. Plus why should they be in to horses just because their husbands are William has a motorbike Kate doesn't. Each to their own! Also isn't there long standing rumour Kate is allergic to horses?

@Want2besupermum

Any possibility of you not stealth boasting in practically every single post and actually contributing something tangible?
We know you’re loaded, Prince Harry used your loo ( that bit was mildly interesting) your brother is some kind of ppo. I could list all of your very outing posts ( mainly because I have a very good memory, rather than any genuine interest in your life,)
Everyone is very polite on this thread, but in the main MN world, you would have been torn to pieces by the vipers with all the boasting.
So please stick to contributing, and not dangling gossip and berating other posters. Rant over. Thank you.

If you want another really good costume drama; I would really recommend . It’s in Danish, but subtitled. I ve just watched it on a Netflix.
It’s the story of Christian VII and his British wife Queen Caroline Matilda. ( A sister of George III). Fascinating true story, and beautiful costumes like a Gainsborough painting.

How was it @SenecaFalls?

Hardest working royal figures are out they say is surprising (it's not) well 2 and 3 maybe a little bit the rest is fairly predictable. Not too sure how I feel that the hardest working royal worked 180 day last year either but it is what it is express link for those that like to know.

hardest working royal

The thing about Princess Anne, is she usually does about 3 engagements a day. So maybe her brothers only do a few days less than her, but if you tot up all the individual engagements, Princess Anne probably does 2 or 3 times as many.
I wonder who is going to take over from Anne? It would take 3 or 4 people to cover the ground that she does and hers are not the glamorous engagements.

A Royal Affair is a good film, and beautifully shot. Such a sad story, really.

I am another who wants to see The Favourite. Poor Queen Anne, for all that expectations around pregnancy and childhood were very different then, I still wonder how anyone could endure all of those losses. Utterly, utterly tragic.

Getty Images have done an amazing retrospective of the royal year
There are a hundred photos, but if you click on each one, it links through to dozens of others related to the event.
The photography is fantastic and it really captures the personality of the Royals. Felipe of Spain was particularly surprising, Charlene of Monaco quaffing a jéroboam of champagne from the bottle and a couple of little Royal imps: Mia Tindall and Savannah Phillips

Thirsty Princess Charlene; Top Gun King Phillipe of the Belgians

I hadn’t seen this one of HM at London Fashion week.
Looks like she had fun!

Good point re engagements per day I wonder if that's how Edward over took Charles he did more days but Charles probably did more per day. Anne will definitely be hard to replace I know they want to slim down the monarchy and I agree on principle but when you look at the older generation compared to the 'fab four' they would have to work pretty much everyday of the year to cover it all. Surely Beatrice and Eugenie and a like will be drafted at least until the Cambridge kids are old enough

I do think that Princess Anne and Mark Philips were very sensible not to push for titles for their children. They and their children in turn have much less scrutiny and pressure on them for not being titled Royals. Although I do remember years ago a little girl at Badminton getting v excited because a real princess (Zara!) was about to jump the fence we were watching!

Mia Tindall and her sibling (it's early, I've had no sleep, sibling is the best I can do) is going to have an amazing selection of ponies to grow up with .

Thank you @CurlyWurlyTwirly for saying what I'm sure we were all thinking, though I'm not sure there's anything stealthy about those boasts!

Re Queen Anne, what struck me most about her tragic maternal record was that in the space of a year she had a miscarriage, a stillborn son and lost her two living daughters, who were both under two. Poor woman, how did she manage to go on?

Yes the lifestyle and privilege some great events (including tiaras ) and no title no look what they do/don't know definitely the best way in my opinion!

Have we seen this festive royal traditions Traditions Instagram

Anne will definitely be hard to replace

Can you imagine them drawing straws as to who has to visit the Sewage Works

Rather liking that action shot of Felipe and as for Charlene, well if I was married to Albert I'd probably need a jeroboam of champagne per day too!

Indeed, Queen.

I suppose religious faith may have helped Queen Anne? Perhaps? But all those losses so close together - it's so sad. I went to the National Portrait Gallery recently (highly recommended btw, many excellent Royal and non-Royal pictures!) and saw her portrait there. And just felt so sorry for her.

@itswinetime It's not just Anne and Edward who'll need replacing but also the likes of the Gloucesters and Kents, none of whom are getting any younger. There's an awful lot of organisations who'll find themselves without a royal patron within the next 10-20 years.

This was my favourite Royal portrait there:
www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw09919/King-Charles-II

Poor spaniel! And people complained about that picture of Lupo eating ice cream...

It will be interesting to see which charities continue to benefit from Royal patronage and which don't - and how much that affects them. I guess different organisations will see different levels of benefit from their Royal connections. It's certainly a nice little perk, I suppose, to be able to offer a Royal meet and greet to people, and depending on your sector it can open doors...

I suppose some might go more down the celebrity patrons route but that comes with more risks, imo, as you never know what they might say!

DM link of RF Sandringham Christmas routine
Also some Interesting sleeping arrangements. Meghan & Harry staying at the big houserather than Anmer.

There are some great portraits of Charles II out there. He was very Italian looking. He wasn't handsome but some of the magnetism he must've possessed really comes through in them. He was certainly one for the ladies!

William will be the first king to
count him as a direct ancestor as Diana descended from one (or possibly more than one) of his many illegitimate children.