Royal style: 'tis the season for tiaras, fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Previous thread

The Frocks.
Sofia’s is gorgeous; colour and shape.
Madeleine looks like Madonna in the Material girl video.
CP Victoria. That quilted bedspread train

500 diamonds on that bad boy!

Ffs autocorrect.
Nine-pronger tiara not printer
Fucksake.

If I remember rightly, Madeleine's earrings were epaulettes. I'm sure CPV has worn them before too.

Thé Rocks.

Madeleine’s tiara is jaw dropping; but I prefer Sofia’s

Madeleine is radiant, as always. Sofia's dress is a lovely colour but I'm not keen on the puffed sleeves and it looks like it could fall off at any moment. And CPV, well it's a look!

Not mad on the colour of Sofia's dress. Madeleine's look is exquisite. I quite like the duvet dress.

I like the back of Madeline's dress, the bright pink buttons.
Sofia's tiara is stunning, and love the colour of the dress.
CPV, I like some elements of the dress and it is certainly dramatic!

Oh. My. God. All those bare shoulders - can you imagine the British tabs if Kate, Meghan and a couple of other royal ladies stepped out like that at a formal do? 😲 (jokes)

I thought Madeleine’s was a little dull until I saw it full length and also the back. The back makes the dress I think.

Glad to see at least some people who appreciate the outrageous - what’s the point of gala events if you’re not pushing boundaries a little? If she has to be a clothes horse then she can at least promote a young, black, woman Swedish designer who is openly quite political.

One of the ministers wore a paper dress that can be composted.

Well quite @banivani. It sure beats being dull!

Wow, how sophisticated these Swedish Royals look. Dazzling jewellery and lovely gowns. In contrast our BRF are positively dumpy old fashioned,with stale gowns and jewellery.

paradyning I miss Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor (sic) so much! I can't get that excited about HM's brooches on her other page even if they are worn as secret codes. I had hoped she might come out of retirement for special occasions - Royal Weddings etc (esp Harry and Megan's, seeing as she's American).

If the women of the BRF wore dresses like the Swedish royals wore today they’d be met with insane levels of hate criticism. There’d be many harsh commentators on this thread too - yet many people seem dissatisfied with the “playing it safe” attitude to clothing they have at the same time. I would adore DoC to feel free to play around with fashion, I get the feeling she’d like that even if she’s not an adventurous casual dresser.

Where did the ban on shoulders and backs come from. A young Elizabeth and Margaret wore some stunning frocks. Nowadays the young attractive royals are covered up as if it is shameful. It really is nuts.

It's not a ban. I doubt it exists except in the minds of the tabloids.

I don't think there is any ban. Diana used to wear strapless gowns a lot - just Google it

DoC has worn strapless and looked good - I think that the level of scrutiny that the younger UK Royals get is perhaps making them shy saway from risky/statement dresses. The DoC seems to have settled into a uniform of coatdresses for day and "safe" evening wear with lace bodice and sleeves

BRF spend so much money on bespoke clothes and none of them are getting value for money. They might as well shop at the High street. They lack panache and are afraid to wear their jewellery.

I’ve said before that QE, when it comes to fashion/clothes, is stuck in middle age - since then she wears the same sort of clothes always. A formula. Which is fine and interesting in itself. Remember the last scene in that film about QE1 with Cate Blanchett, when she puts on the formal robes and white makeup to build the character of Virgin Queen she feels her people want/need - QE2 uses a similar idea when she wears monochrome outfits etc - she provides what the public needs (in her mind). It is unfortunate that the hyper critical tabloid press and frankly, imo, mentality of the British public, has extended the queen’s personal choices to the rest of the royal women. Their life choices are already hampered by their roles, and now they can’t fulfil their expected roles of clothes horses with any sort of creativity or panache without being torn to shreds. They might not be interested or want to, fair enough, but I genuinely don’t think you’d let them. Even innocuous steps away from the formula get ripped apart. I agree they spend a lot of money on what in the end amounts to not much.

New thread!! Raine was quite magnificent wasn't she?

There was a documentary about Raine a few years ago. She was an interesting woman. She was one of the youngest councillors to sit on Westminster City Council and took a great interest in conservation.

Diana seemed to get on well with her towards the end of her life and was estranged from her own mother. Despite the nickname, Raine must've been of a forgiving nature, given Diana pushed her down the stairs once!

I think Raine probably realised that Diana had been badly treated by both her parents and Charles. Few children would have come out of Diane's parent's divorce without scars.

I've never heard that Raine was cruel to the Spencer children, just that they didn't like how she turned Althorp into a commercial enterprise. Though given how so many stately homes had to be sold to pay the bills, she probably saved it. She was born a McCorquodale - a relative of Lady Sarah's husband?

And Diana's brother hasn't just contained what Raine did, he commercialised Diana and her death.

^ continued