Royal Style: Spring Forward! Bling Forward, too..

[Maireas]

Welcome to style mavens old and new to continue our chats.
Hopefully more bling if there's another banquet on the horizon?

I think only as a child.

I think her hair was much fairer when she was young.

Letizia exercising the privilege du blanc while meeting the Pope.
https://www.newmyroyals.com/2026/03/king-felipe-and-queen-letizia-meet-pope.html

I know what you mean, I liked the hat from the front.

Interesting, Leti isn't wearing a mantilla or a veil (or even a hat). The white dress is good, though, nice cut and proportion.

Apparently that's not required if it's just an audience with the pope.

Oh right. It used to be, when I had an audience.

Perhaps a private audience is different. Or maybe this Pope has more modern ideas than his predecessors.

Yes, I was about to suggest it's the latter, probably.

I boggle at the height of Kate’s shoes. I wonder if the royal ladies get some kind of treatment to minimise the pain of high heels? I read once that actresses in the US sometimes get Botox or something in the balls of their feet.

They don't wear them for long though, do they? They're chauffered to events, stay maybe an hour or two, and won't be standing the whole time, and are then chauffered home.

Yes, they're known as "taxi shoes" for a reason! No-one is doing a full day's work in them.

https://www.queenletiziastyle.com/blog/queen-letizia-hosts-audiences-and-pays-final-respects-to-raul-del-pozo
Meanwhile, Leti is in loafers. Tweed trousers and a pussybow blouse. I'm not keen, I think the proportions are a bit baggy.

Not Royal but I am watching Red Nose Day and Davina McCall has been on her feet all evening in sky high stilettos, I do wonder if she's popping them off during the video sections.

Anne's hair looked fairly dark at her first wedding (my earliest TV memory) but blonder in the famous BBQ photo from 1972

Some women have feet of iron.

I read somewhere that they're purchased in a bigger size and a sort of chilled gel cushion put into the toe end to provide cushioning by some women. I'll try to find the article.

It looks like that today she still has a good head of hair at her age. That bbq pic - fabulous!

Car to Bar shoes

I read that she wears tights with cushioned soles to reduce the pressure when wearing stilettos.

@Chesticles [Mary] is also a brave woman wearing those culottes! I do not like them. Or the blouse. But at least it’s interesting.

Looping back to Mary's culottes, because they are her most interesting fashion choice for a while. I'm in favour. I'm fed up of floor-length palazzo pants and these let you show a bit of leg! I do think the colour is a bad fit for this style though and I agree completely about the prissy blouse. The culottes have sass, so they'd be much better win a good poppy red, sapphire blue or even green - and a completely different blouse.

I actually think they aren't far off being wearable for ordinary mortals. Shunt the widest point of the trousers below the knee so that the overall silhouette is more like current wide-leg styles and I'd probably buy a pair and I'm not particularly adventurous.

CPV has been in Texas. I like this outfit, which is slightly reminiscent of the self-portrait (have I got the right name?) dresses Kate likes. I'm not usually keen on short-sleeved or belted blazers, but for some reason this just works for me. Perhaps because it leans slightly more casual and very definitely summery? I like the pairing with the full pleated skirt - one of the best features of the self-portrait dress was the contrast between the tailored top half and floaty pleated skirt bit.

Yes, I'm not keen on that style either, @Cassiope . Plus, is the skirt a different colour?

I like it, @Maireas, despite generally not liking the style! Off-white jacket and sandy beige skirt. Skirt would work in most warm pastel colours, I think.

I'd like to see the outfit as she moves, I like pleated skirts. I think the jacket is better for not being too boxy.