Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 18-24 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 18-24 December:

1. Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 20 December.
2. Attending a Cirque du Soleil performance, 23 December. Purple all around! Banner week by default.

Photos: Zimbio/Hola

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 11-17 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 11-17 December:

1. Attending a lunch at the palace, 13 December.
2. At a ceremony for the Prince of Girona Foundation, 14 December. Again with the strangely matched shoes. Why?

We also got a glimpse of the family's Christmas card this week, prepare your awwws:

 

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 4-10 December

Here's what Princess Letizia wore from 4-10 December:

1. Watching the changing of the guard at the palace in Madrid, 7 December, rockin' the shades.

Photo: Purepeople/Best Image

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 27 November - 3 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 27 November - 3 December:

1. Attending an awards dinner, 29 November. A classic repeated Letizia LBD. Can't go wrong.
2. a) and b) At the XIVth State Congress of the Voluntary work, 1 December. Mmm...maybe we should've left the scarf on, I'm thinking.

Photos: Xunta/WireImage

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 20-26 November

Here's what Letizia wore from 20-26 November:

1. At the farewell ceremony before departing for an official visit to Chile, 21 November.
2. In Chile, day 1, 22 November. Hey, I'm just happy any time she goes with red.
3. Still on day 1, 22 November, in Felipe Varela. Now, see, this is the kind of thing that only Letizia could pull off. Lurve.
4. Official dinner, 22 November. This is a chic little outfit...but, urgh. Maybe sleeves are better. Not exactly flattering on the upper body.
5. Day 2, 23 November. Another cute little white number that's just childlike enough only she could handle it.
6. Still day 2, 23 November, and the much worn navy suit has returned.
7. Day 3, 24 November, prepped and ready for a Chilean safari...or something.

Photos: Terra/Daylife/Getty Images

Royal Splendor 101: New Jewels

In all our talk on the ins and outs of owning royal jewels, we've mainly talked about existing gems and how they are passed down (and around). But there's one last question looming: do they ever get new stuff? Well, sure. The trick is that they do it very, very quietly. Gone are the days of Queen Mary and her unabashed collecting practices; when things join a royal collection these days - by purchase or by gift - the royal houses usually do what they can to keep the details private, and vague if they can't achieve total privacy.

Take, for example, the case of Princess Letizia's new tiara. It's been reported as both a 5th anniversary gift from Felipe and as a gift from the jeweler, Ansorena. I suspect that ambiguity surrounding the tiara's origin suits the royal family just fine, because while accepting lavish gifts is dicey territory, so is the purchase of new jewelry when your country's economy is struggling.

This, supposedly, is Letizia's new tiara (only the center fleur-de-lys has been worn, as a brooch)

It's worth a diversion here to note that you can define "new jewels" in a few different ways. There are actual brand new things: new jewels, new design, everything shiny and fresh. Then there are old things worn in new ways: something existing in the royal collection that is just worn in a different way (like Sophie's wedding tiara), or something old that's been purchased by a new family (like when the old Poltimore Tiara was bought new for Princess Margaret). Plus, there are new jewels made from reconfigurations of old jewels torn apart, or from spare single jewels just rolling around at the bottom of the royal jewel case (fine, they're probably not just rolling around - but unmounted jewels are not an unusual inclusion in a collection). 

Suspected and known new tiaras: a possible purchase for Rania, a wedding gift for Charlene, a converted necklace/stomacher originally from a Belgian royal for Elizabeth, a potential purchase for Sophie, and a wedding gift for Sarah

Another area where ambiguity is sought after: gifts (a.k.a. free jewels, baby). As I said, gifts from jewelers or other commercial entities can border on inappropriate territory in the eyes of some, but so can gifts from other heads of state. The exchanging of gifts is a standard part of any state visit, and those gifts are often quite benign (framed photographs, orders, etc.). But sometimes, they can include some serious jewels.

Potential gifts from Middle Eastern rulers: Queen Rania's tiara, Queen Sofia's jewels, Queen Margrethe's necklace, Queen Silvia's set

Yes, I'm talking mainly about Middle Eastern rulers here, a group that tends to possess - and utilize - great wealth. On the whole, they tend to patronize certain jewelers and go with a rather modern style of jewelry, so much so that you could almost pick a Middle Eastern gift out of a lineup (and sometimes that's just what you have to do). Queen Rania's diamond tiara above is suspected to be a gift from a fellow ruler because of the design - that's Arabic script. New things worn first at return banquets or on subsequent trips to the gift giver's country are also provenance clues.

Different countries will have different policies on how official gifts are handled (if they become personal property, if they have to be declared, that sort of thing), but the unofficial rule for new jewels on the whole still applies: keep it quiet and be as vague as possible. Why? Because even though it's not commercially motivated, a gift can still be too lavish for today's public relations-run world. In other words: they make excellent fodder for scandal-inducing headlines. Queen Paola ended up in hot water after a visit to the Congo, a former Belgian colony, when she received a diamond demi-parure as a gift. She didn't ask for the present, surely, and who knows what the first lady of the Congo was thinking when she decided to give such a lavish gift to a former ruler while her country is struggling with plenty of issues of its own. Paola gave the gift over to the Belgian state (with the caveat that members of the royal family can still wear it) to dispense with the scandal. Still, one expects it will be quite some time before we see it in use.

Camilla made a particularly grand example of the kerfluffle official gifts can cause when she started using the fruits gained on one trip to Saudi Arabia early in her marriage.

All of these necklaces (ruby, sapphire, and emerald) are from a single Saudi visit

Yup, all of these necklaces came from one trip. (Not bad for a day's work, am I right? Sheesh.) The furor began when she debuted the ruby one because...well, look at it. Good grief. How is that not going to make headlines? Clarence House tried to keep it quiet by refusing to place a value on the gift and by stating that it was a private matter. Problem is, it's not a private matter. These are official gifts, and there are rules in Britain because official gifts have caused trouble before (Charles got in trouble in the early 2000s for passing gifts to staff who then sold them and for selling some himself, to name one incident). Here's the rule: these are in Camilla's possession now, but because they were given to her as a part of her role representing the country, they pass to the sovereign when she dies. At that point, the sovereign can include them in the Royal Collection.

Such hassle! Poor royals, just trying to be magpies and getting diamond-blocked at every turn. This is why we can only dream that a royal family would buy a well-known auction piece - hoping that the Spanish royal family will reclaim La Peregrina, for example. It's a far-fetched hope that they would buy something like that, because they wouldn't want the headlines that would accompany the purchase. Even a magpie like me can't blame them for doing what they can to avoid the controversy. (I mean, I'll accept it, but I won't like it. Yes, I am pouting right now.)

And thus ends my looooong digression on jewel ownership and sharing - I hope that sheds some light on those questions about royal collections some of you have sent in (well, as much light as we can shed without getting into the minor details of every single jewel and every single royal family). As always, if you have any ideas for other topics you'd like covered, let me know.

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 13-19 November

Here's what Letizia wore from 13-19 November:

1. Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 14 November. A very quiet week, literally and sartorially, for Letizia. Must have been gearing up for the Chile trip they're on this week.

Photo: Daylife/Getty Images

Wedding Wednesday: Queens and their Pre-Wedding Style

A few weeks ago we took a look at some of the pre-wedding outfits of our current crop of crown princesses. Now, it's time to pop back a generation - well, actually, just step up a level and mostly back a generation - to a few sovereigns/sovereign consorts and their pre-wedding ball attire. This is even better, if you ask me, for two reasons: 1. old school glamour, and 2. TIARAS. 'Nuff said, right?

Best First Impression

Fabiola de Mora y Aragón (Queen Fabiola of the Belgians) and Silvia Sommerlath (Queen Silvia of Sweden)

These two ladies didn't just marry into a royal family, they married straight into being queens. Trial by fire! As such, their pre-wedding appearances had a statement to make, and Fabiola wins with her tiara/crown which was a wedding present from General Franco. That's like pinning on a big ol' name tag that says: "HELLO! I am Your Queen!" Silvia obviously needed a little experience before she'd reach her full tiara hair potential, but this outing - her very first tiara appearance ever, friends, this is history in the making - of the Connaught Diamond Tiara is respectable enough. Everything else ended up taking a backseat to the fact that ABBA serenaded her with the first ever performance of "Dancing Queen" that night anyway.

Best of the Things We Need More Of

L to R: Crown Princess Margrethe of Denmark (now Queen, with and without coat), Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark (Queen Anne-Marie of Greece), Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (now Queen, with and without fur)

Let's count the ways these appearances are so much better than what we see today, shall we?

1. Multiple tiara appearances. All of these ladies donned a tiara on more than the occasions shown here before getting hitched. (For the record, Margrethe is wearing the romantic heart-shaped Baden Palmette Tiara, Anne-Marie is wearing the Emerald Parure Tiara, and Beatrix is wearing the Antique Pearl Tiara.) More multiple tiara event occasions, please.
2. Matching coats. Forget throwing a shawl over it and calling it a day! This is how we do evening glam!
3. Opera gloves. Somebody needs to bring the long glove back. Who should we start writing letters to?

Best of the Way Things Change

Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco

My, my, how things do change. From tiaras and gowns and fur wraps to strapless palazzo pants, all in the course of a generation change. (Obviously these sovereign consorts are the exception to our queens and Charlene is our generation exception!)

Best of the Best

Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark (now Queen Sofia of Spain)

She's Glinda the Good Witch! This dress is some serious fairy godmother business, plus Sofia's already got the fairy godmother smile to boot, that's just the way she rolls. Can you see all the detailing and the petal effect on the skirt? It's amazing. Also, she gets double bonus points for wearing not one but two tiaras, both of which were given to her as wedding gifts: the Mellerio Shell Tiara on her head and the floral tiara around her neck. My absolute favorite of this lot.

Who did pre-wedding the best?

Photos: Corbis/Daylife/Hola

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 6-12 November

Here's what Letizia wore from 6-12 November:

1. Visiting an international tourism fair in London, 7 November.
2. At a gala dinner put on by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in London, 7 November, repeating one of my very favorite Letizia looks! Huzzah.
3. Attending an event for the ONCE Foundation, 11 November. Hey, a whole week of some of my favorite Letizia dresses (they're all Felipe Varela, by the way)! It's like a little present.

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images

Flashback Friday: Going, Going, Gone...Sold Tiaras

It seems that no matter happens to the world's finances, there will always be a market for tiaras, especially those with a whiff of royalty on them. Earlier this year - while the economy sits in what the professionals call "the crapper", mind you - a new auction record was set for the most expensive tiara sale.

This tiara was once in the collection of Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck and features emeralds that possibly/maybe/might have once belonged to Empress Eugénie of France, wife of Napoleon III. Sotheby's sold it for an astonishing $12.76 million. Take that, recession!

And where there is money to be made, there are people - even royal people - that need it, for varying reasons. Enter: the tiara sale.


Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians and her Cartier Bandeau Tiara

Of all the jewels that have left the Belgian collection over the years, the Cartier tiara owned by Queen Elisabeth is almost always called out as one of the biggest losses. Elisabeth left it to her son, King Leopold III, who in turn left it to his second wife, Princess Lilian. Some of the family jewels were sold off while Leopold was still alive, but this one was sold by Lilian after he had passed away. It's easy to make Lilian the villain in all of this - she was something of a controversial figure, after all - and to that end some say she didn't bother informing King Baudouin or Queen Fabiola before the private sale. Of course, these are private matters, and it's hard to know what really happened. On a happier note, it now belongs to its creator, Cartier, and so we actually get to see it at exhibitions and so forth.


Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain and her Chaumet Spike Tiara

The current jewel collection in Spain isn't huge by any means, but they aren't doing too bad - especially when you consider that they've been through a relatively recent period of exile (the monarchy was reinstated in the 1970s). Much like inheritance taxes, exile is notoriously hard on royal jewel collections as non-reigning royals struggle to fund themselves. One of the items Queen Victoria Eugenia surrendered for funds during her exile in Rome is the Chaumet Spike Tiara. It had been a wedding gift from her husband King Alfonso XIII, and was set with turquoise accent stones before Ena had it converted to an all-diamond affair. It was sold again to what has been reported as a jewel collector with "royal origin".


The Cambridge Sapphire Tiara, on (left to right) Queen Mary, Princess Marina, and the current Duchess of Kent

Queen Mary made sure to dig into her massive jewel stash to provide each of her children with at least one grand parure with some familial importance. Some, like the Gloucesters, have managed to hang on to these sets; others, like the Kents, have not done so well. The Kent family's money troubles started with the extravagance and early death of Prince George (Mary's son), leaving his wife Princess Marina to start the family tradition of pawning personal effects to fill in the monetary gaps not covered by the royal income. Marina's children are no different (the current Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent). Together, they've sold what one imagines must be most of the rest of Marina's property. The Duke and Duchess auctioned off the tiara from the grandest parure left from Queen Mary's gifts: the Cambridge Sapphire Tiara, which originally came from Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenberg-Strelitz, Queen Mary's aunt. They didn't sell the whole parure; a new tiara was fashioned from pieces of the set they retained, a less successful (if you ask me) button-type affair:

The new Cambridge Sapphire Tiara

Queen Mary's Amethyst Parure

Lest you think only "minor" royals sell tiaras, this amethyst parure was sold off by the Queen Mother. Queen Mary won the purple stones at a charity auction and had them placed in this modern set, which she then gave to the future Queen Mother as a gift. Why it was sold is an interesting question indeed; the Queen Mum was said to have large debts stemming from an excessive lifestyle, including a lot of money spent betting on horses. Neither the Queen nor her late mother seem to have been large fans of amethyst over the years, so I've always wondered if it wasn't one of those "rather have the cash" type of sales. Anyway, the necklace was sold a second time and has been spotted around the neck of Anna Wintour.

Our last piece today is not gone, but I'll include it as a bit of a cautionary tale for those that think selling tiaras to other family members is the perfect solution to keeping gems within the royal collection. 

Queen Silvia and the Edward VII Ruby Tiara

This ruby tiara was a gift from King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Princess Margaret of Connaught when she married Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden in 1905. It was inherited by her son Sigvard after her untimely death. Sigvard Bernadotte would ultimately find success as an industrial designer, but before he got there he was pretty hard up for cash and sold jewels from his mother to make ends meet. Luckily, he sold this one to his father (though the matching necklace was sold externally, never to be seen again). Or perhaps it wasn't so lucky after all: you see, Sigvard maintained that he had sold it as a loan - when he had the money to repay his father, he would get the tiara back. His father disagreed, and left it to Sigvard's son in his will. That son, Michael, then sold it back to King Carl Gustaf, who still did not agree that the tiara was just loan collateral. Sigvard (who was also bitter over losing his title for marrying a commoner) disagreed with his royal relatives for the rest of his life and he did so loudly enough that Queen Silvia barely wore it due to the undesirable press it received. We see it more often now, after Sigvard died in 2002. Sometimes there really is no easy solution, you see.

Which sold tiara do you most wish was still in a royal collection?

Photos: Geoffrey Munn/Sotheby's/Corbis

Flashback Friday: Princess Alexia's Wedding Guests

As promised, a look today at the fashions of the guests at Princess Alexia's wedding in 1999. Greek royal events are always well attended - far better attendance than most of their fellow non-reigning royals get, at least. Why? Because it's all in the family: King Constantine is the brother of Queen Sofia of Spain, and Queen Anne-Marie is the sister of Queen Margrethe of Denmark. Family ties go much farther back as well; Prince Philip was born into the Greek royal family, as was the late Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. The guests at this wedding were not only plentiful in number, they were plentiful in Easter egg 1990s fashion too.

Best in 90s Simplicity

Princess Madeleine

Left to Right: Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

I don't know, maybe it was sheer backlash from the overly frilly 1980s, but the Nineties had a tendency towards simplicity bordering on dull. Princess Madeleine has to win this one, if only because the pretty pink gives us at least some clue she wasn't headed to a meeting at her lawyer's office.

Best Loudest Statement

Infanta Elena

L to R: Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg, Infanta Elena of Spain, Queen Sonja of Norway

Tame as it might have been for Margrethe, but her literal interpretation of a Spring garden still stands out from the crowd. Not nearly as much, though, as her sister Benedikte's ruffled Big Bird wonder or Queen Sonja's iridescent lime affair. But nobody - nobody - made a bigger fashion splash than Elena and the hat she crafted from the skin of a dead Muppet.

Best in Elegance

Queen Silvia

L to R: Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Princess Michael of Kent, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Queen Noor of Jordan, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Infanta Margarita of Spain

With the few exceptions noted above, the older generation at this wedding turned out in an array of purely elegant ensembles, from Ingrid and Anne-Marie's lilac numbers which made them unofficial members of the bridal party to Noor's simply chic mourning affair (King Hussein died earlier that year). I loved Princess Michael and her giant hat, but something about Queen Silvia's unique take on the traditional suit and skirt wins it for me.

Best in Typical

The Duchess of Gloucester

L to R: Princess Alexandra of Kent, Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, the Duchess of Gloucester, Queen Sofia of Spain, Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg

These ladies showed up in their regular elegant uniform, basically. Queen Elizabeth rarely ever attends foreign royal weddings, but since this was in London she made a sunny appearance. My best, though, is the Duchess of Gloucester, elegant in blue.

Best in Show

Princess Rosario

L to R: Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Princess Miriam of Bulgaria, Princess Rosario of Bulgaria, Infanta Cristina of Spain

Of all the elegant appearances at the wedding, these four were my favorite. Cristina's maternity outfit nearly won it, but in the end Rosario takes it home. Not for the suit - for the hat. It may have been a Greek wedding, but it was in London after all; you have to have some kind of crazy millinery!

Who was your best dressed from this wedding?

Photos: Getty Images/Gammarpho/Tim Graham/Hola/The Royal Forums

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 23-29 October

Here's what Letizia wore from 23-29 October:

1. Opening the National Congress of the Family Enterprise, 24 October, a) quite a recent repeat, and b) with the coat.
2. Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 27 October. Yeah, this goes back to crossing the "too casual" line once again. A plain t-shirt with a Mr. Rogers cardi thrown on top doesn't make the cut.

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Zimbio

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 16-22 October

Here's what Letizia wore from 16-22 October:

1. Inaugurating the Miguel Delibes Foundation, 17 October. Wee stars on the top there. Bordering on kitschy, but she pulls it off.
2. a and b) Audiences at the Reconquista Hotel in Oviedo, 20 October. All very elegant, and the snakeskin shoes are back!
3. At a concert in Oviedo, 20 October. Ah, the lady tux. Kudos for bringing the hairdresser along for the trip, even if she does look a bit like she's late for a set with Frank and the boys at the Excelsior.
4. Audiences for the Prince of Asturias Awards laureates, 21 October. Dubious shoe selection, I must say.
5. The Prince of Asturias Awards, 21 October. I should LOVE this one - I mean, look, she did her hair and everything! Fellow royals, take note! - but somehow I find it aging. I blame the non-color color of it.
6. Visiting San Tirso de Abres, 22 October. A low key end to the week, but yet again I am impressed overall. Me thinks Leti is stepping up her game, and I like it.

Photos: Zimbio/Getty Images/Bekia/Daylife

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 9-15 October

Here's what Letizia wore from 9-15 October:

1. Meeting with World Heritage leaders, 10 October. Some of you said you got a bad 1970s flashback from this, but I actually like it. I may be swayed by my current state of fall pumpkin baked goods bliss.
2. National Day, 12 October.
3. Opening a technology fair, 13 October. National Day is still my favorite of the week, but even this more casual look isn't bothering me as much as her usual cardigan looks do.
4. In Barcelona visiting an exhibition and attending an awards ceremony, 15 October. A great repeated cocktail dress, and a super cute picture. Directly in competition with one other for Cutest Letizia Picture of the Week:

You think they're making her explain why she left her crown at home?

Photos: Bekia/Mujer Deelite/Daylife

Royal Splendor 101: Tiaras and Hair

Do you  know why I have such a fanatical affection for tiaras? It's the fantasy thing. (Why yes, Cinderella was my favorite fairy tale growing up, thanks for asking.) Personally, I'd be happy to imagine that these magical diadems are delicately placed atop a royal head by a troupe of wee birds chirping a merry tune. But not all of you are willing to be so naive, apparently, since the question of how exactly these things stay on comes up regularly.

In reality, ladies today are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to tiara attachment. Tiaras can be a century or two old - think how much hairstyles have changed since the initial designs were completed. Use of wigs and hairpieces used to be incredibly common, plus people didn't wash their hair all that often. All of that made it easier to wear a tiara. Also, tiara attachment isn't exactly a specialty of modern hairstylists as it once would have been. But they make it work regardless, bless 'em, and today we're talking about a few of the ways they do it.

Tiaras with full circle frames: the Delhi Durbar Tiara (left) and Princess Mary's (daughter of George V and Mary) Fringe Tiara (right)

Tiaras themselves offer some sort of assistance in terms of noggin attachment, obviously. These things are meant to be used after all. On something like a circlet, where the gems wrap all or nearly all the way around the head, attachment is pretty self-explanatory. Other tiaras may include a full circular base even if the gems are only semi-circular.

The Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara (left) and the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara (right) with their back elastics

If the frame does not encircle the entire head, an elastic can be added at the back (there are often small loops for this) to hold the tiara snugly to the head. Diana, Princess of Wales' hairdresser confessed to using a knicker elastic to get the job done. Doesn't matter what you use, it should all be concealed underneath the hair at the back of the head.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden wears the Connaught Diamond Tiara at her sister's wedding

Some tiaras have a base that can be wrapped in fabric or ribbon - something with a bit of cushion to it, preferably. This helps not only with comfort but can add some traction for use with shiny, freshly washed hair. It also gives the hairpins a better spot to hang on to, as hairpins are another obvious method of sticking a tiara to a hairdo. (As some of you noted on when we discussed Sophie's Wedding Tiara, there was a very visible pin in the close up picture.) For best results, the wrapping should match the wearer's hair color as closely as possible so as to disappear - Madeleine makes a painfully obvious example for us above while wearing a tiara customized for her mother's dark hair on her bleached blonde locks. The most attractive tiara appearances, if you ask me, are the ones that use the rest of the hair to conceal the base as completely as possible, a feat that is notably easier on longer and darker hair.

From L to R: Crown Princess Margarita of Romania's unnaturally red base sticks out from her red hair; the Princess of Wales and Queen Sofia have shorter hair which doesn't conceal bases as well; and Crown Princess Mary's flat part doesn't conceal anything

From here, it's really up to the royal hairstylist to come up with methods to get the tiara to sit attractively and securely, something that seems to be an easier task on thicker locks with more texture to them (and that's why it was a simpler feat in the days of wigs and unwashed hair).

Tiaras with braids, L to R: Princess Astrid of Belgium, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Duchess of Cambridge

One sneaky tactic to help secure a tiara is to make a small braid in the hair where the tiara will sit. Braids can just be decorative, of course, but they can also be functional: they give you a secure place for sticking pins, or even for sewing the thing on. Yes, sewing it on: stitching into a hidden plait is precisely how the Duchess of Cambridge's team ensured the Halo Scroll Tiara would not fall off on her wedding day.

Queen Silvia, 2010 Nobel Prize ceremony

There's really no end to the trickery a hairstylist can come up with to get these things in place. The shot of Queen Silvia's hair at the left gives away a little hint of the understructure involved in creating what looks like an effortless 'do.

While we're killing the magic of wearing a tiara, we might as well go all the way and answer yet another common question: are tiaras uncomfortable? Yeah, sometimes. Some ladies are better suited to handling the perils of tiara wearing, while others suffer. And some tiaras are better suited to being worn than others; weights vary, and some have better capabilities to be adjusted for different head shapes.

Sweden's Nine Prong Tiara, or Queen Sophia's Diamond Tiara if you prefer, is apparently quite inflexible and can be rather uncomfortable. It certainly looked like a painful fit when the King's sister Princess Birgitta wore it to Victoria's wedding, and she apparently had problems with it staying on properly. Another uncomfortable gem in the Swedish collection is the Braganza Tiara; Queen Louise complained that it left her with a sore head and a headache. (We'll tackle this beast - including how much it actually weighs - on Thursday.)

Diana, Princess of Wales found the whole tiara-wearing experience uncomfortable. Not only was the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara heavy and headache-causing, the swinging pearls clanked around noisily in their arches. Part of the reason she used her family's tiara as an alternative was because it was lighter, but even that one reportedly left her with a splitting headache on her wedding day.

Comfort levels, L to R: Princess Birgitta in the Nine Prong Tiara, Queen Louise in the Braganza Tiara, the Princess of Wales in the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, Queen Beatrix in Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara, Queen Elizabeth in the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Another royal headache victim is Queen Beatrix, and one imagines it is no coincidence that she frequently picks from the small and moderately sized tiaras in the family collection. Her favorite seems to be Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara with its small floral motif. Queen Elizabeth also has her favorites, the top of which is the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. Among the reasons she's said to love it so: it's light. (Queen Elizabeth puts on her own tiaras, by the way. I suppose that's just another benefit of keeping the same hairstyle for decades at a time.) Too bad I'm not right about those singing birds, hmm? Just think of the variety we could have if none of this was a factor in tiara selection...

Photos: Geoffrey Munn's "Tiaras: A History of Splendour"/Polfoto/Life/Svensdam

Royal Fashion Awards: Spain's National Day

Oh, kittens. It was a pretty day in Spain, and I'm not talking about the weather. As much as I delight in a good fashion disaster (sheer entertainment value, you know), sometimes it's just nice to sit back and enjoy some elegant ladies do their royal thang. Like so:

Best Pastel

Queen Sofia

How cute is this? You know I'm dying for the purple, and her take on the three-quarter length suit sleeve is especially fetching given our recent discussion about Letizia's pushed up jackets.

Prettiest in Pink

Infanta Elena

Two levels: a wee bit of Pretty in Pink on the jacket there, and a truly pretty in pink lace skirt. Might I suggest jumping on the Máxima and Mathilde train and crafting a matching jacket for next time, Your Royal Highness?

Best in Spectator

Felipe Juan Froilán and Victoria Federica

Elena's kids watched from the sidelines with friends. That Felipe looks like an impish little fellow, no?

Biggest Relief

Princess Letizia

After a casual break last year, it was nice to see her get her princess on in such a tasteful suit. That color really brings out her coloring, doesn't it?

Best of the Day

Infanta Cristina

Jumpy claps, I tell you. This is a beautiful dress and jacket. Just amazingly well constructed. I like it all, especially her hair which is looking particularly lovely. And I am most certainly awarding extra points for the husband factor, thank you very much.

Who wins your best dressed for this year's National Day?

Photos: Bekia/Zimbio

Wedding Wednesday: Crown Princesses and Their Pre-Wedding Style

I do believe it was the lovely Ali that suggested a while back we take a look at the gowns some of our royal brides wore to their pre-wedding galas. Well, it ended up snowballing into the rest of the pre-wedding events, which in some cases can just be an exhausting run of public appearances in addition to private things like rehearsals and the like. I didn't even attempt to gather them all, and look what happened. Today, we focus just on our crown princesses (and assorted others in the same spot with different titles, you get the idea) and their prize-winning style.

Most Dated

Left to Right: Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece at her pre-wedding party and a luncheon on the Queen of Denmark's yacht before marrying Prince Pavlos in 1995; Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein at events before marrying Prince Alois in 1993

Marie-Chantal is such a fashion plate, but sometimes that can work against her. I'm sure her 1995 pre-wedding gown was Valentino couture and the height of glam at the time, but I doubt she'd be caught in a gown (or a hairdo) like that today. And speaking of hairdos...is that Fabiola?? Oh no, it's just Sophie (formerly of Bavaria), who doesn't even have the "wild" and "crazy" styles of 1993 to blame for that barnet.

Biggest Single Event Change

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway at a private party, a fjord cruise, and a dinner before wedding Crown Prince Haakon in 2001

We've talked about the princess transformation of Mette-Marit before. But even though it would take a few years for her to fully find her stride, there's no better indicator of what was to come than her pre-wedding events. From unshowered Heidi to glam princess in a day or two: now that's potential.

Smallest Single Event Change

Princess Máxima of the Netherlands at a luncheon, a public party, and a pre-wedding dinner before marrying Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002

Sometimes people ask why I've never done a transformation post for Máxima. My answer? Because I don't think she's really had a transformation. Not sartorially, at least. And here's your proof: basic business-type stuff in the day, better in the evening, and best for the fanciest of evening events (such as this amazing orange Valentino that she would repeat later on).

Best Crafty Reuse

Princess Letizia wore silver for the dinner before her wedding to Prince Felipe of Spain in 2004 (far left), and then redid the gown twice after

She's not just frugal with her high street clothes! Letizia made a splash in her silver Lorenzo Caprile gown before her marriage, and then did it again when she had Caprile recut the top later on. Most recently, she had a different designer change the gown a second time...and I have to say, she should have stopped with the first alteration.

Best Variety

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended galas, receptions, and parties galore before marrying Crown Prince Frederik in 2004

When I said Denmark went all out for their Crown Prince's wedding, I wasn't kidding. Pre-wedding events started nearly a month before the ceremony. I haven't even attempted to gather them all here (here's another selection), but these are a few of the last highlights. What we have here are Mary's first two tiara appearances, sporting that major ruby parure. Now that's a way to make an entrance. (As is arriving at parliament and losing your hat...which also happened. Oops.)

Best Pre-Wedding Prize

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden attended a governor's dinner, a private dinner, a reception, and a dinner/concert before marrying Prince Daniel in 2010

You might think she wins the prize for me because she's the most recent, and thus the most fresh in my memory...but you would be wrong. It's the Elie Saab, darlings! Gray Elie Saab at the private dinner and couture for the reception and the most amazing evening gown. Always a win.

Which crown princess had the best pre-wedding style?

Photos: Hello/Seeger/CoverPress/Life/Getty Images/Daylife/Corbis