Wedding Wednesday: Your Favorite Bridal Gown of 2011

As we wind down and look back upon what really has been the Year of the Royal Wedding, it's only natural to ask...

Which is your favorite 2011 royal wedding gown?

Catherine Middleton married Prince William of Wales

Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg married Alexander Johannsman

Charlene Wittstock married Prince Albert II of Monaco

Zeina Shaban married Prince Rashid bin El Hassan of Jordan

Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall

Princess Sophie of Isenburg married Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia

Jetsun Pema married the King of Bhutan

Vote here!

Your favorite 2011 gown?
	Catherine Middleton
	Princess Nathalie
	Charlene Wittstock
	Zeina Shaban
	Zara Phillips
	Princess Sophie
	Jetsun Pema
pollcode.com free polls

2011 in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge

Best of the Year

Boom! The late entry wins the game at the buzzer! Yeah, I lurve it. The dress is just divine, I think this is the most flattering thing she wore the whole year. Like so many of you noted, I have some reservations about the necklace (I'd take the ruby flower deals off, that's too wee and twee for my tastes), but: she wore it. And what did I say about that? Step 1: put the diamonds on. Step 2: do other things. Here's hoping for a blingy new year!

Runners Up

I love a killer shoe and I love purple - these are not secrets well kept. Therefore, the very first Kate appearance of the year must make my list of runners up. Nods also go to what I found to be two of her most young, fresh, and feminine takes on the old school jacket and dress/skirt combo, the blue and black and the crochet look (which I know some of you will very much disagree with me on). At the time of the big tour, I favored her lilac Roksanda Ilicnic dress, but fickle me has now switched my affections to the twirly purple McQueen. The pink Jenny Packham was actually going to be my #1 until the black velvet slinked in at the buzzer because, well, I love a sparkly "Look at me!" number. I just do. Sue me.

And then there's the wedding gown. The wedding gown is in here simply because I recognize that it would be ludicrous not to include it, though I still agree with my first impressions. Thus, I include my favorite view: the train, which is and was perfection.

Worst of the Year

Nobody has a perfect year, alas. I thought about the Salmon Stella, which is probably the only thing I'd call an actual hot mess for the Duchess' whole year, and I thought about a couple of the entirely oatmeal ones - seriously, contrast is your friend - but I'm giving my title to the Alexander McQueen outfit worn to visit the aftermath of the riots. And that actually has nothing to do with how the thing looks (though I do stand by my initial assessment, which was: work it or go home).

No, this is about public relations. Katemania dictates that everything she wears will be analyzed to death and just a hair beyond that, and there's nothing she can do to stop it. It's a monster, and it's coming for all of us. But the newest Duchess on the block is a careful player in the sartorial game. She's done her best to restrain the debate over her outfits...except for this one. Debuting a pricey ensemble on this particular occasion was a misstep. I don't care if it personally offended you or not (it didn't bother me), but it was a rare PR mistake, and for that, I hereby dub it the Worst of the Year.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Catherine in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Hello/AP

Royal Fashion Awards: A Very Royal Christmas 2011

Well ho, ho, ho, friends: Christmas brought some of our favorite royals out to play. With Prince Philip still hospitalized but reportedly in good spirits, the British hit church on Christmas morning at Sandringham; meanwhile, Christmas Eve services were attended by the royal families in Norway and Denmark. It was an understated holiday all around, but that's never stopped us before...

Best Pass

Queen Elizabeth 

 Christmas without your spouse at your side? Pass. Wear whatever you like, QEII. Carry on.

Best in Festive

The Duchess of Cambridge

Left to Right: Princess Eugenie, The Duchess of Cambridge, Zara Phillips. Click to enlarge.

On a low-key holiday, those that made an effort shall be commended. Eugenie is awarded for adding some Christmas-y color in, while Zara gets points for turning in the required amount of hat flair for a British royal event. Only Catherine did both, though, with her gorgeous wine coat and déjà vu hat. She wins the most festive award of the day.

Worst in Mismatched

The Duchess of Cornwall

L to R: The Duchess of Cornwall, The Princess Royal

Oh, the combos. Anne's slightly off hat-to-coat combo (what season are we in again?) is no match to what I am pretty sure are army green boots on Camilla. What a mishmash duo...and somehow, I'd expect no more from either.

Best in Plaid, Tartan, etc., etc.

Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

L to R: Autumn Phillips, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Mary

I suppose there's a certain festiveness to a good tartan...alas, certain things are never quite as charming past a certain age. Lady Louise was cute as a button, Queen Margrethe was Queen Margrethe, and Autumn and Mary sadly furthered two of my least favorite trends right now: short maternity tents, and anything resembling a SHOOTIE. Sigh.

Best in Miniature Headgear

Margarita Armstrong-Jones

L to R: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Princess Isabella

This one's the hardest to award, by far. Ingrid's cute bow? Isabella's adorable purple? It's gotta be Margarita with the combo for the win.

Best in Understated

Princess Beatrice

L to R: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja, Princess Beatrice, Lady Sarah Chatto

Ingrid's bow really was the best part of the whole Christmas appearance from the Norwegian royals, with Mette-Marit and Sonja blending right in. Lady Sarah did the same, but then again, understated is a permanent state for her. Understated is not at all Princess Beatrice's regular mode, but she managed to pull out the best-coordinated look of the non-looks.

Best in Retro

The Countess of Wessex

L to R: The Countess of Wessex, Viscountess Linley

Retro's tricky to do sometimes. Sophie's almost there, just a wee bit bigger on that pill box and we'd've had it, but Serena...well, she overdosed, poor dear. Though I'll say this: that's a hat.

Who made your best- and worst-dressed list this year?

Photos: Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Zimbio/Daylife/Belga/Newspix

Readers' Top 15 Tiaras: #1. The Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara

And our countdown of your favorite tiaras ends with...

#1. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Before I asked you to show me your favorite tiara, I showed you mine...and you agreed with me! Sweet, sweet validation. And I’m pretty sure Queen Elizabeth agrees with all of us, since this is her favorite tiara.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, in its current form

This tiara was one of the future Queen Mary’s wedding presents in 1893, and you’ll never guess who gave it to her...the girls of Great Britain and Ireland. Specifically, a committee of them chaired by Lady Eve Greville (not the same lady as the Greville inheritance, mind you). The committee raised over £5,000 and purchased this tiara from Garrard before donating the remainder of the funds to charity at the request of the princess.

Queen Mary with the original version of the tiara (first and second on the left), just the bandeau, and her altered version of the piece

The tiara is a diamond design of festoons and scrolls set on a bandeau base of round and lozenge-shaped diamonds. It was originally topped with nine large pearl finials, and it could also originally be worn as a necklace. But you know Queen Mary, she never left her jewels alone, and so the original version did not stay put for long. In 1914, she removed the pearl finials and replaced them with simpler diamond collets; she also removed the base of the tiara and used it as a separate bandeau.

The tiara after Mary's alterations, as first received by Princess Elizabeth

In 1947, Mary gave the tiara to her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present, who is said to affectionately call it as “Granny’s tiara”. Right away, with tiara occasions coming back in vogue after the war, this became a frequently worn piece. Without the bandeau, it nestled right in with Elizabeth's never-changing hairstyle.

The tiara worn without the base

There's some mystery surrounding the separation of the bandeau base and the tiara itself. In this video (click here), around 9:15 you can hear Elizabeth talk about the tiara, and she indicates that she didn’t know the tiara had a base until after Queen Mary’s death in 1953. However, the bandeau can be seen displayed separately in the public viewing of the couple’s wedding gifts at St. James Palace. Perhaps she just meant that she didn’t know they were intended to go together?

With the base added

Anyway, with her new tiara knowledge in hand, Queen Elizabeth paired up the bandeau and the tiara once again. She made the change in 1969, and it’s been the same ever since. Though she'd already been queen for some time when she added it back in, it seems a fitting queenly makeover. A little extra height for the boost in position, maybe. 

This is known to be a very light tiara; it must also be fairly easy and comfortable to wear, with no pendants clanging about or anything like that. It's certainly easy to put on, or perhaps she's just practiced at it - Queen Elizabeth does her own tiara attachment. Factor in the sentiment behind a wedding gift from a beloved relative, plus the fact that it's one of the first tiaras she ever wore, and you've got the one diadem that the Queen pulls out more than any other. (And if you're trying to figure out how this got to be #1, don't forget: that means this is automatically one of the most famous tiaras in the world.) I have declared this in the past to be the most perfect tiara ever, and I stand firmly by my assessment. Why do I love this tiara? Let me count the ways...

Here you can see the dimension in the settings of the diamonds, which helps to catch light from every angle

It's all diamond (at least it is now), so that makes it nice and all purpose. It’s classically pretty - no real experimentation going on here, which tickles my particular fancy at least. And I think the design makes it easy to pair with a variety of styles of other jewelry (necklaces, etc.).

In motion

It’s big enough to say “I’m the Queen!” without screaming it loudly over every other aspect of one’s outfit. It’s also sizeable but light, which is always good for pretending it’s in your own collection (don’t pretend I’m the only one doing that, I know what your game is). And it’s sparkly. Oh, so sparkly. What more could you ask for?

Does this top your personal list?

Tomorrow: I will have a recap of the full Top 15. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the countdown as a whole; until then, do enjoy your #1 gem.

Photos: Telegraph/Royal Collection/Leslie Field/Getty Images/Corbis

Readers' Top 15 Tiaras: #3. The Fife Tiara

Our countdown of your favorite tiaras continues with...

#3. The Fife Tiara

Coming in at number three, we have a tiara that hasn't been seen in public for a long, long time. And unless following the many and varied descendants of Queen Victoria is a personal hobby of yours, there's a good chance you're not that familiar with its wearers. But never mind that. Just loooook at it:

The Fife Tiara

The Fife Tiara is the third tiara on your list to hail from a noble family, but this time we have a royal beginning. It first belonged to Princess Louise of Wales, the oldest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. When she married the Earl of Fife in 1889, she received quite a waterfall of sparkling presents; this stunning tiara with pear-shaped diamonds hanging freely in a diamond framework, topped with more pear-shaped diamonds alternating with round diamonds, was among them. It is thought to be the work of Parisian jeweler Oscar Massin. This is sometimes said to have been a gift from her parents, but contemporary reporting of her wedding gifts attributed it to the Earl (who was made the Duke of Fife by Queen Victoria right after the wedding). Her parents' gift, on the other hand, is described as a classic convertible diamond fringe tiara.

Princess Louise, the Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife

Poor Louise is something of a background figure in royal history. She wasn't as pretty as her mother or her sister, Victoria, and she wasn't as notably married as her sister Queen Maud of Norway. Apparently a rather difficult person to make conversation with, she earned herself the title "Her Royal Shyness" and was most known for her talents in the realms of music and fishing. Her marriage to the Duke, who was 18 years older, seems to have done her a world of good - as, no doubt, did the escape from the smothering atmosphere of her parents' home. She was one of the first princesses to marry a subject rather than a prince but Queen Victoria approved of the union, noting that the groom was extremely rich.

Princess Louise

Louise was given the title of Princess Royal, but didn't play a large role in the royal family. Her ill health was a continual problem, and she escaped to warmer climates each winter. While en route to Egypt for the winter of 1911, the Fife family was shipwrecked off the coast of Morocco. Though they all survived, the ordeal took a toll on the Duke's health, and he passed away the following month.

The Duchess of Fife (left - wearing the Fife Tiara and the fringe tiara from her parents around her neck) and Queen Alexandra (right - wearing the kokoshnik tiara now worn by Queen Elizabeth) with Alexandra's mother, Queen Louise of Denmark (center)

Louise had three children: a stillborn son followed by two daughters, Alexandra and Maud. Because it was known in advance that there would be no Fife son to inherit the title, Queen Victoria made a special dispensation for inheritance in the female line. Accordingly, Princess Alexandra became the Duchess of Fife in her own right when her father died. Later she was also known as Princess Arthur of Connaught through her marriage. As she was predeceased by her own son, the title passed down to her nephew, James Carnegie. So far as we know, the tiara is still with the family.

Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife

Tiara occasions for the Fifes are very rare, which is terribly sad for us jewel lovers. This one in movement would be absolutely spectacular. Mounted in gold and set in silver, the largest diamonds freely articulate inside their diamond arches. That means that they would tremble with the tiniest movement of the wearer's head, capturing and reflecting the light constantly.

Caroline, Countess of Southesk, daughter-in-law of the current Duke

This has always been a favorite of mine. It has enormous individual stones and the design is very spiky, like a Gothic fence of some sort (the prettiest Gothic fence ever). And yet, I think delicate is a perfectly applicable word to describe it. That's what's remarkable about this, what makes it a triumph of workmanship and design, really: it retains a certain lightness despite the staggering carat weight on display.

Quite frankly, I find it breathtaking - especially at first glance. I'm not at all surprised that this made it so high on the list, even with a low-key history and essentially no contemporary outings and no well-known wearers.

Did you know about this tiara prior to our little voting extravaganza, or are you a new convert?

Photos: Geoffrey Munn/The Royal Collection

Readers' Top 15 Tiaras: #5. The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara

Our countdown of your favorite tiaras continues with...

#5. The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara

 Click here to revisit the history of this piece.

Several of you made special note of Diana’s influence when casting your vote for the good old Lover's Knot. This is a favorite of mine as well, and I’ll tell you it is definitely because of the combo of this tiara and that Elvis dress. It’s iconic, simply put.

Several of you also wondered if we might see this on the Duchess of Cambridge...ever. Some hoped we would, and others thought it would inspire too many comparisons to Diana. Well, I would have said the same thing about her engagement ring, and Catherine wears that and the sky hasn't fallen down or anything. Wear it, I say! (That's always my stance, basically.) Just think of the updos...

Do you think Kate should wear it?

Readers' Top 15 Tiaras: #6. The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

Our countdown of your favorite tiaras continues with...

#6. The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

Coming in at number 6 on your list of favorite tiaras is a piece that could warrant a spot based on its story alone. Add in the fact that it comes with two different kinds of stones to swap out and its overall exquisite craftsmanship, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, with pearls

Grand Duchess Vladimir (also known as Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, wife of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich) was the aunt of Tsar Nicholas II, who was murdered alongside his family in 1918 by the Bolsheviks. Grand Duchess Vladimir was the grandest of the grand duchesses at the royal court, and she was no fan of the Tsar’s wife, Alexandra. So she packed up her magnificent jewel collection and set up a rival court at which she could properly dazzle.

Grand Duchess Vladimir

One of her most dazzling pieces was this tiara of 15 intertwined diamond circles strung together with a diamond ribbon on top and hung with articulating pendant pearls, made in the 1880s by jewelers working for the Russian court. She hid this wonderful example of intricate Russian craftsmanship in the vault at Vladimir Palace in 1918 when she fled St. Petersburg in the wake of the revolution. It remained hidden away until a friend of the family who happened to be a member of the British Secret Intelligence Service smuggled the jewels out of Russia for the Grand Duchess, tucked away in a plain bag.

Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth with the pearl version

With her jewels finally returned to her, she split them up amongst her four children before passing away in Paris in 1920. This tiara went to her daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece. Princess Nicholas sold her jewels to benefit both her family and Russian charities, and she sold this one in 1921 to Queen Mary. It was inherited by Queen Elizabeth on Mary’s death in 1953 along with the rest of her remaining jewel collection.

Up close, you can see how the circles delicately wrap around one another

A quick word on its Russian provenance, as this always brings up accusations that Queen Mary swindled her poor exiled relatives (and you can find evidence both ways, that she did wrong and that she didn't): the debate mainly relates to jewels that were delivered to Grand Duchesses Xenia and Olga that Mary and George were meant to be helping value and sell. This tiara does not belong to that group, as it was bought separately from Princess Nicholas. In Part 2 of De Kongelige Juveler, you can see a written record of the purchase; we learn that the tiara was sold to Mary along with a diamond riviere for a price of £28,000 with all but £3,000 paid at the time of writing.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, with emeralds

Anyway, once in Queen Mary’s hands, of course she couldn’t leave it alone. Mary was in possession of the Cambridge emeralds, a group of around 40 cabochon emeralds which had originally belonged to Indian royalty but had made their way into British hands before being auctioned at a charity ball in 1818. The winner of the auction was Queen Mary’s grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge. Once acquired by Mary, the emeralds were incorporated into new and existing royal pieces.

Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in the emerald version

To the Vladimir tiara, she added 15 spare stones that Garrard’s had cut and polished for her as an alternative to the dangling pearls. It was a pretty ingenious idea, actually, as it made a nice mid-sized tiara option to wear alongside the fabulous collection of emeralds that she had once she combined the Cambridge stash with emeralds collected in India during the Delhi Durbar.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, with no pendants

The Queen has worn this a few times in a third version, with no pendants at all. While I’m sure this is easier to wear (lighter, no stones swinging around as the emeralds or pearls would do), I’m afraid it looks like just what it is: a tiara with missing pieces.

Queen Elizabeth wearing the no pendant version

Perhaps because of its versatility, it has become one of the Queen’s favorite tiaras. She seems to prefer the pearl version - no doubt, she has plenty of pearl accessories to pair it with. In the 1980s, she had the deteriorating silver mount redone in sturdy yellow gold to hold up to her frequent usage.

The tiara in motion

While this tiara wouldn’t pop to the top of my own favorite tiara list, I wouldn’t turn it away either (obviously). I’d take it and I’d add even more pendant options to it, is what I’d do. There’s a similar tiara of Spanish royal provenance that uses aquamarines to great effect, but I'm thinking amethysts are what we need here.

Did this make your list? If so, why?

Photos: Telegraph/Royal Collection/Getty Images/Abaca Press

Gold Star: Cambridge Black and Bling

Did your teacher give out gold stars when you were a kid? Mine did. And while sometimes those stars were for a job perfectly done, other times they were for progress well made. You know, a little encouragement along the way. It is in this spirit that I award the Duchess of Cambridge her first ever Gold Star.

Because tonight, at The Sun Military Awards, Catherine busted out her first major piece of ice since that tiara she wore that one time - a new necklace and bracelet, a wedding gift. Seems to be a diamond necklace with circles of diamonds alternating with fringes ending in petite flowers made of colored stones, maybe rubies. The bracelet appears to be a part of the demi-parure, as we can see the same motif and colored stones. (And we pause for a FAQ quick hit: What are the stones? Don't know for sure. Who gave them to her? Don't know. Can it be a tiara too? Don't know. Isn't the bracelet just the one she's worn before but with different inserts? Doubt it, as they're different scale and have different spacing.) She paired these pieces with the same diamond earrings we've seen several times before.

These are the most substantial jewels we've seen her wear, and simply breaking them out is something worth a little applause around here. The velvet Alexander McQueen gown is applause-worthy too - simple and black, but it fits her incredibly well. Stunning. And when you have a piece like that necklace, you don't need competition.

Would it have been MAJOR jumpy claps if she would've pulled the hair back? Yes. Are there other things to pick at? Of course, and I'm sure many of you will do so in the comments. But, baby steps. Step 1: put the diamonds on. Step 2: do other things. Gold Star, Catherine.

And another two Gold Stars for her escorts, Cambridge No. 2 and Prince Harry, for suiting up the James Bond way. You can never go wrong with a tux.

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Just Jared/Grazia

Readers' Top 15 Tiaras: #7. The Poltimore Tiara

Our countdown of your favorite tiaras continues with...

#7. The Poltimore Tiara

If your eyes are good enough to make out what’s depicted in the avatar I use when commenting here or on Twitter, then you will know that I wholeheartedly support your selection of the Poltimore Tiara as your seventh favorite gem.

The Poltimore Tiara

On the advice of Deputy Master of the Household Patrick Plunkett, this tiara was acquired for Princess Margaret prior to the official announcement of her engagement to Antony Armstrong-Jones. This is how you see it termed, “acquired for Princess Margaret”; some say it was selected by Margaret and purchased by the Queen or the Queen Mother as Margaret’s wedding gift and others say Margaret bought it for herself. The tiara was originally made by Garrard for Florence, Lady Poltimore, wife of the second Baron Poltimore, in the 1870s. It was auctioned by the fourth Baron Poltimore in 1959 and was purchased for £5,500 at the time.

Lady Poltimore

The tiara is an all-diamond affair set in gold and silver in which clusters of cushion-shaped and old-cut diamonds are set amongst scroll motifs topped with diamonds. It has a maximum diameter of 19.2 centimeters, should you wish to get an idea of its size for yourself. And it is a convertible piece, breaking down into a necklace and a set of 11 brooches (brooch fittings and screwdriver included within the tiara’s blue leather case, naturally). In the close up view of the tiara, you can just see the fittings at the back of the tiara which release to allow it to come off of its frame.

A tiara close up; a look at the necklace and some of the brooches; Princess Margaret wearing the necklace and a brooch from the tiara

Margaret wore the necklace and brooch forms of the tiara prior to her wedding, but it was on her wedding day that the tiara made its grand debut. It certainly was a strategically chosen accessory; the height added to the princess’ own tiny frame, and the opulence of the full circlet was well countered by the divine simplicity of her wedding ensemble. It’s really a very grand piece for the sister of a queen and probably among the most grand tiaras worn by any of the British royal ladies, but Margaret’s forceful personality pulled it off with aplomb. So much so, in fact, that the smaller tiaras she had almost look disproportionately tiny in the absence of the Mighty Poltimore.

Princess Margaret, the bride

Most of you know the sad fate of this gem: it was sold. Faced with inheritance taxes in the £3 million range after her 2002 death, her children Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto put a selection of her jewels and other precious objects on the auction block at Christie’s in 2006. It was a controversial sale; rumor has it that it caused quite a row between David Linley and his father, Lord Snowdon. But it certainly did make some serious bank: the original estimation for the tiara’s price was £150,000 - £200,000, but the combination of royal provenance and sale publicity pushed the final price all the way up to £926,400 ($1,704,576).

Princess Margaret

I suppose, if you wanted to be logical about it (blech, how un-fun of you), you could make a case that it was reasonable to sell this particular tiara. It’s not like Viscountess Linley or Lady Sarah have many tiara-wearing occasions in either of their futures. And positioning this as the auction centerpiece surely contributed to the profits they were able to make in the long run.

The tiara at auction, in its case

Sometimes people cry out that the Queen should have bought it to keep it in the family, but really, that was never going to happen. She - most certainly not a magpie herself - has plenty of tiaras she’s already not wearing, and it’s not like this one had a huge royal history. And so we are left to weep that we might never see it again.

Christie’s said at the time that the auction was won by a private Asian buyer. It seems a little farcical to pay such an inflated price to break it apart for the diamonds, so I sincerely hope it is still in existence.

And for heaven’s sake, I hope the new owner is at least giving the old girl a spin in the bathtub every now and then.

Where does this rank among your favorite diadems?

Photos: Geoffrey Munn/Christie's/Corbis/Daylife