Flashback Friday: Ladies in Uniform

Lord knows I love a man in uniform - I certainly take every possible opportunity on this blog to point that out. But as I said when we saw Mary in her military best a few weeks ago, I also love a lady in uniform, and I decided that it's high time we threw a little appreciation in the female uni direction.

Spotting royal ladies in uniform is not nearly as common a sight as it is with their male counterparts, but that doesn't mean they don't have just as much aplomb when they do bust out the bona fide military fashion. Some of them have spent actual time in training with the military, and some wear the uniforms of their honorary appointments (and others wear non-military uniforms), but they always do whatever group they're representing proud.

Princess and Queen Elizabeth

World War II really did require all of Britain's resources, including the future Queen. Princess Elizabeth trained up as a mechanic, and later sported a specially designed uniform to ride sidesaddle each year at Trooping the Colour. She stopped riding during the ceremony when her trusty horse Burmese was retired in 1986, and now rides in a phaeton for the event.

Princess Astrid and Princess Anne (twice)

Not to worry, though, there's another fierce lady keeping Trooping the Colour from being a male-dominated royal event: the Princess Royal. Anne is the royal I most often call out for looking crazy good in a uniform, and I wouldn't mind if she just went ahead and ditched all of her 1980s treasures and went the uniform route every day. Princess Astrid of Belgium, another sovereign's daughter, also gets a piece of that sentiment. She's always sure to wear her uniform for National Day, and she always looks smart as can be. I think she might operate best with a limited hat selection, to tell you the truth.

The Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the late Princess of Wales

Like Anne, Camilla and Sophie also have honorary military appointments to their names. They refrain from using their ceremonial uniforms like their sister-in-law does, but are always game to muck in and suit up when they visit their regiments. See how delighted Sophie is to be donning that helmet? That's dedication, friends. Diana held a few honorary appointments of her own, but was most famous for her cheeky takes on military style rather than any actual uniforms. The only proper uniform I've ever seen her in (perhaps someone else will have another example to share in the comments) is not military, but from the Red Cross.

Princess Iman, Queen Noor, and Queen Rania

Over in Jordan, they have a tradition of sending certain young family members to Sandhurst in Britain for military training, and the females are no exception: Princess Iman (daughter of King Hussein and Queen Noor) is a grad. And neither Queen Noor nor Queen Rania are strangers to wearing the uniforms of their honorary military positions.

Princess Marie, Charlotte Casiraghi, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Mary, Crown Princess Victoria

In Denmark, Princess Marie holds down the fort on the civil side of things with the Danish Emergency Management Association, and Charlotte Casiraghi does the same in Monaco with the Maritime Police. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has participated in exercises with the Norwegian Civil Defense, while Crown Princess Mary has trained with the Danish Home Guard. As part of her training as the future Queen of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria did a training stint with the military. But as awesome as that picture of Victoria in face paint is, nothing quite compares to this:

The future Queen Margrethe

Tell me something: is this the best picture ever, or is this the best picture EVER? You are correct, it is the best picture EVER. Way to rock the shades, Daisy. And though we might not see her in uniform these days, she once spent time with the Danish Women's Flying Corps.

Who wears the uniform best?

Photos: BilledBladet/Polfoto/Daylife/Getty Images

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 30 October-5 November

Here's what Mary wore from 30 October-5 November:

1. Unveiling the 2011 Christmas Seal, 31 October. I think the gray legs are where this one goes off the rails.
2. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Danish Special Forces, 1 November. Very mysterious, like she might have some spying to do later. Love it!
3. a) Accompanying the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the UNICEF Aid Dept in Copenhagen, 2 November, with Frederik in what certainly looks like a blue velvet suit (b)...okay. As for Mary, this looks like the outfit she had on in the office that day and just tossed on a coat to dash out for a second. Does that make her the epitome of the "dress not to overshadow the cause" rule? 
4. Visiting the Home Guard Guarding Division in Kosovo, 3 November. Oh, I do love a lady in uniform.
5. Attending Jarl Friis-Mikkelsen's 60th birthday party, 5 November.

Photos: PPE/Colourpress/RPP/Purepeople/Abaca/Reuters/Daily Mail/Billed Bladet/MSN Starlounge

Royal Fashion Awards: Belgian National Day 2011

While I was away, the Belgians celebrated National Day with a concert, Te Deums at various locations, and a military parade. Knowing how they've spruced it up for National Days past, I had my hopes up for at least a few giggles this year. The verdict? Disappointingly tame. Regardless, we continue on with our usual shenanigans:

Best Spirit

Queen Fabiola

Electric blue tights. YES. There's no better way to say "I'm 83 years old, people seem to enjoy throwing death threats my way; I'll do what I please." Fab indeed.

Most Consistent

Princess Astrid

Astrid's like Princess Anne in that her best showings involve rocking the lady military uniform. She does have a bit of non-uniform game, though: the gold number's simple and elegant (if a bit of a wrinkly mess). Her daughter Princess Laetitia Maria made a cute companion in dual greens.

Most Typical

Princess Mathilde

Head-to-toe typical Mathilde on show this year, including one trend she seems to be catching lately: the copy cat. She wears Kate's Issa dress, followed by a near-replica of Máxima's royal wedding outfit...and now she turns up in Armani's version of Mary's dress from the Monaco wedding! What's up with that?

Best Dressed

Queen Paola

I'm usually not that impressed by Paola. I mean, she just doesn't stick out that much. And it's not that there's anything terribly memorable here either, but together: it's a nice showing. Cute polka dots and a flattering flower print? Why not?

Most Missed

Princess Claire

Princess Claire is the one that usually makes National Day so darn entertaining. She puts extra special care into her outfits, and I always appreciate her eye-searing efforts. Alas, with her husband's particular brand of misfit not currently welcomed with open arms at the royal court, she went M.I.A. Claire and Laurent attended only a popular street party with their children in tow. Shape up, Laurent: I'm going to need some LOLs next year from your better half!

Who made your best dressed list this year?

Photos: Hola/AP Photo/Reuters/Daylife/PurePeople/Abaca

Royal Fashion Awards: Garter Day 2011

You guys, I love Garter Day. Celebrating the oldest order of chivalry in the world? How much more royal can you get? Most of the gentlemen and selected ladies turn up in their Hogwarts finest (yes, I did make a Harry Potter reference last year, and I will make one every year that we do this thang), but we do get a few ladies that turn up in their English-hatted best for our entertainment too. So let's get to business and throw some awards out on the table.

Best Future Repeat

The Duchess of Cambridge

I saw two opinions on this Katherine Hooker coat and Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat today: OMGAMAZINGOMGSOPRETTY, or ...why is she dressing like a 60-year-old? I could agree with you either way, actually. This is very similar to what the Countess of Wessex has been wearing lately, and the Countess is 46 years old. It's very similar to the silhouette that Camilla wore today, and Camilla is 63 years old. But there's a reason why this style crosses generations: it's universally flattering. It's like the International Princess Uniform. And you know we'll be seeing this for as many years to come as Kate's figure/tailor will allow.

Best in Benjamin Button

The Countess of Wessex

Speaking of the 46-year-old Countess...damn. Sophie looks younger than she did when she married Edward, no? Loving her with her hair up. Thus, I hereby confer a second Benjamin Button title (the first belongs to dear Marie-Chantal, of course) on our Sophie. Well played, Countess.

Best in Froof

The Duchess of Cornwall

This lady has a tremendous ability to pull off a wackadoodle hat. Personally, I love it when she whips that talent out and lets it shine, and this harried Cousin It chapeau is just the thing. Add in a new coat, flattering as can be, and I'm sold.

Best in Bling

Queen Elizabeth

This is one of the times when she brings out the serious daytime bling - every year, the Queen's earrings are killer. Now, these are some sapphire and diamond earrings: Kate, take note. (Yet another reason why I love Garter Day: excuses for diamonds in the daylight are always welcome!)

Best Knight

Princess Alexandra

Garter Knights, left to right: the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent, the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Cambridge

I heart Princess Alexandra, plain and simple. There's no one more elegant, especially in velvet and feathers. As I threw out on Twitter earlier today, we need to get a petition started for Alexandra to take Kate under her wing and teach her the Princess way. Who's with me?

Best Enthusiasm

Lady Louise Windsor

And you thought smiley Kate and her blushing husband were the tops of the cute tree. Good thing Louise, watching from the side with her school chums, is here to show you what's up. More Louise, please!

Best Theme

Lady Sarah Chatto

You know how I don't like neutrals. You know how I don't like it when people wear the same thing over and over again. Well, I'm breaking all my rules. Here's Lady Sarah (attending because one of her sons was pageboy for the Queen this year), looking a whole lot like she did yesterday, and a whole lot like she did at the wedding, and I don't care. This lady is on a one-woman crusade to bring back 1950s glam, and I am behind her all the way. You go, Lady Sarah! Show 'em how it's done!

Worst in Mysterious

The Duchess of Gloucester

Here's Birgitte, only seen because she's sitting next to Anne. You can also see her hiding between Kate and the gentleman on the right in the first picture in this post. Barely visible because once again she's not worn anything of note. How sad! She's so utterly lovely (and a total candidate for another Benjamin Button award, I'm telling you). I'm not saying she should start borrowing from the millinery closet of Princess Beatrice, but we could do a little better than navy/black, right?

Who topped your best-dressed list at the Garter Ceremony?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Reuters/Isopix/Newspix/Belga

Royal Fashion Awards: Trooping the Colour 2011

I was right, y'all. Beatrice didn't even show up to Trooping the Colour, so the parade today was all Kate, all the time. And she sure did give us something to discuss, and we will do that, but we will also give everybody else some much-needed attention. It's the least we can do, right? Per usual, our attention will be in the form of awards. Everybody loves a trophy.

Best Birthday Girl Prerogative

Queen Elizabeth

Another repeat, kind of boring...but she's the (official) birthday girl. When you're in charge, you can wear whatever you please. And it is one of her better repeats, so I shan't be picky. (Well, I'll save my picks for others, at least...)

Biggest Omission

The Duchess of Cambridge

Omission number one: Kate, you forgot the candy that's supposed to go in that dish on your head. How 'bout some nice M&Ms? Perfect for that mid-parade "oh hell, more bagpipes" energy dip, plus a little extra color never hurt ya. Omission number two: What's a fierce McQueen coat without a proper riding crop? Giddyup!

Most Disturbing Genetic Sign

Princess Eugenie

You know who else has a tendency to stick superfluous bows on things? Sarah Ferguson. (And Princess Mabel. And Hello Kitty. Not exactly esteemed company.) Fight the genetic urge, Eug, fight hard! Because that jacket is kinda cute, you really could've had something here!

Most Acceptable Repeat

The Duchess of Cornwall

How many times have we seen this ensemble and it's various iterations on Cams? Approximately 8,698, I'd say. The only reason I'll give her the nod here is that she wore that choker - gah! I love that thing. She can wear that to as many Troopings in a row as she likes, as far as I'm concerned.

Best Dynamic Duo

The Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

Adorable, these two, in their matching pink outfits. Adorable and a wee bit saucy, I might add - that's a lot of Countess shoulder! (How prudish do I sound?! It's just not what you're expecting to be in for at the military parade, is all. It's sort of like when Anne's cleavage just came out of nowhere, right in your face, that one time. Or, not really.)

Best in Uniform

The Princess Royal

Left to Right: the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Kent

If it's color you long for, to the military you must turn. And today's toy soldiers made an excellent display. Which one to pick as best? Philip's always a good choice - come on, he's rocking the bearskin hat at 90. And the Duke of Kent is rocking the bearskin hat while on a horse, at 75. William and Harry hold down the under 30 fort nicely, but I have to give this one to Princess Anne. Any gal that can roll with the boys while absolutely owning a hat that culminates in a feather to the skies deserves all the prizes she can rack up.


Now, there are two types of Trooping the Colour people, really: the carriage people and the balcony people. The carriage people get to ride all fancy, and get their picture taken a lot, and get their names spelled right in the photo captions and things like that. Those people are above. The balcony people cram on at Buck House, fearful the facade might give way from all the Windsors on board, are at the mercy of long-range lens, and usually get identified as "royal family members". There's not much to look at when it comes to the balcony people. Luckily, judging on little information is a specialty of mine, and so we will forge ahead:

Best on the Balcony

Lady Frederick Windsor

 L to R: The Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, Lady Nicholas Windsor, Julia Ogilvy (and I believe the Countess of Ulster peeking over her shoulder), Viscountess Linley (with Lady Rose Gilman peeking out from behind), Lady Frederick Windsor, the Duchess of Kent, the Countess of St. Andrews

It's a shame they don't pay more attention to these ladies: some of them really turned it out! Princess Alexandra did her usual thing, but hey - she can do what she wants. That's got to be Roland Mouret on Serena Linley, which I LOVE, but you're not getting anywhere with that ever-so-ebullient expression. The Duchess of Kent and her daughter-in-law the Countess look ladylike as can be, but I'm giving this one to Lady Frederick, a.k.a. Sophie Winkleman. You gotta love that she turned it this far out (that has to be a new hat, probably a new suit) for such a quick appearance (and her first Trooping the Colour, too). She flew in from Los Angeles for this shindig, she deserves a prize.
UPDATES: I have added the Duchess of Gloucester, in a lovely repeat, Lady Nicholas Windsor and Julia Ogilvy - both wearing repeated hats (Lady Nicholas from Garter Day last year, Julia from the Cambridges' wedding). Excellent appearances, all!

Worst on the Balcony

Lady Helen Taylor

 L to R: Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Helen Taylor, Lady Amelia Windsor, Flora Ogilvy (possibly, thanks to Nora)

What in Canadian fashion hell is happening to Lady Helen?! Girl, Erdem has done you WRONG. (And just when I was wondering if Kate would take a look at his stuff for the Canada trip, the nerve.) I put it on the batty radar when we saw it with the matching coat at the royal wedding, but now that I've seen the dress underneath, I'm prepared to commit it to the mental ward. And yeesh, that inside-out/upside-down paper umbrella on her head isn't helping. Everything else pales in comparison, like Amelia's bit of fluff on her head, and that mystery lady's Flora's shapeless outfit (somebody, please, tell me who that is for sure!). And Princess Michael definitely looks out of place next to Helen, since she's only in this category for being stuck in a Trooping rut anyway.

Who makes your best- and worst-dressed for this year's Trooping the Colour?

(And if you see more royals, or better pics, let me know!)

Photos: Ken Goff/Isopix/Reuters/Daylife/Getty Images/Mark Stewart/Camera Press/Tim Rooke/Rex Features/PPE/Nieboer

Let's Hear It For The Boys: The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge's Wedding

We've admired the outfits of the royal ladies on parade at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding; now it's time to spend some quality time and attention with their handsome escorts. As you well know, we never miss an opportunity to admire a well-dressed man around here.

The Groom and his Best Man have already been analyzed in all their uniformed glory, so let's round out the Windsor clan with the rest of the military men in attendance:

Windsor men in uniform, left to right:

1. The Duke of Edinburgh echoed his grandson's red tunic in his Grenadier Guards uniform.
2. The Prince of Wales wore a dress uniform from the Royal Navy, just as he had when he married William's mother.
3. The Duke of York, once himself a helicopter pilot, also wore a Navy uniform.
4. The Earl of Wessex is, I believe, in the uniform of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, in which he holds the rank of Royal Honorary Colonel.
5. Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence wore his naval uniform, as he is the only member of this crew with an active military career rather than a retired or honorary one.
6. The Duke of Gloucester was the only family member to honor William's active duty branch of the military in his Royal Air Force blue.
7. The Duke of Kent came in a red army uniform tunic also. He married in red fifty years ago.
8. Prince Michael of Kent paired his ceremonial dress uniform with the sash of the Royal Victorian Order, as he is not a member of the Order of the Garter like his blue sash-wearing friends.

A military uniform isn't required for full dapper status, of course. Morning dress will do just fine:

Windsor men in morning coats, left to right:

1. Peter Phillips, looking handsome and not at all sleep-deprived for a new father.
2. Mike Tindall, Windsor boyfriend extraordinaire and the next groom up to bat when he marries Zara Phillips in July.
3. Viscount Linley, Princess Margaret's son and surprisingly the focus of many more pictures than his lovely wife was.
4. Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Prince and Princess Michael and the groom at the last Windsor wedding in September 2009.
5. Tim Taylor, wife of Lady Helen and son-in-law of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

 Plenty more dashing uniforms to be had from other royal families:

Foreign royals in uniform, left to right:

1. The Prince of Orange brought the same uniform he was married in.
2. The Prince of Asturias was dapper in his naval uniform and the Royal Victorian Order sash.
3. Prince Philippe of Belgium was handsome in black, though I can't help but feel his uniform was lacking in a bit of panache compared to all the ornamentation on these other gentlemen.
4. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg wore his distinctive orange tasseled waist band with the sash of the Royal Victorian Order. I wonder if this served as a reminder to Queen Elizabeth that she hasn't yet had a chance to bestow the Order of the Garter on this fellow head of state?
5. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Malaysia was another head of state without the top English order on display. No U.K. orders at all, in fact.
6. King Harald of Norway wore his true blue Garter sash, of course, and was also one of the only men in uniform to carry a sword to the ceremony. 

Some of the foreign royal guests opted out of military dress for the ceremony:

Sovereigns in morning dress, left to right:

1. Prince Albert of Monaco. I was pretty surprised he didn't opt for a uniform. He went for morning dress at Felipe and Letizia's morning wedding, but a uniform at Philippe and Mathilde's. Personal choice?
2. King Constantine of Greece, as an ex-King, was obviously without uniform. But jolly as ever, mind you.
3. The King of Tonga showed up quite natty indeed, in his top hat, cane, and long coat. You will note the coat's lining matches his tie.
4. The Sultan of Brunei came with his only wife, having divorced his second one last year. (Actually his second second wife - he divorced the first second wife too. Get it? Still with me?)
5. The King of Swaziland came with a wife as well, one of the fourteen that he's currently married to. That's gotta get confusing.

Princes in morning dress, left to right:

1. Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, looking totally happy to be there with wife Katherine, as some of you noted in the foreign royal ladies post.
2. Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso of Lesotho is Prince Harry's partner in the Sentebale charity. You will note he has matched his tie to his wife's colorful national dress.
3. Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, so dapper, came along with one of his sons...
4. Prince Constantine, who is one of Prince William's godchildren. (And a future heartbreaker, for sure.)
5. And last but not least, Prince Daniel of Sweden must have been having flashbacks to his own recent turn as royal groom. He's turning out to be quite a dapper prince indeed, isn't he?

Have any personal favorites? I confess, my heart still belongs to the best man.

UPDATE

I have found some of the lesser-known Windsor men for us to admire:

More Windsor men in morning coat, left to right:

1.  The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones, son of Viscount Linley. And future doppelganger – man, does that kid look like his dad.
2. Daniel Chatto, husband of Lady Sarah. Their two sons were also along for the wedding ride.
3. The Earl of Ulster, son of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
4. Gary Lewis, husband of Lady Davina, son-in-law of the Gloucesters.
5. George Gilman, husband of Lady Rose, son-in-law of the Gloucesters. Not a bad showing for the three Gloucester men here, eh? Yum.

 

And even more Windsor men, left to right:

1. Earl of St. Andrews, son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
2. Lord Downpatrick, the Earl’s son. I still don’t understand why photographers don’t take better pictures of handsome, unmarried Windsor men. Well, this one, at least.
3.  Lord Nicholas Windsor, lookalike brother of the Earl.
4.  James Ogilvy, dapper son of Princess Alexandra of Kent.

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife

The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge's Wedding: The Bridal Party

So, Pippa Middleton: sexiest royal bridesmaid dress ever?

The Pips, as I've taken to calling her, wore Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen just like her sister, and it included much of the same button and lace detailing. The slim-fitting cowl neck dress in ivory satin-based crepe placed the showcase firmly on Pippa's wee figure, and revealed just a hint of the royal in-law cleavage.

All the better for accompanying the dashing Best Man, Prince Harry, I suppose. As expected, Harry wore his Army uniform. He is, of course, an active duty officer, recently promoted to Captain. (Specifically: it is a Blues and Royals officer’s uniform in Dismounted Review Order, with a Forage Cap.)

The uniform features aiguillettes (ornamental braided cords), a gold waist belt and a cross-belt. Like Prince William, he wore sword slings without a sword. He also sported Army Air Corps wings (since he's a helicopter pilot) and medals from the Golden Jubilee and from his time in Afghanistan.

And if he wasn't handsome enough with the uniform alone, they put him in the carriage with half of the wee members of the bridal party on the way home.

All together now: awwww.

The pageboys (Tom Pettifer, age 8, and Billy Lowther-Pinkerton, age 10) were dressed in the style of mini Foot Guards from the Regency period, featuring the insignia of the Irish Guards.

The bridesmaids (Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, 7, the Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 8, Grace van Cutsem, 3, and Eliza Lopes, 3) came from Nikki Macfarlane, a childrenswear designer who hand-made the dresses in her home with her daughter, Charlotte. Using the same fabrics and details as the bride's gown, the ivory and white dresses with full ballerina skirts are finished with pale gold silk sashes tied in a bow at the back. Capes were included, just in case the weather required it.

The first thing I thought when I saw these dresses? Now, here's the Diana influence, right down to the yellow sash.

Actually, no. That's not the first thing I thought. The first thing was: SO CUTE.

Little Eliza Lopes, granddaughter of Camilla, probably won't remember this day, but I'm sure she had the time of her life.

Even a boost for a balcony view from Grandpa Charles!

What did you think of the bridal party? And was I the only one surprised we didn't see more of a Scottish theme? I was betting on kilts, heather colors of the highlands, or tartan somewhere in the mix.

Source: Official Wedding Website
Photos: Getty/Daylife/Daily Mail