Nobel Banquet

One of the best things about the Nobel Banquet every year is that they let the photographers really get in there, and this year everyone was VERY animated. Here, Victoria looks like she's getting some VERY juicy gossip from Carl-Henrik Heldin, who is Chairman of the Board of the Nobel Foundation. Our friends at Order of Splendor have vast and excellent coverage of the many tiaras of this event, as ever. Here, Vic is wearing the Connaught Tiara, which I love on her...

Crown Princess Victoria

...and a Nina Ricci gown that her mother wore to this same event in 1995. (She loves to shop her mother's wardrobe.) It's VERY dramatic, but I love it. I also briefly thought it was a cropped top, which would have been SHOCKING.

Crown Princess Victoria, George P. Smith

It also has a GIANT bow in the back. Look, if you're dragging out a giant ballgown, this is the place to wear it. (You can see a better picture of it here.)

Crown Princess Victoria, George P. Smith

Vic is escorting George P. Smith, who shared the Nobel in chemistry with Greg Winter and Frances Arnold for their work in -- and this is all per Wikipedia -- "phage display, a technique where a specific protein sequence is artificially inserted into the coat protein gene of a bacteriophage, causing the protein to expressed on the outside of the bacteriophage." As far as I can tell, this is used to help create drugs, especially cancer-fighting ones. All these people are smart!

Crown Princess Victoria

Those earrings aren't too bad either, truly.

Nobel Laureates gala

This look is ALSO stunning. Victoria had a tremendous Nobel week.  

Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel

Like, HELLO. Full marks, you two!

Crown Prince Daniel

Daniel escorted Frances H. Arnold, who looks spectacular. She shared the Chemistry award with George Smith and Greg Winter, and she is the first American woman to ever win the Nobel in chemistry (and the fifth woman ever). Her Wikipedia page is extremely impressive, but also somewhat sad, as she has suffered great personal tragedy in her life as well as tremendous success.  All of these people are so amazingly smart.

Donna Strickland, King Carl Gustaf

Donna Strickland took the award in physics 2018, and she ALSO looks fantastic. LADIES, you have brought it with your brilliance AND your outfits! She shared the award with with Gérard Mourou, "for the invention of chirped pulse amplification." Wiki tells me that this is something to do with lasers. If I am understanding her Wiki, these lasers are very useful in surgeries, especially those on the eyes. She's only the third woman to ever win the Nobel in Physics. (One of the others was Marie Curie, so....pretty good company.)

Princess Christina, Tasuku Honjo

That's a nice color on Princess Christina. Tasuku Honjo took the prize for "Physiology or Medicine," sharing it with James P Allison, for "for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation." That sounds like a very good thing!

Princess Christina, Tord Magnuson

Princess Christina always looks VERY surprised that a camera has appeared. (Tord Magnuson is her husband; she's Carl XVI Gustaf's sister.)

Alice Bah Kuhnke

Alice Bah Kuhnke is the Minister for Culture and Democracy, and her gown is fab.

Princess Sofia of Sweden, Gérard Mourou

And here is Sofia -- looking gloriously 80s -- with the aforementioned Gérard Mourou. This ensemble is extremely dramatic and glam.

Princess Sofia of Sweden

She also seems like a very chatty dinner companion.

Princess Sofia of Sweden, Gérard Mourou

Sofia's tiara is her wedding tiara, without the emeralds. It's very sparkly.

Princess Sofia of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip

Ugh, they both look fantastic here. I am not a huge fan of this color, generally, but this gown is glorious on her.

Queen Silvia, Carl-Henrik Heldin

I really appreciate Queen Silvia going FULL QUEEN at this event. Carl-Henrik Heldin is the chairman of the Nobel Foundation.

Queen Silvia and Gerard Mourou

Not for nothing, but I also love that candelabra.

Queen Silvia

THAT IS A TIARA. It's extremely grand.

Queen Silvia, King Carl Gustaf

Do we think the Swedes need to take a week-long nap after this?

King's dinner for the Nobel Laureates at Royal Palace in Stockholm

I thought you might like the look at this amazingly long table.

King Harald of Norway meets with Nobel Peace Prize 2018 Laureates

The Peace Prize winners always get feted in Norway, and here they are with King Harald and Queen Sonja. The 2018 Laureates are Nadia Murad and Dr. Denis Mukwege. Per Informative Caption, "Dr. Denis Mukwege from Kongo and Nadia Murad from Iraq will receive the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict."  I don't have a photo of them actually receiving the award, but there is one in this New York Times piece that talks about their very important work. I must warn you, it's a bit of a harrowing read. (In addition to being brave and good people, they also look great, although that is clearly quite, quite secondary.)

Mette-Marit continues to look well.

Nobel Peace Prize 2018 ceremony,

And I appreciate Queen Sonja's devotion to her purple velvet.

President of Cape Verde Visits The Netherlands

Meanwhile, over in Amsterdam, Jorge Carlos Fonseca -- who is the President of Cape Verde -- and his wife Ligia, are paying a state visit. Everyone looks nice, and yet again I feel like the photographer is struggling with his longing to include that giant light fixture in the shot. The First Lady is a lawyer and seems extremely accomplished.

Queen Maxima

I appreciate that Maxima saw what was up over in Sweden this week and was like, "OOOOH I'm gonna bring out some big jewels too!" That broach is insane.

Princess Beatrix

"Meh, I've heard better toasts."

Queen Maxima

There's a LOT of velvet happening this week, which makes sense gieven the holiday season.

Queen Maxima

I enjoy this color combination.

Queen Maxima attends a boat baptism

Today, Informative Caption tell us that "Queen Maxima christens Van Oord's new trailing suction hopper dredger in Rotterdam. The baptism of the Vox Amalia, named after the eldest daughter of Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander, is dominated by the 150th anniversary of the dredging company." No one ever named a trailing suction hopper dredger after me!

Queen Mathilde and King Philippe visit to Walloon Brabant province

I'm not kidding: I have a chair upholstered in exactly that fabric. (It's since been recovered, but now I kind of want to go back to basics.)

Queen Elizabeth

Her Maj hosted the annual holiday luncheon for her staff at The Goring this year and she looks jolly!

Angela Kelly

This is the Angela Kelly, who dresses the Queen. I've never seen her before, I don't think! She's very good at her job.

Queen Elizabeth II

VERY jolly indeed. Here, she paid a visit to the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, which I sincerely thought was a pub until I looked it up. (It is, per their website, "a  thriving society of barristers, situated on a large estate of historic buildings, contemporary facilities, and tranquil grounds in central London. The Inn is a multifaceted organisation, but is primarily dedicated to the qualification, training and development of our members, at all stages of their legal careers, in a prestigious, collegiate and inclusive environment.")

Queen Elizabeth II visit to The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn,

This is a portrait of Princess Margaret and it's so good.

Queen Elizabeth II visit to The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn

Here, Informative Caption tells is, "kitchen staff wait to meet the Queen during her visit to The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn where she opened the new Ashworth Centre, and re-opened the recently renovated Great Hall." I just really loved this photo.

Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academ

Wills did the honors at the big parade at Sandhurst this year, and he still looks super hot in this uniform.

Princess Beatrice

Bea is in New York -- or was earlier this week -- attending something called the Berggruen Prize Gala. "The prize is given annually to recognize thinkers whose ideas have profoundly shaped human self-understanding and advancement in a rapidly changing world. This year's laureate is public philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum, the author of more than twenty books and the editor of another twenty-one. This marks the second year in a row that the prize has been awarded to a woman." Excellent all around!

Violent Youth Crime forum, Clarence House,

Meanwhile, Informative Caption tells me, "Actor Tom Hardy (left) sits next to Prince Charles and Prince Harry, during a discussion about violent youth crime at a forum held at Clarence House in London." I did not even notice Tom Hardy because I was distracted by the amazing blazer on the gentleman between him and Chaz. He and Charles, I feel like, had many sartorial things to discuss.

Camilla

And apparently Camz has adopted a donkey (named Ollie) and a Mini Shetland Pony, which is hilariously named Harry. Not really: Informative Caption says, "The Duchess of Cornwall attended a Carol Service for the animal welfare charity Brooke Action for Working Horses and Donkeys at the Guards chapel in Westminster today." I want to pet them all!

Camilla Visits Wiltshire

Camilla also hung out with a bunch of attractive mechanics.

Camilla Visits Wiltsure

...and the folks at the Air Ambulance.

Felipe and Letizia

Letizia is doing a lot of circle-skirted grey dresses lately, and I'm into them.

Queen Letizia

This dress is FAB on her!

Queen Letizia

Ah, it is my favorite of her coats. (There is something lovely about her wearing this coat in front of that piece of art. They speak to each other quite nicely.)

Al and Char

This is the "Christmas gifts ceremony at the Red Cross headquarters" and take off your coat and stay awhile, Char!

Royals Round-Up, December 14th, 2018

It's Nobel time!