The Crown Princess Name Day

It was Victoria's name day in Sweden this week, and this coat is great on her, but truly the star of this show is Estelle. PLEASE LOOK AT THIS CHILD. Personality plus, as they say.

Te Deum Thanksgiving service at the Royal Palace

And here everyone --  King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Chris O'Neill, Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Estelle, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Sofia -- all popped out for the Te Deum Thanksgiving service "in connection with the birth of princess Madeleine's and Christopher O'Neill's daughter, Princess Adrienne," as Information Caption tells us. I don't think anyone had "Adrienne" in the pool. (Her full name is "Adrienne Josephine Alice, Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Blekinge.") Daniel here looks like he's telling Estelle to BEHAVE

Queen Maxima

This is a perfectly reasonable look on Maxima, a woman who loves silk shantung.

Queen Maxima

This is, uh, less successful? That feathered neckpiece looks like one of her hairpieces made a run for it.

Queen Maxima, King Willem Alexander

Here, Max and Wax are arriving to "take part in NLdoet and prepare a meal for the elderly." This is a great coat on Maxima; she looks very sharp here.

Queen Maxima

In addition to preparing and serving a meal, they also stayed and played games with the elderly -- including this, which looks like a kind of air hockey, and Connect Four. Everyone, go hug your grandma!

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

So Queen Mathilde and King Philippe have been visiting fair Canada, and Mathilde has made some INTRIGUING HAT CHOICES. (They are also habitual hand holders and are doing a lot of it on this trip, which is sweet.)

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE? I admit that I am delighted by how Over The Top this is, but also it's a LOT.

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

I like to think all the royal ladies have a group text where they share the best places to buy Symbolic Hats For State Visits.

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

If I were a Queen, I ABSOLUTELY would wear a whimsical maple leaf hat to visit my Canadian friends. (As I think I joked when Kate did this, it is a shame that there really isn't a Whimsical American Symbol that lends itself to hats. Like, the cowboy hat is worn elsewhere. I suppose a baseball cap is very American but insufficiently formal. I believe my original suggestion was one of those foam headbands that give you the Statue of Liberty's crown and I might stand by that.

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

I did NOT expect Riverdale to go in this direction.

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

Mathilde is actually pretty good at formal wear, though, and she looks great in this. Plus, we all need a tiara at the end of this week.

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

And this might be the best she's looked in my recent memory? It's GREAT.

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

And this coat! IT IS DIVINE. Mathilde's hat, however, is...

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

...somewhat perplexing, and actually more of a confused headband?

Belgian Royals Visit Canada

But this is cute, too. Canada, your beautiful country brings out the best in Mathilde's evening wear!

Prince Charles visit to Heathrow Airport

Meanwhile, Chaz has done some of his best pattern mixing to go to the airport, where he is "shown items of luggage that have been confiscated during inspections by customs officers." That feels like a lot of taxidermy.

Camilla Visits Walthamstow

Informative Caption tells me that Camilla "present[ed] pupils with a cake in the school hall during 'A Big Commonwealth Lunch' at Barn Croft Primary School," and that kid at the front is SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS CAKE. I feel you, buddy!

Veterans' Mental Health Conference

Here, Harry is giving a "keynote speech at the annual Veterans' Mental Health Conference" but ALSO HIS SUIT IS GREY?!?!?! Everything is changing all around me.

Met Excellence Awards, Kensington Palac

(a) I appreciate that this photographer framed this photo so we could all see the molding in this room at Kensington Palace. (b) These people are -- well, Harry and Wills, and also Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick and Police commander Stuart Cundy.  (c) I assume Cressida Dick is explaning why she needs to be at the wedding in May. FOR SAFETY PURPOSES OBVIOUSLY.

Prince Harry presents Army Air Corps Pilots' Wings

I feel personally violated that Harry isn't wearing this uniform here, as the beret is really fetching on him, but I'm sure it's some kind of RULE that he can't do it in this circumstance. Which is, per Informative Caption: "Prince Harry will return to the Army Aviation Centre where he undertook advanced helicopter training to present the latest graduates with their Wings. His Royal Highness will present 12 pilots from Course 17/02 of the Army Air Corps with their
Wings at a ceremony in the Museum of Army Flying. He will then move outside for a photograph in front of an Apache helicopter with the graduates. Prince Harry was a graduate in the same ceremony in 2010 when the Prince of Wales, the Army Air Corps Colonel in Chief, was the Presenting Officer. This will be the final Wings Parade to be held at Middle Wallop, before the ceremony transfers to the Defence Helicopter Flying School at Shawbury as part of the expanded new tri-service helicopter training operation. The Wings Parade takes place after each student completes the operational training phase, and as graduates they are presented with the insignia distinguishing them as qualified Army Pilots." That was EXTREMELY Informative, THANK YOU.

Cheltenham Festival Champion Day

Meanwhile, Mike and Zara Tindall are attending the houe racing at Cheltenham. Zara, if you forgot, is also pregnant. They both look SHARP here -- Mike looks great! -- and Zara's bag is delighful.

Zara Tindall

She is also still wearing thigh-high boots!

Zara Tindall

This is also honestly a very snazzy look on her -- that coat, that bag, her glasses. Pregnancy suits her.

Audience at Buckingham Palace

Here, Her Majesty is greeting the High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa in London, Nomatemba Tambo, and they both look DELIGHTED and like they have got some dishy gossip to tell one another. The High Commissioner's stripes are great. (So is her manicure.)

Audience at Buckingham Palace

This is the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, Antoinette Perry,  and I asume she's being told to scoot over because they've brought some new furniture into this room and the Queen knows we'd like to see it.

Sophie Wessex

Here, Sophs "attends a reception to celebrate frontline nursing in the UK Nursing reception," an event at which Charles was also present, although he did NOT wear such dramatic sleeves.

Sophie Wessex

She also hosted "the 'Ice Maidens' expedition team (left to right): Captain Zanna Baker, Lance Sergeant Sophie Montagne, Major Natalie Taylor, Major Nics Wetherill, Lieutenant Jenni Stephenson and Major Sandy Hennis." They are "the first all female team to ski coast to coast across Antarctica." WOW. That is awesome and must be hard. I would have had so many questions for these women! Like, "how did you not die?"

Queen Letizia

Over in Spain, Letizia kinda regrets this suit.

Royals Round-Up, March 16th 2018

There are some HATS in here.