The Japanese Enthronement 2019

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima

So, there were several events surrounding this enthronement, as I can tell: a post-enthronement reception, the event itself, and a cocktail party thrown by the ambassador at some point as well. Which ambassador? AMAZING question, all my informative captions call this person The Ambassador. The ambassador to the world??? (I also keep getting confused by the order of events for some reason. Just stick with me, please.) ANYWAY, we're starting with the banquet -- because I wanted to kick this off with the tiaras -- and these two look tremendous. That's like the platonic ideal of a tiara in shape and sparkle on Maxima, and I love her dress, which I can only describe as Fancy Charlie Brown. (Sne and the new Empress are close, so this must have been a nice event for them.)

Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI

TIARAS!!!!!! It's like Letizia thought to herself, "Maxima is totally going to wear some giant honking thing, I better pack the big guns for this."

Not for nothing, but this might also be my favorite dress Letizia has worn to a formal event in a LONG time.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde

Mandatory Credit: Photo by DAVID MAREUIL/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10452758x) King Philippe (R) and Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrive at the Imperial Palace for the Court Banquet after the Ceremony of the Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo, Japan, 22 October 2019. Some 400 guests from Japan and international head of states were reported to attend the 'Kyoen-no-gi' banquet. Emperor Naruhito enthronement in Tokyo, Japan - 22 Oct 2019

Meanwhile, Mathilde's tiara is sort of fading into her hair. She's rather all the same color here.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (10452887cq) King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Imperial state banquet, Tokyo, Japan - 22 Oct 2019

Don't worry. The king and queen of Bhutan are still really, really, really, really good-looking.

Crown Princess Victoria and King Carl Gustaf XI

This dress is pretty on Victoria, but we all know she has larger gowns; I'm also not totally sure about that tiara. And yet despite all that, I still think she looks great here? Life is a mystery.

Chaz

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (10453496j) Prince Charles Imperial state banquet, Tokyo, Japan - 22 Oct 2019

It might just be the angle of this photo, but I feel like Charles's trousers are too big and this is the first time in recorded history that I have a note for him, sartorially speaking. He's one of the best-dressed men in the world. PULL IT TOGETHER CHAZ.

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik

God bless Mary for going for the cape. This is VERY pretty on her. (I like that we're seeing the men in all their Meaningful Pins and Sashes, as well.)

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

"I also came by myself because WHO KNOWS WHY. However, I continue to be very handsome."

Prince Albert

I assume that, as is his wont, Albert will call up People magazine and give them all the dish from this event. (I love that Albert has a tendency to just call People and tell them things. NOTHING says, "my mom was a professional actress" like a knee-jerk reaction to let sympathetic press have a little dish.)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako

Congrats to the happy couple! As you may know, now-Empress Masako has had quite a road to get here: She withdrew from public life for many years after suffering what someone in an old novel might term a nervous breakdown, thanks to a combination of the stress of being in the public eye, difficulties conceiving an heir (and the Japanese imperial family will not allow the throne to pass to a woman), and, as I understand it, having A TERRIBLE grandmother-in-law, the Dowager Empress. Like HISTORICALLY MEAN. (She also refused Naruhito's proposal twice before accepting; I think she had a lot of misgivings about this life and she was right about them.) She looks lovely and it's wonderful that she is doing so well.

Empress Masako

And here is Empress Masako leaving the enthronement ceremony. These kimonos are STUNNING. (Here is an interesting piece about them. The Emperor's robes are from the 9th century. How are they even still wearable? Bring me your facts, fabric historians!)

Emperor Naruhito

Informative Caption here tells us that here "Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows in front of Emperor Naruhito during a ceremony to proclaim his enthronement to the world." Casual!!!

Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino

TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 22: Japan's Crown Prince Akishino (R) leaves at the end of the enthronement ceremony where Emperor Naruhito officially proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Imperial Palace on October 22, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool/Getty Images)

Here is Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino -- I BELIEVE the term "Crown Prince Akishino" is the Japanese version of, say, "Prince of Wales," AKA it's the title that the heir gets. But please correct me if I am wrong! Fumihito is Naruhito's younger brother and his heir, since Naruhito only has a daughter. (The Japanese Imperial family has very persnickety primogeniture rules that they keep ALMOST adjusting and then not doing it; Fumihito and his wife had a son after two daughters. Eventually, though, they're going to run out of boys, especially because Japanese Imperial princesses lose their spot in the Imperial family if they marry a commoner and basically EVERYONE is a commoner now.)

Crown Princess Kiko

Princess Kiko is Fumihito's wife. She is VERY ACCOMPLISHED; she has a Ph.D, and her Mean Grandmother-in-Law apparently disliked her because she was insufficiently fancy, even though she WAS super rich. It was apparently also a drama that she and Fumihito got married before Naruhito did. She's done a lot of diplomatic traveling for the royal family, because of Masako's health issues.

Princess Mako

Princess Mako is Fumihito's and Kiko's eldest daughter. She's been engaged for two years and the wedding keeps getting pushed, always for a variety of weird-sounding reasons and my theory is that she is having an emotional quandry about losing her title. As one might.This ensemble is AMAZING and I want to see it close-up.

Max and Wax

TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 22: Netherland's King Willem-Alexander, center, and Queen Maxima, left, arrive at the Imperial Palace to attend the proclamation ceremony of Japan's Emperor Naruhito on October 22, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koji Sasahara/Pool/Getty Images)

LOOK AT MAXIMA'S HAT: An evergreen statement of wonder.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary

Mary was really feeling the cape aspect of this event.

King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde

This is VERY glam on Mathilde.

EKing Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria

TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 22: Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, left, and Crown Princess Victoria arrive at the Imperial Palace to attend the proclamation ceremony of Japan's Emperor Naruhito on October 22, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koji Sasahara/Pool/Getty Images)

And all of Victoria's many honors and pins really pop against this color.

Felipe and Letizia

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (10452560af) Queen Letizia (C) attends the Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace Enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito, Tokyo, Japan - 22 Oct 2019

This is fabulous but also slightly kooky on her? (I think the hatband might be pushing it over the edge.) I love, though, that the flowers in this print include chrysanthemums, as the Emperor is taking The Chyrsanthemum Throne.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan

Don't worry! The Bhutanese king and queen are STILL extremely attractive, at this previous event! Their extreme attractiveness is a constant in this confusing world.