Royal Fashion Minute: Luxembourg Royal Wedding--The Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner COUTURE!

Royal Fashion Minute: Luxembourg Royal Wedding--The Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner COUTURE!

A Couture Dinner...

Introducing the William and Kate of Luxembourg: (left to right) Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Princess Stephanie de Lannoy, Prince Guillaume, and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

In case you didn't know, the tiny European nation of Luxembourg is celebrating a Royal Wedding this weekend. In fact, the nuptials occurred today--full "Royal Fashion Minute" Report in my next blog post.



Where Is Luxembourg: For those of you who fell asleep during your high school and college geography classes, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a landlocked European country, bordered by Belgium, France and Germany, and is less than 1,000 sq miles in size.



Who Is Getting Married: 30-year old Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg married 28-year old Countess Stephanie de Lannoy. Prince Guillaume is the last hereditary prince in Europe to get married, and if all goes to plan will follow in his father's footsteps and rule this tiny nation. Stephanie, is from Belgium, has royal blood and therefore not a "commoner" and will now be known as Princess Stephanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.

 Civil Ceremony: Princess Stephanie de Lannoy and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

The Groom's Parents: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista of Luxemboug. The Grand Duke--like most European royals--is related to a lot of neighboring royals and therefore has VERY blue blood. He is a nephew of the King of the Belgians, Albert II and his maternal grandparents are Kind Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden. The Grand Duchess is Cuban--and famous for her love of COUTURE.

 Civil Chanel: The bride--Princess Stephanie de Lannoy, wore Chanel for her Civil Ceremony



Sad News: As the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg prepared to celebrate this Royal Wedding, there was some sad news for the bride in the untimely death of her mother, Countess Alix, who died of a stroke at 70 years old only TWO MONTHS ago, back in August.



Who Is Paying: The Luxembourg state said it contributed €350,000 euros (about $456,000 in current exchange) to the two-day celebrations which began yesterday with a Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner and continued onto today's religious wedding and Gala Wedding Party. But, according to some royal watchers, the groom's parents will foot most of the bill of the lavish nuptials of Europe’s last single heir. They will be responsible for paying for the accommodation and travel
arrangements of foreign guests, among whom are likely to be a glittering
array of European royals.

The Pre-Wedding Dinner:  Occurred last night with a lavish banquet held at the Grand Ducal Palace. Lots of royals were there--from The Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Jordan, Great Britain, and many others. So...let's get to the royals at this Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner and more importantly, the FASHION:

Sequined Princess: In the top photo, the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg toasts to his  Daughter-in-Law Countess Stephanie de Lannoy. Stephanie wore a gunmetal gray heavily-beaded gown with a deep cowl draped back from Elie Saab.

Saab Duchess: The bride wasn't the only one wearing Elie Saab. Her Mother-in-Law, the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg in a Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2012 (worn by supermodel Karlie Kloss on the runway in the photo above). Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab is the Grand Duchess' favorite couturier and she is one of his biggest clients. This gown is estimated at about $50,000. It is Couture, all hand-made and made-to-order for Maria Teresa. I'm happy to see she's passing on her love of Elie Saab Haute Couture to her new daughter-in-law. If you've got the money, then why not...

Dapper Brothers: Prince Sebastien of Luxembourg, Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Prince Louis of Luxembourg--brothers to the groom, at thee Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner

Yasou: King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece arriving at the Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner

More Elie Saab Haute Couture:

Princess Marie-Chantal and Prince Pavlos of Greece: Always the fashionista, London-born Marie-Chantal wore Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2012. The gown featured 3/4 sleeves, a bateau neck and gold hand-embroidered sequins as well as a gold skinny "belt". When Marie-Chantal ordered it, she took the center front slit away as you can see from the runway version. PS: when you order a Couture Gown, you can change ANYTHING darling!

Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont and his wife Princess Clotilde--Clotilde (a beautiful French actress) also wore (wait for it!) Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2012

Princess Astrid of Belgium--Astrid wore Elie Saab Ready-to-Wear Fall
2012, a hunter-green sequined cap-sleeved gown. Ready-to-Wear NOT
Couture. Shock of All Shocks. So Pedestrian (What's "LOL" in Royal Language?).

Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein: Yes, kids...she's wearing Elie Saab. I really wonder if the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Maria Teresa must have given a COUTURE Discount of sorts to her Wedding Guests--if they ordered from him? Inquiring minds want to know...

Fashion Star: Argentina-born Princess Maxima of The Netherlands with her husband Crown Prince Willem Alexander---Maxima wore a strapless red and silver gown with a silk organza "puff" wrap. She is known to be a "Fashion Royal" amongst all of the other girls and both royal and fashion watchers are always interested on what she is "featuring". Besides that puff wrap, it's ALL ABOUT that tiara and necklace. One word: WOW.

Prince Hassan of Jordan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan: He is brother to the late King Hussein. Princess Sarvath is from Pakistan and the daughter of a diplomat. Love her sari gown and his matching sash.

Pucci Sweden: Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon of Norway--Mette-Marit wore a red sequined silk gown from Emilio Pucci designed by Peter Dundas. Dundas, happens to be from (yes, you guessed it!) Norway. So, in other words, she is supporting Norwegian designers. I guess. This gown is inspired by the black one on the right from the Pucci Fall 2012 Collection. But Mette-Marit's is red, added cap sleeves and godets of organza volants (cascade ruffles).

Princess Caroline of Hanover and Hereditary Princess of Monaco: Princess Caroline (yes, Grace Kelly's daughter!) wore Chanel Fall 2011 Haute Couture to this Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner. Caroline always wears Chanel and is one of Karl Lagerfeld's best friends. For her gown, she customized it from what was shown on the runway. As you can see, she had the style lengthened to a gown and added lining (good call darling!). Like I said before, when one orders Haute Couture and is paying $50,000+, then you can do just about anything.

Slight High Low: Princess Claire of Belgium and Prince Laurent of Belgium--she wore an off-the-shoulder emerald green gown draped and fitted in the torso and A-line from waist down. It had a slight "high-low" hem line as you can see. Do we like?

Princess Mathilde of Belgium and Prince Philippe of Belgium: Princess Mathilde wore a royal blue silk chiffon gathered gown that looked beautiful on her. Along with that crown and necklace...it was Princess Perfect.

 

Duchesse Satin Queen:  Queen Sonja of Norway wore a royal blue duchesse silk satin gown with horizontal pleated upper torso detail. She looks like a Queen. Period.

Disco Ball Guest: Princess Martha Louise of Norway with Prince Kyril of Bulgaria--Princess Martha wore a one-shoulder silver oversized paillette gown. Let's just say she kinda "stole the show" with that get-up. Not sure if a Royal Wedding Dinner is where I would wear this too, but I give her "Nick At-a-Girl" points.

Finally, a Queen Diva: Queen Fabiola of Belgium---LOVE her hair, her hair diamond pin, the fur stole, her purple eye makeup...She's FABULOUS!

* Next Up---The Wedding!!!

Royal Fashion Minute: Diamond Jubilee Dinner for Foreign Sovereigns-Kings and Queens Red Carpet!

Royal Fashion Minute: Diamond Jubilee Dinner for Foreign Sovereigns-Kings and Queens Red Carpet!

Royal Red Carpet

Hosts With The Most: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall host  a Dinner For Foreign Sovereigns to Commemorate The Diamond Jubilee, London, England

As you may be aware--if you've been keeping up on all things royal-- The Diamond Jubilee is taking place this year--right now as we speak in fact, marking 60
years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's reign. The Queen came to the throne on 6th
February 1952 and her Coronation took place on June 2, 1953, so naturally this weekend is the Central Weekend of The Diamond Jubilee.

 Coronation Day, June 2nd, 1953--Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip

Lots of events, parties and fabulous horse races have been taking place with a highlight being tomorrow's Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant which will celebrate her 60 year reign with a flotilla of 1,000 boats on the River Thames which will be televised live on various networks such as CNN and BBC of course.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Official Diamond Jubilee Portrait

A couple of weeks ago, on May 18th, as part of the celebrations, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall hosted a very VIP dinner at Buckingham Palace for Foreign Sovereigns to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee. It was a Who's Who of Kings, Queens, Princes, Emperors and one especially FABULOUS wife of an African Monarch. They socialized, had cocktails, gossiped about the latest multi-palace intrigues and dined on cheese souffle and sea bass. They also gave COUTURE darlings...so...let's check out the Royal Red Carpet...

Monaco Meet England: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco say "hello" to the Dinner's Hosts, Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall--The Duchess wore a duck's egg blue shimmery gown designed by one of her favorite designers (as well as the late Princess Diana) Bruce Oldfield. The dress featured a delicate lace with a deep v-neck and three-quarter sleeves; all over a matching satin inner gown. She looked like a very, very elegant Mother-of-the-Bride, and I mean that in a good way! I LOVE her! I also love Prince Charles black tie patent leather slippers. I want a pair!

Peach Princess: Monaco's reigning royals, Prince Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene looked fresh and modern in their "Royal Red Carpet" looks. The statuesque Charlene wore a peach-colored silk crepe gown with a silk chiffon cowl-draped capelet from Christian Dior. The Princess always knows how to highlight those incredible swimmer's shoulders of hers and always chooses clean, elegant non-fussy styles, and it goes without saying, she always looks radiant in them.



 Elie Saab Grand Duchess:

The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Maria Teresa attended the Dinner in Buckingham Palace with her husband of course, His Royal Highness Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Maria Teresa LOVES fashion and especially ordering from all the top Haute Couture fashion houses. She's not a six foot tall size 2 but that doesn't stop the Cuban-born monarch from GIVING Fashion with a Capital F! For this dinner a couple of weeks back, she wore Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012:

The blue-green colored gown is a hand-beaded silk chiffon dress featuring a satin waist-defining belt, three-quarter sleeves and flared shape with train. It's the SAME gown that Katy Perry wore to the 2012 Grammy Awards earlier this year. The difference is the Grand Duchess payed for hers (It's Haute Couture kids and probably cost a cool $100,000)...and there was another difference: when the Grand Duchess custom ordered this gown she had the neckline dropped and scooped. I think for her, this was a wise choice since it opened up her neckline and balanced her upper torso. Perfect gown Maria Teresa. Bellisima!



 More Euro Royals On The Buckingham Palace Red Carpet:

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden (top left): the Queen--who is of German and Brazilian descent--wore a silk taffeta navy blue high-necked ruffle Blouse/Jacket over an ivory gown skirt.  On the right are Queen Anne Marie and King Constantine II of Greece. They don't really have a country to rule since the monarchy was abolished in Greece in 1973 but they still retain their titles. They're also VERY related to the British monarchs and just about all the other Euro Royals so they get invited to just about everything! Queen Anne Marie of Greece (who's actually Danish) wore a very lady-like silk chiffon flower print gown with a rosette waist detail. I am not sure who the designer is but it's very Valentino. Old-school Valentino.

Queen Sonja of Norway (left) wore a deep red high necked gown with semi-mermaid skirt and a Royal-worthy matching wrap. This woman is exquisitely ROYAL from head to toe. No one in their right mind would confuse her for anything but being a QUEEN! Next to her is Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; I just LOVE her; she seems like a hoot--just look at that facial expression on her--complete opposite of Queen Sonja. Margarethe can't wait for her first cocktail at the dinner! In terms of fashion, Queen Margarethe usually favors the big ol' ball gowns--usually with oversized flower prints. It was a nice change to see her in a more modern and not too over-the-top fashion statement.



Middle East, North Africa and Asia...

Rome, Italy born Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco (left) is the first daughter and eldest child of the late King Hassan II of Morocco. She's always very elegant and stood out with her Moroccan traditional gown at the Dinner Festivities. On the right photo is the always stylish Queen Rania of Jordan. A Royal Style Icon, Rania wore a color-blocked peplum gown with three-quarter sleeves, contrast waistband and "Mermaid-lite" shape. She is so ON TREND with everything in that gown, she's BEYOND Trend!

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan attended the dinner. The Empress look rather chic in a black and white column silk crepe gown with asymmetrical neckline and waist detail. But it is the Emperor who stands out for me: Simply, the Best Dressed Man of the Night! He looked impeccable in a double breasted tuxedo with peaked lapels.

One of the wealthiest men in the World, the Sultan of Brunei Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darusasalam attended with Pengiran Anak Saleha, wife and Queen Consort of the Sultan (left top photo). On the right is Princess Srirasm of Thailand, wife and Princess Consort to the Crown Prince of Thailand, who attended with her husband, the Crown Prince of Thailand, of course. I love how both of these ladies wore traditional ensembles and highlight the elegance and beauty of each culture.




Finally, It's The Royal Consort of the Night:

Take a look at this lovely lady above ---She is (wait for  it!) Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, one of the THIRTEEN WIVES of King Mswati III of Swaziland. First off, I just want to know how she got so lucky--out of the 12 other wives--to be the one to come to London. Does the King of Swaziland have a gold, diamond and ruby bowl that all of the wives put their names in and the first one picked was the Winner? Can you imagine! This above is what she wore to the Dinner for Foreign Sovereigns to Commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.
It was a gold iridescent confection of a gown featuring gold lamé and
poly organza ruffles tiered into a frothy pouf-cake of a gown, the top
section was beaded and then, if that wasn't enough, in case she would be
cold, a white mink stole. 

The only thing I can think of is "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding":

I swear to the Fashion Gods that she must be using this KRAZEE show as her Fashion Inspiration. I give her lots of points for just going there and wearing this monstrosity of a dress. It isn't just tacky. It's BEYOND Tacky. Maybe this is a culture thing and in the great nation of Swaziland, this is what passes off as Red Carpet Glamour so maybe I'm just being culturally insensitive...

Whatever it is, it's still TACKY-licious to me! One of my favorite pictures from the night's dinner is the one above where the Footguard is standing there, as she enters the Dinner Party, and you can tell that his insides are about to BURST out as he's trying to hold a professional look on his face while on the inside he is SCREAMING and saying "OOOOOH GURLLLL!!!"



I'm just going to say it: I want to see more of Inkhosikati LaMbikiza! I really, really hope she will be attending the Thames River Diamond Jubilee festivities tomorrow, hopefully on her own boat--with TWENTY half-naked hot boys around her dancing!



Happy Diamond Jubilee!!!