We begin with a topic that has nothing whatsoever to do with what Kate wore; it is a look at today’s royal wedding in Stockholm. I received so many inquiries about the ceremony (and accompanying sartorial selections) I wanted to step outside the norm and cover the event in a post.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden married Christopher O’Neill in the Royal Chapel at the Palace.
Janerik Henriksson/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
It was an elegant group of guests gathered for the nuptials: tiaras glittered, jewelry shimmered and royal orders were on display. Below, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway as they arrive for the afternoon service.
Maja Suslin/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
Representing the British Royal Family, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Michael Murdock / Splash News
This offers a better look at Sophie’s tiara.
SplashNews.com
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, as well as Princess Charlene of Monaco. Princess Charlene was one of the few titled women not wearing a tiara.
Leif R. Jansson/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
The bride’s sister, Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, and the couple’s child, Princess Estelle.
Stellapictures/Swedish Royal Court
More on Princess Victoria’s gown from the Swedish Royal Court news release.
The Crown Princess wore a greige rosé dress with aubergine accents. The dress is made from hand-dyed double-sided silk organza with layers of hand-dyed tulle in three shades, silk threads, Lurex threads, pearls and Swarovski crystals in amethyst and pale grey opal.
The tiara is known as Princess Lilian’s Tiara, it was made by Boucheron and originally given as a gift to Crown Princess Margareta for her wedding day in 1905.
Below, the mother of the bride, Queen Silvia arriving with her son, Prince Carl Philip.
Maja Suslin/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
The Queen’s gown is described as “a jade-coloured dress with a train. The dress is silk organza with embroidered silk lace and Swarovski stones.” She wore Queen Sophia’s Tiara and “a brilliant necklace with a drop.”
Princess Madeleine as she walks up the aisle on the arm of her father, King Gustav. The King wears what would be formal evening attire for the military, he is an Admiral in the Swedish Navy.
Sandberg/ScanPix via Swedish Royal Court
And the view from above.
Anders Wiklund/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
Princess Madeleine’s wedding dress was designed by Valentino Garavani.
Scanpix/Swedish Royal Family Facebook
Following the ceremony Princess Madeleine and Mr. O’Neill proceeded by cortège to Riddarholmen, where they boarded a boat for the reception.
Bertil Enevåg Ericson/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
The official photo of the couple.
Ewa-Marie Rundquist/Kungahuset.se
And the wedding party.
Ewa-Marie Rundquist/Kungahuset.se
Here you see the couple arriving at Princess Couple arrive at Drottningholm Palace for the reception.
Jonas Ekströmer/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court
The couple will continue to live in New York where Princess Madeleine works at the World Childhood Foundation and Mr. O’Neill at an investment banking firm.
A sketch of the Valentino design.
Valentino
The gown was exquisite, with short sleeves, a cinched waist and Chantilly lace.
SplashNews.com
More from the Palace news release:
The wedding dress is made from pleated silk organza with appliquéd ivory-coloured Chantilly lace. The upper section of the bodice is lace with a deep-cut back. Narrow vertical pleats open up from the accentuated waist, above the wide skirt, which ends with a four-metre-long train.
A better look at the tiara and earrings, not to mention the radiant bride.
Splash News
The tiara is what is called “fringe style,” the Palace release noted “The Princess’s tiara is privately owned, and was decorated with sprigs of orange blossom.”
Below (left to right) we see Crown Prince Frederik & Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon, also of Norway.
Royal House of Norway
This photo of the bride, groom and immediate family was taken at Friday night’s gala dinner at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm.
Kungahuset.se Facebook
There are much better sources of information on today’s attire, accessories and jewels. The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor is always a delightful read, packed with info and photos. A Tiara a Day from Ella Kay is also a great resource. A PDF of the full wedding program may be read here.
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A very brief update on Kate, she is reported to have been shopping for nursery furnishings at Bernard Thorp last Tuesday. More from the Daily Star.
Kate picked out beige and brown English handmade fabrics that cost £131.76 a metre.
She also went for a cream and light brown traditional herring-bone stripe for the curtains in a corridor.
The shop carries upscale textiles and wallpaper that are made in England. The motifs are primarily traditional patterns, like the “Emma” Toile shown below.
But there are also more contemporary designs.
Bernard Thorp
The company uses hand screen-printing for custom wallpaper and fabric orders. In the US Bernard Thorp is carried by Stark Fabric. The story is in tomorrow’s paper, but available online today (text only, no photos). Below we see the front cover of the paper, with thanks to Sky News for posting the front page on Twitter.
The Daily Star via Sky News Twitter
The article says “Kate wore a short blue dress and comfy wedges for the interior design expedition.” The distinguishing characteristic of Kate’s dress is the pleated neckline.
We have yet to discern the maker of Kate’s blue frock, and will update the post when we learn that information.
UPDATED: With thanks to the savvy WKW Facebook crowd, we can report that the Duchess is wearing a piece from the ASOS Maternity Collection. She is in the brand’s Belted Dress with Scoop Neck.
ASOS Maternity Belted Dress
This view offers a better look at the neckline pleating detail.
ASOS Maternity Belted Dress
The dress is made of a soft “breathable jersey knit,” it has an elasticized waist, self belt and cap sleeves. It is also comes in other colors.
ASOS Belted Dress with Scoop Neck
It is shown as still being in stock in all three colors on the US ASOS website, it is priced at $42.43. The cardigan remains unidentified, but I am sure we’ll find the manufacturer soon, and I will update again.
Kate was also wearing her Pied a Terre wedge espadrilles.
Pied a Terre
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Even though it isn’t yet officially summer, designers are working on next year’s collections. Recently most have shown runway collections or released photos of their Resort 2014 lines. We wanted to share a few collections with you, starting with Collette Dinnigan.
There was a blue and white group I like with several pieces that are “very Kate”.
Courtesy Photos
This group is also very appealing.
Courtesy Photos
Three styles offering a more formal look.
Courtesy Photos
There is a lot to like in the collection, with many styles one can envision the Duchess wearing. That is also the case with Ms. Dinnigan’s collection for this fall, the following four pieces are from the autumn/winter 2013 collection.
Collette Dinnigan
Our other group of Resort 2014 styles is by Erdem.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
The designer refers to the collection as “Pre Spring 2014″ as opposed to “resort”.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
There is a sizable amount of black and white.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
With soft touches of pink, yellow and aqua.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
Many silhouettes have a retro feel, with lines reminiscent of styles from the 1950s and 1960s.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
The designer’s signature touches are evident throughout the collection.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
Sheer overlays and detailed embroidery were skillfully executed.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
The designer also offered classic lace designs, a look that we know Kate favors.
Erdem Courtesy Photos
We hope you enjoy the preview of pieces we’ll be seeing next fall. We’ll be back Monday with a more standard post, as well as some exciting news about our Baby Cambridge Fundraiser. In the meantime, don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a Reiss dress and pair of shoes over at Kate Middleton Style, Carly is hosting a Pin It To Win It Contest as part of our Fundraising efforts!
Baby Cambridge Fundraiser
EDITOR’S NOTE: Post reflects corrected information about Princess Victoria’s tiara, it was given as a gift to Princess Margareta for her wedding day in 1905, but she did not wear it that day. Many thanks to Ella Kay for letting me know about the error. (A classic example of why yours truly will never pursue writing on tiaras as a career, I am woefully inept on the topic!)