La Reina y everybody else...and THAT FABULOUS Hat Princess Beatrice wore!!!
Continuing with my "Royal Wedding Red Carpet Report", I couldn't leave out the Royal Family of course...Let's begin with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I expected her to be in a soft pastel but no, kids, she went ALL OUT COLOR, wearing a primrose wool crepe coat and dress from Royal Dresser Angela Kelly. Kelly has been The Queen's personal designer/stylist/wardrobe coordinator for about 17 years and in 2006 was recognized with the honor of becoming a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.
Primrose Queen: Queen Elizabeth IIThe color was outstanding in that it made her presence known. And surely, NO ONE could miss her--even the kids watching from the farthest of bleachers! She has stated that she wears bright colors to these events with large audiences, so that everyone can spot her. She accessorized it with the stunning Queen Mary's True Lovers Knot brooch (how appropriate!) and also wore a matching hat, her ever-present pearls and of course, her handbag.
The Fashion Girls Have Arrived: Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice of YorkThe Younger Royals were well represented in terms of fashion with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice of York, daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. Both girls have become quite the Fashionistas and were expected to be "giving" fashion with a Capital "F". Eugenie (the younger of the two, on the left) wore a Vivienne Westwood fitted multi-colored jacket and poufy silk taffeta skirt and Jimmy Choo shoes. Beatrice, on the right, surprised a lot of fashion insiders by not wearing a British brand and in fact, choosing to wear...
Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2011. How a 23 year old university student can afford to buy Couture (that hand-made custom ordered coat-dress probably costs in the vicinity of $25,000. Not kidding) is questioned but then again, she is a Princess so I'm sure she's got a "Princess Checking Account". Incidentally, Beatrice is FIFTH in line of succession for the Royal Throne of SIXTEEN independent states: Hello!
Chapeau Divas: Princess Eugenie and Beatrice of York, in Philip TreacyI thought Beatrice's Valentino Haute Couture coat-dress was elegant, timeless and appropriate for a Royal Wedding. And--more importantly--made a perfect canvas for THAT over-the-top Philip Treacy hat! I LOVED it! I'm sure there are "haters" who just "didn't get it" but huney, you've got me in your corner darling! Kudos to Philip Treacy and Kudos to her for having the inner-drag Queen Fabulousness, to wear it! Oh yeah, I liked Princess Eugenie's chapeau as well...
Their father, Prince Andrew, Duke of York looked great in uniform...
As well as their Uncle--and Father of the Groom--HRH Charles Prince of Wales and heir apparent.
Who Looked Best? Carole Middleton or HRH, the Duchess of CornwallMother of the Bride, Carole Middleton was quietly elegant (maybe too quiet for my taste) in a pearly blue wool crepe coat and silk shantung day dress by Catherine Walker, a favorite designer of the late Princess Diana. The coat featured matching satin piping and braiding at the waist and sleeve hems. Her hat was created by milliner Jane Corbett. It was the perfect "Mother of The Bride", simple, serene. But part of me wanted just "a little more". Next to her, is HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who looked slightly more fabulous in a champagne-colored silk box-pleated coat and duck egg blue-and-champagne silk dress designed by Anna Valentine. Her hat was by Philip Treacy.
Princely Chic: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex with his wife Sophie, Countess of WessexSophie, the Countess of Wessex had her ensemble custom made by British Designer Bruce Oldfield, and supposedly paid full price for it (estimated at approximately 6,000 pounds according to some sources), according to the UK tabloids--and good for her! (and Oldfield--no freebies darling!!). LOVED the sleeve embroidered detail and the horizontal seaming in the jacket at the torso-bust.
And last but not least, we have Princess Anne, only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and aunt to the groom, Prince William. Bless her heart--she wore a flower-printed lilac and lime green coat with large cuffs and a purple silk taffeta dress underneath. It was kinda too EIGHTIES/early NINETIES for my taste (those fold-up cuffs! Hello!). The hat and swooped-up hairstyle, dated--as well as aged-- her. On a positive note: Her figure under all that looks GREAT!