This is sort of a full royal round-up post with some stories about Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of Cambridge, but I’m just going to do photos of the Queen. She’s still in Germany on a state visit, and I’m including photos of the Queen in all of her finery for the big state dinner, plus some photos of the Queen in Berlin today (wearing yellow) and the Queen in Frankfurt yesterday (in blue). For the state dinner, Queen Elizabeth brought out some of her most fabulous jewels – according to the amazing Queen’s Jewel Vault blog, the Queen wore the “Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby Brooch with Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby Necklace and Earrings.” She topped the whole thing off with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which is one of her favorites. The Queen is so #baller.
What else is going on with the Windsors? The big news is that Carole Middleton was photographed with Prince George… in Berkshire. GO HERE to see the photos at Pop Sugar. George looks especially blonde in those photos. The outing just seemed to be Carole and George, and the fact that they were in Berkshire is suspicious to me. Does anyone else wonder if Kate has quietly moved back into her parents’ house AGAIN?
Let’s see, children’s clothing retailer/designer Amaia Arrieta gave some quotes about Duchess Kate, who has been in her shop before. Arrieta says:
“The first time she came into the shop she was with her mother. It was quite funny because she said, ‘I’ve just had a baby and I’m a little lost. Would you be able to help me?’ Of course we knew who she was! It surprised us to see how normal and natural she was. We helped her like any new mum and I think she liked that because she’s been coming back ever since. She usually comes alone and although we show her everything we have in the size she needs, she usually knows what she wants. She’s very decisive but she does let us make suggestions, and sometimes she buys things she wouldn’t have picked up. She’s very charming, very normal and very sweet.”
Most of the designers and shop owners who interact with Kate always say the same thing, that she’s polite and nice and she knows what she wants. Of course! Because she’s a champion shopper. She’s big into retail therapy.
And finally, the Queen spent some time at the former concentration camp Bergen-Belsen today. She was very somber and respectful – go here to read more. They talked to Holocaust survivors and family members of survivors, as well as family members of the British soldiers who liberated the camp. The German media outlets have been nothing short of fawning for the Queen – she seems incredibly popular in Germany and she’s been met with large crowds wherever she goes. She didn’t make one gaffe during the trip, which brings me to another question: if such a major state visit was given to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, how badly would they screw it up? Like, how many times would Kate have flashed her panties and how many times would William had some kind of hissy fit and screamed at some peasant?
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet and Pacific Coast News.
I know everybody finds her dull, but I’d rather have a kind, polite and dull royal figure then an entertaining, rude, attention seeker. I find her harmless.
It’s amazing how she and her husband are keeping up their work at their age.
I have the same mixed feelings about any monarchy that most Americans do. But I must say, having lived in England twice, the Brits just adore Elizabeth. To them she is perfectly, perfectly reliable. Can be counted on to show up, ‘dressed and bejeweled to the nines’, say the right thing, do the right thing, and quietly lead a population in an emotional direction. Less about governing and public policy, Elizabeth is the behavioral and emotional ‘true north’ for Britain. I have to admit, I admire her for truly dedicating her entire adult life –from a relatively young age– to her country and doing exactly what she said she would do the day she took the crown. No need to reply with vitriol and pointing out all her perceived ‘flaws’, I just like her. And so does just about her entire country. And she’s exactly who should be wearing great honking rubies, diamonds, tiaras, and sashes.
Really well put….I look at the photo of HM and Prince Philip and pray they will never die. I know that is unrealistic but HM is the moral compass of the entire Commonwealth. Our Earth is losing our wisest elders fast.
Well said, Tracy. I object to royalty on principal but, really, what does it matter when they’re well behaved. She’s an asset to her country and a nice, civilized role model to the rest of us. #canthate
Harmless is 1 thing the Queen is not.
And certainly not wise.
The Queen is the tits. She is hard working, polished and a consummate professional. I think she’s my favorite royal.
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen the Queen in rubies, nice. QEII is always wearing white evening gowns when she attends State Dinners. I wish she would take a chance and wear some colored evening gowns like Queen Margrethe of Denmark does.
I read that The Queen Mother wore the same set of rubies during a State visit to Germany in 1958 – so perhaps she is wearing them as a tribute
SoCal,
HM does break out the colour occasionally but I think she prefers off white/winter white etc and other lighter shades for state dinners. I’d like to see her in shades of violet with diamonds.
Sweet Mother of All Things Sparkley. Do you think if I had a crown like that, I could look that fabulous? Or do you think she *makes* it fabulous??
Rachel, it’s fab all on it’s own and you would rock it!
Both the Queen and her tiara are fabulous. You cannot use the words ”The Queen” and ”frumpy” in the same sentence. The rubies are amazing, the tiara is amazing and so is she. Long Live the Queen!
That’s my favourite tiara. It has the right Amount of diamonds, design and light whimsy. I can see myself gardening wearing it.
+1 Do you think I could borrow it for a school run?
LAK, If sienna is wearing it for a school run then I you should let me up to borrow it to go to the dog park.
LAK! I wish you could garden in it for a few days, too! With handsome bodyguards standing by handing you jeweled trowels and satin gardening gloves.
It’s my favorite crown as well, as it is just like a fairy tale crown, but designed well enough to keep it from being too whimsical or too over the top. It is lovely and just such a nice look for her specifically. I never knew its name/provenance until today!
She is my definition of a royal. Long may she give us the beady eye. But I love her in a county headscarf too!
Gardening in that? anyone within a hald mile radius would be blinded by how stunning it is!
This has always been mmy top favorite of the BRF too. Many are stunning and the designs are all lovely in their own ways, but this is an all around top for me.
FLORC — I like to imagine little Disney bluebirds landing on it as LAK gardens. Tra la la! Everyone else can wear sun goggles.
Liberty
I was picturing about the same thing! Only the birls were of various colors, yellow, red, blue… A fawn or 3 in the backround with a chipmunk pulling weeds that were clearly too well rooted for the little guy!
FLORC! A chipmunk and fawns!! A rainbow of birds! yes! And a rambunctious bunny causing some amusing shenanigans with her watering can.
The beady eye. Ha! Love it. And you two building on each other are funny! 🙂
LAK – So glad you’re here.
I know the UK owns the crown, scepter and such QE wears for opening or Parliament. Am I right to assume she personally owns most of the necklaces etc pictured at Kaiser’s link to the jewel vault?
And how does the UK determine which jewelry gifts to royals are state property vs personal property? FX, I know a Saudi royal gave Diana a fab necklace for her wedding. Was that considered Diana’s personal property? Also, Canada gave Kate a diamond bear-shaped brooch. Who owns that?
You can borrow this one any time. I do keep the Strathmore Rose tiara in reserve. That really does need an airing. It’s been in the vault too long.
Liberty: I rather wish I had an Albert in my life for the jewelry gifting opportunities. He once presented Victoria with a cute tiara at breakfast, just because!!!
Minnfinn: anything received in an official capacity belongs to the crown. That includes official tours and gifts.
The private gifts are just that though the royals can bequeath them to the crown which is how they end up in the *royal collection.
*royal collection is the fabled vault and is different from private collections of various royals, HM included.
The confusion tends to be where private stash is used in an official capacity because then everybody assumes it’s part of the royal collection. Both HM, Camilla and Diana are guilty of this confusion. Sophie and Anne tend to separate the two collections as far as private/official occasions. Kate seems to wear her private jewels to all functions. I can think of only 4 occasions where she’s used royal collection jewels.
LAK, this “He once presented Victoria with a cute tiara at breakfast, just because!!!” — made my day. No wonder she mourned for years.
Can you imagine? If I married in, I would beg to see inside that vault just once. Sigh.
I ask again: if men can wear baseball caps from cradle to grave, how come we can’t wear tiaras all the time, whenever we want? We should!
@LAK – I had spirals in my eyes from gazing at the all the glittery, pretty things but then you had to go and mention there is more than one vault stuffed full f them and I swooned from the sensory overload of it all. I woke up on the floor and now know what smelling salts actually smell like.
If we all get to have tiara-crown doohickeys can mine have aquamarines? It’s my birthstone and the pale blue color makes my eyes pop when I don the frock I wear to clean out the fridge.
Liberty: true story. I changed careers in my late 20s, and my first boss in my new career was a lady who wore diamonds at her ears, wrists and neck as everyday wear. she probably thought I was very rude because it was really hard to stop starring at her sparkling ears, wrists and neck. it was mesmerising. it was also the first time I realised that proper jewellery, worn everyday, didn’t have to be vulgar and was really beautiful.
Dara: Aquamarines are so beautiful. HM has an aquamarine tiara which she occasionally lends to Sophie…..drool. IIRC, it may be a parure. The Aquamarines were donated by a south American country – Brazil or Argentina, can’t recall which.
LAK, how wonderful, to think of that woman wearing her diamonds that way. Especially at the neck, it can really transform anything. Good for her! You know, I have a sweet old diamanté sort of collar necklace on a thick black silk ribbon I purchased from a jumbled tray in the Portobello Road one rainy Saturday morning. I love it, and I have worn it once in a while with a buttonfront white shirt or black or inky navy summer tee just to feel cheerier at work, and a bit more “oh yeah?” too, ha. think I will do that more often now!
LAK, Bertie was also a good gift giver. If you go through The Queen’s Jewel’s you’ll see he was always buying sets of bracelets and such for his wife. There’s a set of art deco bracelets he bought her that I’d happily take as my own.
My favorite is the Swedish (originally French) cameo tiara Victoria and her mother wore when they married, I love cameos.
How do you have a conversation with someone wearing that tiara? I would not be able to take my eyes off of it. Unless it was to admire those fabulous rubies.
I won’t even lie, I’d wear it in the tub.
Preferably cocked at a rakish angle over my left eye.
That’s a good one, oneshot. #Bestthingstodowhilewearingacrown
Oneshot/Siennaa: there is a fabulous picture of Margaret wearing a tiara in the bath!!
Her husband released it later, and if you look carefully, you can see his reflection in a corner of the walled mirror as he is taking the picture.
That was the glorious Poltimore Tiara Margaret was splashing around in. Here’s the link to the photo:
http://www.nadinejoliecourtney.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Princess-Margaret-bathtub.jpg
Oh, My. God.
oneshot, thank you for bringing up the idea of tiara-bathing.
LAK, thank you for telling us about Margaret and the photo.
Feeshalori, thank you for the link!
I love you all, you made my (long, awful, tiring) day with this! I wish you all the tiaras of your dreams and god, I want a bubble bath with a tiara RIGHT NOW.
Lol thanks for posting that pic Feeshalori
Liberty: it is glorious, isn’t it?
who said tiaras are for state occasions only…..
I adore that picture. so witty.
THAT PICTURE! Of course Princess Margaret would be the pioneer of bathtime tiara-wearing, and being glamorously photographed at it.
You guys are the best, thank you for the cheeky weekend pick-me-up!
Princess Margaret Fan Club, form cheering section here! I just ran back in here to share this w a friend. We are jibbering: “divine, divine!”
…AND NOW WHERE iS A PIC of PRINCE HARRY in a BUbBLE BATH…. oOoo00oo*ooo..wearing a crown…..??? Oh come on, do one for charity, eh? Fundraiser, eh? Eh???
Wasn’t the photo in Vegas (Harry) close enough to a bubble bath?
You’re welcome, ladies. Bubble bath wearing a kick-ass tiara and wrapped up afterward in my satin robe with swans down slippers. Yeah, that’s how I’ll spend my Saturday night.
HM hasn’t made a single gaffe her whole life, let alone this one trip.
Except refusing to fly the flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace after Diana’s death – that offended some people enormously in the UK and was widely considered to be a huge gaff at the time. The Monarchy had a bit of a wobble over that one. How quickly we forget these things in the face of professional positive PR and spin.
i remember how silly i thought this whole “OMG why is the flag not at half-mast” thing was.
There was no need for it. Diana was just a divorced “ex-member” of the royal family. And it was never common practice to do this. The royal flag is up there when the monarch is in there 😉 That´s it. No half-mast.
They then changed it for the public/Diana and let the Union Jack fly at half-mast
@ Elly at the time it was not ‘silly’ to a large number of British people, protocol notwithstanding, the reaction to her death was emotional, not formal and the Queen misread the situation totally.
@ Murphy. I will thank you not to make blanket comments about my educational, attainments, such comments are both rude and totally uncalled for. FYI I am a professional BRITISH graduate, I am well aware of the uses of my country’s flag thank you very much. I also believe I am entitled to express my opinion on this site without being subject to obnoxious and personal comments from an individual like you.
@frisbeejada – you’ve got your woad on, haven’t you?!
I remember the flag and half mast thing very well and – regardless of protocol – it was a major misjudgment by ER, however upset you were or you weren’t by Diana’s death. I think we all know by now that I don’t GAF about the royals, aside from being annoyed by them, or hold any particular candle for Diana, but even I thought the spontaneous expression of grief by a gazillion citizens needed a reciprocal gesture from Her Maj.
Makes me laugh – and not in a particularly nice way cos I won’t go to heaven, even without my woad on! – to this day that it took a speech by TONY BLAIR to pacify the masses.
i’m old enough to remember the ‘why won’t she pay tax?!’ debacle of the 80s/90s. I became aware of it as a child and it went on until my teens until the Windsor fire happened. When she cheekily asked the govt to pay for the repairs, the govt’s response was to force her to pay tax.
Nevermind rationing (royals and most of the establishment were exempt) of the war + post war years, the deep recession of the 70s, the striking decade of the 80s when her countrymen were not doing well at all. The woman paid no tax!!!!! And didn’t think this might be a problem at all until forced to do so in 1992.
And it’s a voluntary arrangement, even now. I bet she doesn’t pay maximum tax, but she exempt from FOI so we shall never know her tax band.
And that flag thing at Diana’s funeral??!!! I was in London at the time. Seriously ugly public mood. I remember holding my breath when she finally made her appearance amongst the crowds. You didn’t know if they would applaud or tear her to pieces. That’s how ugly the public mood.
Sixer: IKR!!!!! 🙂
@ Sixer and LAK thanks guys for reminding me that I’m not actually mad, that I did remember the flag business correctly and thanks so much Sixer for reminding me that Blair had to calm the country down (Ye Gods!) – I indulged in a small bitter grimace and there’s really nothing I like better (except possibly Woad and a side order of Neil Oliver to go with it!)
As you know I’m another one that carries no torch for the BRF but I think it’s fascinating to see just how well the ‘re – branding’ is going but then the BRF have always played the ‘long game’ and by now they are da*n good at it.
Public opinion, in Britain as much as anywhere else, can turn on a dime. And yes, LAK, ugly is right for the public mood at the time of Diana’s death. William would do well to remember this, because his dime might be a long time coming, but it will eventually come.
Royal shenanigans always goes in cycles, doesn’t it? It doesn’t always take a cataclysmic event like the death of Diana to kick the turnaround either. Now we’re in for another five years of austerity, there are going to be a large number of dissatisfied Brits. It could be the smallest thing that sets us off next time. But something will set us off.
And of course, once they’ve submitted to some small concessions – such as paying tuppence over to HMRC and calling it a tax bill, LAK! – over whatever it is that does set us off next time, we’ll all happily forget it and go back to saying that Her Maj is a stalwart public servant!
ETA: I know what the flag thing was like! When George Wendy didn’t say/do anything in solidarity with New Orleans in the floods.
LAK, Sixer, frisbeejada —–Wow.I remember being enraged and shocked when they wouldn’t lower that flag, and exchanging calls with equally angry friends including one in London who rightly said, “That flag is going down, or the monarchy is.”
And — I know! that it was Tony B who had to bring the sense and chill the mob!!! :-/ Good point that stuffed-up Wills needs to beware history and undertand the fast moving sway of public sentiment.
Finally, some Jewel porn! The British royals have some of the best jewels and hardly ever wear them compared to some the other royal families. The Queen looks great.
Philips looks uncannily like a zombie in that last two photos. But the Queen is smashing.
Yep, you can tell he’s struggling to keep it together physically. Looks in pain. At his age, probably a miracle that he has made it a few days abroad.
I still can’t believe this 94 year old grandpa is doing what his 33 year old grandson can’t (or more likely, won’t).
I got no issues with William wanting to have a family life but it doesn’t seem like he spends that much time around his wife and children, and he doesn’t do much other work – but he’d rather gallivant in royal helicopters than relieve his senior citizen grandparents of some of their work load (and yes, being put on display like this is work, especially for two people in their 90s/almost there)
William is pretending to spend 40 hpw co-piloting a helicopter. He could instead spend 10-20 hours hpw doing royal engagements and charity work. He would have more time with his family if he choose to do full-time royal work.
All the royals raise their kids quietly in the country AND work a full schedule of royal engagements. Refusing to work royal engagements so they can pretend to parent their kids around the two nannies? More excuses, excuses, excuses from the lazy duo.
At 94 it is amazing that he is still doing these trips
He does not look long for this world.
She will live past 100 just like her mother.
Holy Moses, he looks unwell. How is he even standing upright?
Ooo nice. A little color always helps. Is the sash a bit high though? Seems a tad bunched up there.
Fab, absolutely fab. (Prince Philip, be well.)
DAT TIARA !! oh wow. Just amazing. And all of those rubies-I cannot imagine the dollar figure on that set. She is wearing the hell out of those jewels.
Fab, for sure. 🙂
The tiara and rubies are fabulous. Look how lovely and dignified she is. But Phillip, bless him, does look ill and I’m sure this trip had been hard for him physically. They are the epitome of duty, and of strength, and of just flat showing up!
Perhaps Phillip is just feeling some arthritic pain? Or has there been rumours of serious illness kept quiet? I haven’t heard any.
Jubilee year was horrible for his health. He had heart problems serious enough for 2 hospital stays, then he caught the flu, another hospital stay. Then there was the ‘exploratory surgery’ that wasn’t fully explained. That also kept him in hospital for a few weeks.
Frankly, he is looking much more sprightly since then.
They’re probably so used to a jam packed schedule that if they went all sedentary now, the change may set off a sudden death. They really do work for their keep and I bet every year they look forward to time off in Balmoral.
LAK there was also the hospitalization for bladder infection brought on by standing on the Jubilee flotilla for all those hours. He’s slowing down and handing things off to Charles, like the maintenance of Sandringham as a working property.
Sorry…but I don’t ooohhh and aaahhh over these jewels as many of them come the countries that the Imperialist English forcefully took over and it wasn’t romantic. These jewels represent blood and lives of many East Indians and Africans that were under British rule. As an American, we aren’t the only ones who have a history to be ashamed of.
True. And many amazing pieces of art in history has a very terrible story of creation. I will still be in awe of them and not forgetting how they came about.
That I had to go to Yale to see the Elgin Marbles (on loan from GB) is tragic imo. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t enjoying getting to see them. I didn’t forget they were spoils of war.
Same with these jewels and a lot of things of the same.
Thank you for understanding, FLORC. Also, I love Greek architecture. I hope to visit the Acropolis and Parthenon in a few years. I still have my 1000+ page History of Art book from college. Also, a couple of decades ago, I stood in line for hours to see the U.S. tour of the King Tut tomb and its artifacts before Egypt demanded that they be returned.
I’m older than most of you and just want people to be reminded that in that appreciation be reminded of their origins. She didn’t walk into Tiffany’s or the like and purchase them.
At some point, you have to learn the lesson and let it go.
The entire world is built on the bloodshed of millions. Every conquering Kingdom shed the blood of the previous Kingdom which shed the blood of the previous kingdom etc
Conquering is not a pretty event. Look at IS. As much as we abhor what they are doing, they aren’t doing anything that wasn’t done by their predesessors and their conquerors will act the same.
Shrug.
.
Diana apparently didn’t like the rubies gifted before the divorce of course. Kate keeps it simple too relatively speaking.
I do appreciate some of Kate’s jewelry style. Simplistic silver strings for bracelets, classic looking watches, eternity bands. Her chunky stuff Is awful, but she tends to leave that out for her personal style.
I don’t care for a great deal of Diana’s most worn private jewels being the styles of the 80’s and early 90’s aren’t my taste.
FLORC
I didn’t mind some of them from the 80s but when Diana used that emerald choker as a headband in AUS, I thought it was a bit over the top.
I wish Kate accessorized more. Her style is so bland and so not sophisticated.
Oooh finally someone who shows some jewel-pr0n!!!!
Rock those ruby Lizzie!
Any positive reports from people regarding Kate actually being nice or sweet of course will automatically be discredited. Not surprising. Sure it could just be the shop people wanting her to return, but it could also be that she truly is a nice and sweet person. Gasp!
The Queen’s tiara is beyond drool worthy.
I’m giving side eye to the statement that Kate came into the shop on her own. Where were the RPOs? Or were they cleverly disguised as mannequins and remained unseen? Perhaps the designer was so blinded by Kate’s glittery veneers that she didn’t see them?
Yeah, but why would she ask for help if she had her mother with her? Presumably, her mother would know about buying baby clothes, having had three herself. Makes no sense.
I love her dress here, a different style for her.
Since when does Kate wear panties? We got full butt cheeks on the way up the plane steps in Australia.
I’ve always wondered, what does a Queen hold in her purse?
Ha! I’ve always wondered the same thing!
A folded up scepter.
I don’t think you’ll find any maxi pads.
Love the queen’s style–wear everything all at once! Just stunning.
Unfortunately Elizabeth and Camilla have a tendency to wear their boobs way to low. They with both look 10n years younger with with a more supportive bra. We have the technology ladies Use it!