Princess Stephanie visited Mudam in southern Luxembourg
byHelen-77
Comments
On February 9, 2017, Mudam president, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg visited the Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM) to welcome British sculptor Tony Cragg and English artist Darren Almond.
77
Comments
(We will not publish anonymous comments that were posted without stating a name or nickname)
Well, it's kind of a pretty dress. I wish that perhaps she had made more of an effort with her hair? I can't tell whether she has nude hose or bare legs--would the latter be a bit cold for February in Lux?
Where did she get this girlish too short summery dress from? from the 'Little House from the prairie'? Very sad bad little girl posture on the first picture that shows too much insecurity for her role. She should work with a coach.
She needs a stylist too! That dress is not good at all, it's so frumpy. I just don't understand Stephanie at all. Why does she continue to dress like an old lady?
I don't like this. Too short, too frilly, too busy and is this muslin? I don't care for the colour, with the all lightweight material, semitransparent sleeves and loosely tied neck opening this screams summer/spring to me. Also, Looks like she just jumped out of the shower: her hair isn't styled at all and apparently she think she looks better without makeup (and honestly, she's wrong with that). And she looks like a schoolgirl pictured at the first time she has put on Mommy's heeled shoes. Especially on photo n. 1. I'm going to say this knowing it might bring out the stones from some people's pockets: Stephanie is just not as pretty as to put on basically anything and go out and still look proper and polished (like Kate, Mary and Letizia). She has a charming smile and gorgeous long and thin legs and she is "well equipped" at the breasts department but that's just not enough. Her facial features aren't classically beautiful or/and her face doesn't really photograph that wonderfully so she should put a great deal of effort before every single appearance in her hair and makeup; her torso is short and her waist isn't thin so she should be extremely picky with waistlines and hemlines to balance out her proportions; her arms are rather roundish so well tailored, fitted sleeves would be a must and she should avoid completely sleeveless numbers. We often comment on Kate or Charlotte Casiraghi's posture here but Stephanie's is worst than anyone else's. And she just started to pile up some strange bulks of weight which we normally kindly attribute to fertility treatments and things like that but I'm starting to think it's actually the other way round. She should ditch fertility hormones (if she takes any indeed), start to exercise, do some wise dieting and take Metformin as required. And if those two tubes on the floor are called art then seriously, our world is doomed. Period.
ZL, your last sentence made my day. Modern art sometimes makes me think of the fairy tale "The emperor's new clothes". Concerning your statement about Stephanie I sign every single word.
Totally agree ZL, I understand that Luxembourg is a smaller country so she doesn't have that many engagements, but the few she does go on she could at least put a little effort into her appearance.
I agree with lots of what you wrote, but not all. I think her posture is (far) less of a problem than Kate´s (or Mette-Marit´s). I think her face is fine, even though not classicly beautiful. I´m all for a natural approach, but that shouldn´t stop her from putting more effort into her looks. While I think that some make-up wouldn´t hurt, I see more lost potential in her hair. Also, her body is just fine, I don´t think she needs to lose weight, but she needs to dress according to her given features, and I agree that she needs to pay extra attention to waistlines plus make sure that tops and sleeves are properly fitted. And, maybe most importantly, she needs to dress according to her position - she simply needs more elegance, more polish.
I think she just does not care about fashion. If she did, she would have got it rihgt by now. Maybe Luxembourg is a bit of a backwater? I like her smile.
How can you say that about my country ? We are surrounded by France , Belgium and Germany. We are mixture of French and Germanic cultures. Luxembourg City is one of the most sophisticated cities,not to mention the rich country.
Tintomara you are off base on that dear. Luxembourg is not a back water country. It is as sophisticated as any of the players in Europe. Being small means nothing.
Btw Stephanie is Belgian. So there is that.... though Belgium is not a back water country either. She is just plain and frumpy no matter what country she steps into.Jmho
I do pity her, really. Out of ten appointments she's at she manages for nine of them to look plain and no more than basic. This time her hairstyle is truly awful and her make-up seems non-existent. The dress wouldn't be too bad if it were summer and it was a little longer.
She is a disaster. Even if she doesn't care about style or fashion she could make an attempt to at least look good for the people.
I used to dress my dolls better than she can seem muster. She is at this point beyond boring.
Please don't come at me with the "she has pretty hair" "nice smile" "seems nice" either because we have been very nice about all of that and frankly that does not make up for her total lack of caring. She does not care. That look proves it! The dress is ridiculous. Is she 12? Sloppy hair? Is she a Bridget Bardot look going for a boho look? NYET It is too frilly too short and is she wearing hose? She is messy and oh so frumpy.
I think we have for a very long time given her the benefit of the doubt ~ depressed, weight gain, pregnant? Trying and maybe on hormones? Blah blah blah.... seems to me it is just who she is now. I suppose if her spouse is happy then that is all that matters. Good thing she is not a British or Spanish royal because they would be ripping her apart in the press.
All the other ladies in the family have so much more of a spark. What a pity.
The only saving grace here is that she is not in those baggy black pants!
You are so right Diane. It looks as she doesn't really care about fashion or her looks or how people will judge her. As hard as it is to believe there are women like that. I have friend who hates to spend time looking for clothes to that degree that if not her mother who is buying all her clothes for her I swear she would walk around naked.
Hahaaa Kristina 😁 I know many who hate shopping and really have no interest in fashion but they still attempt to look put together. They TRY. Stephanie seems to wake up and grab an item and pull her hair back as she gets in the car.
She isn't vain at all. It seems that she goes her own way, against all expectations. No children yet, she doesn't care how she looks like. Somehow I like her...
Sorry but if she doesn't care about her looks and doesn't want children she'd better followed her sister's example and join a convent. Honestly that's exactly how she comes across, like a nun. I think Grand Duke Henri should seriously think over the succession. Already once in Luxemburg's history the second born turned out to be the better heir.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but Stephanie is very hard to understand. She has significant financial resources but consistently dresses as if she does not. She will have been married for 5 years this coming October. At this point, it's becoming clear that she will not change. Aside from the odd grand event, when she does seem to make an effort, this is her norm.
Well, when I look at the 7th photo I see a cold, hard face with eyes that lack the slightest hint of warmth or sparkling. Her highly praised smile is for me either mechanical or completely exaggerated, never genuine.
In my opinion you are always very hard (too hard) to Princess Stephanie. It is almost as you are bullying her. I don't like that. I wish you were more fair in your comments. Give her some credit for once.
That dress is not right for her. It's too fussy and too short. And it's so different from what she normally wears - baggy jackets and pants - that it's hard to guess what motivated this choice. If she is trying to change her style then good for her, even if this is a miss. Let's see what happens next! Sad about her hair which is a lovely colour and could look amazing with some decent styling.
It would be good to stop speculation on Stephanie 'not wanting children'. Stephanie comes from an Opus Dei family of 8 children and she always expressed her desire to be a mother. Best guess is that there are fertility problems within the couple thus, let's maybe show some compassion & respect. As for her looks, it is unacceptable: she is an Heir to the Throne of a very affluent European country, it is her royal duty to dress up to the part. She looks frumpy and unkept. I happen to be a Natan customer and have heard many times the stylists at Natan who dressed Stephanie expressing their horror on how she started dressing after she stopped wearing Natan. I once even heard Mr.Vermeulen, Natan head designer, saying 'I hope people do not think that we are dressing Stephanie in those looks'. Stephanie has the money and available stylists if she wants - but it is obvious that she simply does not care. She looks awful, someone at the Palace should give her a serious sermon
That is not true of everyone here, Eliza. I have said many times that Stephanie has a lovely smile, twinkling eyes, and a gentle and appealing demeanor. Others have made similar supportive comments. I also feel tremendous sympathy that she lost her mother just months before her wedding. But I truly do not understand some of her appearances. I am genuinely puzzled that a woman with such resources often appears so disheveled. I do wish her the best.
Yo no siento pena por Stephanie. Se ha casado con un hombre que la ama, tiene una posición social muy alta, un trabajo muy relajado y dispone de mucho dinero para si misma. Si no aparece mejor vestida, peinada y maquillada es porque no quiere. Ella no es guapa, pero tiene mucho potencial de embellecimiento, que no aprovecha. Es su culpa. Me alegro mucho de leer de nuevo a Kristina Wagner. Me entristeció ver sus mensajes borrados. Yo aprecio siempre sus opiniones. ;)
Kristina, Angie is not the only one who enjoys most of your comments. And I like your small but beautiful country very much. Especially the geographic situation of the capital is unique and breathtaking.
Kristina, Diane and Beth - I love your words here on this blog and I think you make it interesting and special (and of course plus some honest ladies, but sorry I can't put all their names here).
Very often I can not say what I really want to say , every word in comments has consequences here ... I don't want to get back comments like a loaded pistols.
I took my time and revisited some pictures of Stéphanie's wedding and engagement time. What has happenend? We then saw a beautiful, happy, confident, sophisticated young lady, mostly well dressed, with a modern, classic style and well put together with beautiful hair and figure. This is only four years ago! Now her whole appearance has changed into a frumpy, old-fashioned, careless look. I mean honestly, who would wear a cheap ill fitting muslin summer dress that looks as if it was found on an indian fleemarket for 20 Euros for an offical engagement? No makeup and a careless pony tail hold together with cheap scrunchy hair tie? When I had long hair, I would have done so when I cleaned the house, but not out in town or on the job. The whole thing is totally unbelievable!
By the way, also the appearance of her husband has changed, he looks as if he was in his mid-fifties now and seems to have lost all his youth and health. There is something strange about all that. About both.
You're absolutely right Beth, there is something very strange about them. I wonder what's going on with a couple that no longer seems to care about their appearance? It's just odd, they seem to be truly happy with each other and it's like the longer they are married the more they become alike. I don't think for a second her lack of effort stems from fertility issues because even though that can take a toll of you mentally as well as physically it still doesn't mean that every time you see her she would have to dress like a frumpy old lady. It's just baffling how a young woman in her mid 30's can simply stop caring completely about her looks.
Absolutely agree, Beth. I have also commented that if you look back at what she wore around the time of her wedding she looked entirely different. There were a few misses but that happens to everyone. There are new photos here from when I first saw this post and her hair is more visible - it's just pulled back clumsily into an elastic! Who goes to an event looking like that? By the way, there are photos of the couple on another site (in the last day or so) and she is wearing the black elephant pants and a large shapeless grey jacket. The worst yet, I think.
So she is not a most fashionable woman. Maybe she has some fertility issues and people commenting on it, makes her feel sad. Maybe she feels less of a woman because for it. I'm sure it must not be easy to see all the others having kids in the family and having people commenting about her ability to deliver an heir. She does have a lovely smile though. :)
Speaking to French magazine Point de Vue on the occasion of her 32nd birthday, Stéphanie said: "I don't have any plans to become a mother."
What she has said in more than one interview is that going from being a private person to a public person has been a very significant adjustment.
I hope she doesn't read the endless criticisms of her attire, appearance, and most of all speculation about her fertility, which is gauche to say the least.
If anyone at Natan actually said the unkind comments credited here then she is right to shop elsewhere. Natan dresses Queen Maxima like a window drapery or sofa far too often for my taste, nothing special about their brand anyway.
Regarding the reporter's question about being a mother, she replied "I am very happy with the moments I spend with my husband, there isn't a plan about being a mother yet".
I have read the Point de Vue interview, and I also watched the multiple interviews that Stephanie and her husband gave to the Belgian television. NEVER Stephanie has mentioned not wanting, not having plans to be a mother. Stephanie always said that she wanted to be a mother. Stephanie said what Raquel Alves has quoted, and that goes a long way from "no plans to become a mother". Royalty should never publicly admit having fertility problems. Also, I happen to attend church at Notre Dame du Sablon, which is near the home of Stephanies parents, and on Saturday evenings mass I saw both Guillaume and/or Stephanie more than once attending mass, lightning candles, kneeling and praying whilst holding hands. Guillaume I even saw him crying once. These two are a loving couple. Everyone attending mass sees them and respects their privacy. This is a fashion blog, so maybe respect the possible suffering of other people on fertility issues, and do not misquote just to make a point. Natan is far more than what Maxima or Mathilde wear, and like it or not, Stephanie always looked impeccable whilst wearing Natan during her pre-wedding days. The main point is that for an heir to the Throne, Stephanie's looks are unnaceptable - She wears an Elastic in her ponytail, no make up, her clothes are beyond awful!!!!
Now I don't know if she is going through infertility treatments or not, but as someone who has lived through that - it is devastating! If it is the case, I'm impressed that Stéphanie is able to put on even a forced smile. Throughout my many years of treatment, there were many moments when I wanted to give up on everything. The hormones completely change your body and the months and years of failure at something that teenagers and many others can succeed at by "accident" are psychologically damaging. Perhaps she does need to listen to others when it comes to dressing, but perhaps she felt pretty when she put that dress on & that was one positive feeling she had. I don't love her style, but I would hope that we could have compassion to go with the constructive criticism. I hope no one feels as though I am judging them. We are all entitled to our opinions, but there were many years that I welcomed new nieces and nephews into my life with a smile and many tears. I functioned at my job, but I wasn't brilliant. I just survived by sheer willpower (this was with an amazingly supportive husband and family). I can't imagine having to do that in the public eye.
Thank you for sharing, Jen B. That was a well-thought-out post and appreciated. My sympathy is also with Stephanie if she is experiencing fertility issues.
The transition from private to public life can't have been easy. But still 5 years on, Stephanie seems to be going in the opposite direction. There has to be a stage whereupon someone in her circle of friends or confidantes says enough is enough ! To attend an event, were everyone else has made an effort, and you turn up looking like you've just popped out for a carton milk, would be a good time for someone to step in ! Such shame really, with so many resources at her disposal, she could look quite lovely.
We can only comment on what we see, obviously. If she is going through a period of personal difficulty then we feel for her. But who hasn't had to work their way through personal crises and traumas at some point and yet we still had to get up in the morning and go to work etc etc, and put a brave face on for our families and the world - and without the resources available to someone in her position.
After reading all the comments that came after mine, I have to say this: IF she does have fertility issues then of course I feel for her. I'm not really happy about sharing very personal details here or elsewhere on the net but here it comes: I also had my share of share of fertility issues, struggling to conceive for a decade, I lost my father just before getting married, my body is far from being perfect and I have inmensely less resources to spend on beauty treatments, hair salons, clothes AND psychological support and training than Stephanie and I'm currently expecting my first child, struggling with HG AND unfortunately has just been diagnosed with cancer and of course cannot go on treatment because of the baby but I wake up every morning and put myself together even though it is a lot of physical effort and sometimes it doesn't seem to make any sense since I'm not really allowed to leave my home but I do it anyway for my family, for the ones that love me and want me to get better and for myself, because NO ONE ELSE WILL DO THAT FOR ME, I have to take care of myself and my own soul and even though I'm not a hereditary grand duchess I know that how you look, what you see in the mirror has a lot of influence on how you feel, how you feel each day helps your soul keep healthy and your soul helps your body to keep up with every bad thing that happens to it. And I'm not the one who took a job where presenting yourself gracefully and prettyly IS a requirement and you have ALL the support and resources one can possibly have on Earth to do that. Anyway, my ultima ratio is this: I guess none of us lack empathy however we come here primarily to comment on LOOKS, don't we?
Oh my God... I'm sooo sorry to hear that. Hope you and the baby will be ok. Sometimes it's hard to find some faith when things go wrong. I can only imagine what you're going trow. Prayers for you and the baby :)
Oh ZL this is so hard to read my friend. No one would suspect the story behind your posts. We need to remember that each of us have stories and pain and difficulties. I admire your courage to share this most personal part of your life.
Sending you prayers, love and light! I lit a candle for you and your baby. Positive thoughts make such a difference. I know this group will keep you close and lift you up. We are here for you in this silly little blog that is a small thing compared to your current path. But we are here.... hugs to you 👐❤🕉
ZL, you are such a strong woman! So full of life! Hold on! You will have a wonderful child! Please never lose faith! We are all with you and send our best wishes. Never give up, ZL!
You are all very kind and thank you for your warm words. I feel now such an embarrassment... My point was, we all have our lesser or bigger tragedies in our lives but your body (even your appearance) and your soul are interconnected and these things should almost never be the reason to let yourself unloose. And if we say out this loud that doesn't mean we don't feel for each other's pain - and your compassionate words towards me (a total stranger with no name or face to you) just corroborates this.
I may be wrong but I have got an idea that Stephanie and Quillaume are somehow in their private bubble. They love each others and other word, as well as fashion and style, are very far from their private bubble. What would be OK if they were an ordinary couple but is more complicated when they are heir apparent couple.
About this sartorial view, what Stephanie needs is some kind of course in style and basics of color analysis and what kind of clothes are becoming to her body. If I remember right her family was very religious and old fashioned, what shows out now with these plastic hair clips and rubber bands on her hair. She just does not understand how miserable just these little things make her look out. It would be so easy to step forward and avoid those basic mistakes really.
That piece of "art" in the last picture would make me laugh, potentially uncontrolably - depending on what it is meant to depict.
ReplyDeleteSo true😉
DeleteWell, it's kind of a pretty dress. I wish that perhaps she had made more of an effort with her hair? I can't tell whether she has nude hose or bare legs--would the latter be a bit cold for February in Lux?
ReplyDeleteNot my favorite but seems to be confortable.
ReplyDeleteWait... That things in the floor its supposed to be art?
ReplyDeleteWhere did she get this girlish too short summery dress from? from the 'Little House from the prairie'? Very sad bad little girl posture on the first picture that shows too much insecurity for her role. She should work with a coach.
ReplyDeleteShe needs a stylist too! That dress is not good at all, it's so frumpy. I just don't understand Stephanie at all. Why does she continue to dress like an old lady?
DeleteHow the bleeding hell can she get any frumpier? She's a DISASTER!
ReplyDeleteÇa va de mal en pis pour la pauvre Duchesse Stéphanie. Ne peut-elle pas être mieux conseillée? À défaut, j'aime autant la voir en pantalon noir.
ReplyDeletePeut-etre elle n'accepte pas de conseil...
DeleteHGD Stephanie needs to up her sartorial game. Disappointing effort.
ReplyDeleteMake this dress knee length and it would not be bad at all.
ReplyDeleteReally that art in last pic... makes me speechless really.
The dress reminds me of the apron dresses my granny wore when she was feeding the hens and collecting the eggs. The hairdo is beyond horrible.
ReplyDeleteI don't like this. Too short, too frilly, too busy and is this muslin? I don't care for the colour, with the all lightweight material, semitransparent sleeves and loosely tied neck opening this screams summer/spring to me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Looks like she just jumped out of the shower: her hair isn't styled at all and apparently she think she looks better without makeup (and honestly, she's wrong with that).
And she looks like a schoolgirl pictured at the first time she has put on Mommy's heeled shoes. Especially on photo n. 1.
I'm going to say this knowing it might bring out the stones from some people's pockets: Stephanie is just not as pretty as to put on basically anything and go out and still look proper and polished (like Kate, Mary and Letizia). She has a charming smile and gorgeous long and thin legs and she is "well equipped" at the breasts department but that's just not enough. Her facial features aren't classically beautiful or/and her face doesn't really photograph that wonderfully so she should put a great deal of effort before every single appearance in her hair and makeup; her torso is short and her waist isn't thin so she should be extremely picky with waistlines and hemlines to balance out her proportions; her arms are rather roundish so well tailored, fitted sleeves would be a must and she should avoid completely sleeveless numbers. We often comment on Kate or Charlotte Casiraghi's posture here but Stephanie's is worst than anyone else's. And she just started to pile up some strange bulks of weight which we normally kindly attribute to fertility treatments and things like that but I'm starting to think it's actually the other way round. She should ditch fertility hormones (if she takes any indeed), start to exercise, do some wise dieting and take Metformin as required.
And if those two tubes on the floor are called art then seriously, our world is doomed. Period.
ZL, your last sentence made my day. Modern art sometimes makes me think of the fairy tale "The emperor's new clothes".
DeleteConcerning your statement about Stephanie I sign every single word.
Totally agree ZL, I understand that Luxembourg is a smaller country so she doesn't have that many engagements, but the few she does go on she could at least put a little effort into her appearance.
DeleteI agree with lots of what you wrote, but not all. I think her posture is (far) less of a problem than Kate´s (or Mette-Marit´s). I think her face is fine, even though not classicly beautiful. I´m all for a natural approach, but that shouldn´t stop her from putting more effort into her looks. While I think that some make-up wouldn´t hurt, I see more lost potential in her hair. Also, her body is just fine, I don´t think she needs to lose weight, but she needs to dress according to her given features, and I agree that she needs to pay extra attention to waistlines plus make sure that tops and sleeves are properly fitted. And, maybe most importantly, she needs to dress according to her position - she simply needs more elegance, more polish.
DeleteAgree
DeleteLooks like something I would trip over. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou are right Linda, I like advances in technology but not in art.
DeleteThe dress is not great but it's not THAT bad either. With a better posture and hairstyle it would have been a success.
ReplyDeleteI think she just does not care about fashion. If she did, she would have got it rihgt by now. Maybe Luxembourg is a bit of a backwater?
ReplyDeleteI like her smile.
How can you say that about my country ?
DeleteWe are surrounded by France , Belgium and Germany. We are mixture of French and Germanic cultures.
Luxembourg City is one of the most sophisticated cities,not to mention the rich country.
Tintomara you are off base on that dear. Luxembourg is not a back water country. It is as sophisticated as any of the players in Europe. Being small means nothing.
DeleteBtw Stephanie is Belgian. So there is that.... though Belgium is not a back water country either. She is just plain and frumpy no matter what country she steps into.Jmho
Oh Diane, Diane what would I do without YOU on this blog!
DeleteSorry, sorry! I take it all back! But then she has no excuse for looking frumpy! Her mother-in-law often looks very elegant.
DeleteOr what would I do without YOU Kristina 😘
DeleteYes Tintomara we have said this many times! No excuses
I do pity her, really. Out of ten appointments she's at she manages for nine of them to look plain and no more than basic. This time her hairstyle is truly awful and her make-up seems non-existent. The dress wouldn't be too bad if it were summer and it was a little longer.
ReplyDeleteEpic fail.
ReplyDeleteShe is a disaster. Even if she doesn't care about style or fashion she could make an attempt to at least look good for the people.
I used to dress my dolls better than she can seem muster. She is at this point beyond boring.
Please don't come at me with the "she has pretty hair" "nice smile" "seems nice" either because we have been very nice about all of that and frankly that does not make up for her total lack of caring. She does not care. That look proves it! The dress is ridiculous. Is she 12? Sloppy hair? Is she a Bridget Bardot look going for a boho look? NYET
It is too frilly too short and is she wearing hose? She is messy and oh so frumpy.
I think we have for a very long time given her the benefit of the doubt ~ depressed, weight gain, pregnant? Trying and maybe on hormones? Blah blah blah.... seems to me it is just who she is now. I suppose if her spouse is happy then that is all that matters. Good thing she is not a British or Spanish royal because they would be ripping her apart in the press.
All the other ladies in the family have so much more of a spark. What a pity.
The only saving grace here is that she is not in those baggy black pants!
How very true.
DeleteYou are so right Diane. It looks as she doesn't really care about fashion or her looks or how people will judge her.
DeleteAs hard as it is to believe there are women like that.
I have friend who hates to spend time looking for clothes to that degree that if not her mother who is buying all her clothes for her I swear she would walk around naked.
Hahaaa Kristina 😁 I know many who hate shopping and really have no interest in fashion but they still attempt to look put together. They TRY. Stephanie seems to wake up and grab an item and pull her hair back as she gets in the car.
DeleteShe isn't vain at all. It seems that she goes her own way, against all expectations. No children yet, she doesn't care how she looks like. Somehow I like her...
ReplyDeleteSorry but if she doesn't care about her looks and doesn't want children she'd better followed her sister's example and join a convent. Honestly that's exactly how she comes across, like a nun.
DeleteI think Grand Duke Henri should seriously think over the succession. Already once in Luxemburg's history the second born turned out to be the better heir.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but Stephanie is very hard to understand. She has significant financial resources but consistently dresses as if she does not. She will have been married for 5 years this coming October. At this point, it's becoming clear that she will not change. Aside from the odd grand event, when she does seem to make an effort, this is her norm.
ReplyDeleteWell, when I look at the 7th photo I see a cold, hard face with eyes that lack the slightest hint of warmth or sparkling. Her highly praised smile is for me either mechanical or completely exaggerated, never genuine.
DeleteIn my opinion you are always very hard (too hard) to Princess Stephanie. It is almost as you are bullying her. I don't like that. I wish you were more fair in your comments. Give her some credit for once.
ReplyDeleteThat dress is not right for her. It's too fussy and too short. And it's so different from what she normally wears - baggy jackets and pants - that it's hard to guess what motivated this choice. If she is trying to change her style then good for her, even if this is a miss. Let's see what happens next!
ReplyDeleteSad about her hair which is a lovely colour and could look amazing with some decent styling.
It would be good to stop speculation on Stephanie 'not wanting children'. Stephanie comes from an Opus Dei family of 8 children and she always expressed her desire to be a mother. Best guess is that there are fertility problems within the couple thus, let's maybe show some compassion & respect. As for her looks, it is unacceptable: she is an Heir to the Throne of a very affluent European country, it is her royal duty to dress up to the part. She looks frumpy and unkept. I happen to be a Natan customer and have heard many times the stylists at Natan who dressed Stephanie expressing their horror on how she started dressing after she stopped wearing Natan. I once even heard Mr.Vermeulen, Natan head designer, saying 'I hope people do not think that we are dressing Stephanie in those looks'. Stephanie has the money and available stylists if she wants - but it is obvious that she simply does not care. She looks awful, someone at the Palace should give her a serious sermon
ReplyDeleteThat is not true of everyone here, Eliza. I have said many times that Stephanie has a lovely smile, twinkling eyes, and a gentle and appealing demeanor. Others have made similar supportive comments. I also feel tremendous sympathy that she lost her mother just months before her wedding. But I truly do not understand some of her appearances. I am genuinely puzzled that a woman with such resources often appears so disheveled. I do wish her the best.
ReplyDeleteYo no siento pena por Stephanie. Se ha casado con un hombre que la ama, tiene una posición social muy alta, un trabajo muy relajado y dispone de mucho dinero para si misma. Si no aparece mejor vestida, peinada y maquillada es porque no quiere. Ella no es guapa, pero tiene mucho potencial de embellecimiento, que no aprovecha. Es su culpa.
ReplyDeleteMe alegro mucho de leer de nuevo a Kristina Wagner. Me entristeció ver sus mensajes borrados. Yo aprecio siempre sus opiniones. ;)
Thank you Angie. As I see I have few friends here and one of them it is YOU !
DeleteKristina, Angie is not the only one who enjoys most of your comments. And I like your small but beautiful country very much. Especially the geographic situation of the capital is unique and breathtaking.
Delete@ Kristina Wagner, your comments are always very appreciated by me too.
DeleteThank you Romana and Beth for your kind words. It was pleasure for me to read them.
DeleteThe list of my friends here is getting longer and I thought I had just one or two...
Me too Kristina! I love your comments and our discussions. Be you and say what you feel! Xo
DeleteKristina, Diane and Beth - I love your words here on this blog and I think you make it interesting and special (and of course plus some honest ladies, but sorry I can't put all their names here).
DeleteVery often I can not say what I really want to say , every word in comments has consequences here ... I don't want to get back comments like a loaded pistols.
DeleteHappy Valentine's Day to you all! X
Thank you Masha! Very sweet of you to say :)
DeleteIt is a good group of people. We do tend to be blunt and honest w words. But not cruel. It is not personal at all.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone ! X❤
I took my time and revisited some pictures of Stéphanie's wedding and engagement time. What has happenend? We then saw a beautiful, happy, confident, sophisticated young lady, mostly well dressed, with a modern, classic style and well put together with beautiful hair and figure. This is only four years ago! Now her whole appearance has changed into a frumpy, old-fashioned, careless look. I mean honestly, who would wear a cheap ill fitting muslin summer dress that looks as if it was found on an indian fleemarket for 20 Euros for an offical engagement? No makeup and a careless pony tail hold together with cheap scrunchy hair tie? When I had long hair, I would have done so when I cleaned the house, but not out in town or on the job. The whole thing is totally unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, also the appearance of her husband has changed, he looks as if he was in his mid-fifties now and seems to have lost all his youth and health. There is something strange about all that. About both.
You're absolutely right Beth, there is something very strange about them. I wonder what's going on with a couple that no longer seems to care about their appearance? It's just odd, they seem to be truly happy with each other and it's like the longer they are married the more they become alike. I don't think for a second her lack of effort stems from fertility issues because even though that can take a toll of you mentally as well as physically it still doesn't mean that every time you see her she would have to dress like a frumpy old lady. It's just baffling how a young woman in her mid 30's can simply stop caring completely about her looks.
DeleteAbsolutely agree, Beth. I have also commented that if you look back at what she wore around the time of her wedding she looked entirely different. There were a few misses but that happens to everyone.
DeleteThere are new photos here from when I first saw this post and her hair is more visible - it's just pulled back clumsily into an elastic! Who goes to an event looking like that?
By the way, there are photos of the couple on another site (in the last day or so) and she is wearing the black elephant pants and a large shapeless grey jacket. The worst yet, I think.
Heather, it's in Luxarazzi. And together with that extremely frumpy outfit she has a facial expression that makes even the milk get sour.
DeleteRomana, I saw it on noblesseetroyautes. You are correct about her expression!
DeleteSo she is not a most fashionable woman. Maybe she has some fertility issues and people commenting on it, makes her feel sad. Maybe she feels less of a woman because for it. I'm sure it must not be easy to see all the others having kids in the family and having people commenting about her ability to deliver an heir. She does have a lovely smile though. :)
ReplyDeleteFrom an article February 2016:
ReplyDeleteSpeaking to French magazine Point de Vue on the occasion of her 32nd birthday, Stéphanie said: "I don't have any plans to become a mother."
What she has said in more than one interview is that going from being a private person to a public person has been a very significant adjustment.
I hope she doesn't read the endless criticisms of her attire, appearance, and most of all speculation about her fertility, which is gauche to say the least.
If anyone at Natan actually said the unkind comments credited here then she is right to shop elsewhere. Natan dresses Queen Maxima like a window drapery or sofa far too often for my taste, nothing special about their brand anyway.
Regarding the reporter's question about being a mother, she replied "I am very happy with the moments I spend with my husband, there isn't a plan about being a mother yet".
Deletehttp://www.newmyroyals.com/2016/02/princess-stephanie-celebrates-her-32nd.html
she didn't had plans yet. That doesn't mean she will never want to have some in the future.
I Agree that she may not be fashionable but that doesnt mean anything. She does have a very nice smile. :)
I have read the Point de Vue interview, and I also watched the multiple interviews that Stephanie and her husband gave to the Belgian television. NEVER Stephanie has mentioned not wanting, not having plans to be a mother. Stephanie always said that she wanted to be a mother. Stephanie said what Raquel Alves has quoted, and that goes a long way from "no plans to become a mother". Royalty should never publicly admit having fertility problems. Also, I happen to attend church at Notre Dame du Sablon, which is near the home of Stephanies parents, and on Saturday evenings mass I saw both Guillaume and/or Stephanie more than once attending mass, lightning candles, kneeling and praying whilst holding hands. Guillaume I even saw him crying once. These two are a loving couple. Everyone attending mass sees them and respects their privacy. This is a fashion blog, so maybe respect the possible suffering of other people on fertility issues, and do not misquote just to make a point. Natan is far more than what Maxima or Mathilde wear, and like it or not, Stephanie always looked impeccable whilst wearing Natan during her pre-wedding days. The main point is that for an heir to the Throne, Stephanie's looks are unnaceptable - She wears an Elastic in her ponytail, no make up, her clothes are beyond awful!!!!
DeleteNow I don't know if she is going through infertility treatments or not, but as someone who has lived through that - it is devastating! If it is the case, I'm impressed that Stéphanie is able to put on even a forced smile. Throughout my many years of treatment, there were many moments when I wanted to give up on everything. The hormones completely change your body and the months and years of failure at something that teenagers and many others can succeed at by "accident" are psychologically damaging. Perhaps she does need to listen to others when it comes to dressing, but perhaps she felt pretty when she put that dress on & that was one positive feeling she had. I don't love her style, but I would hope that we could have compassion to go with the constructive criticism.
ReplyDeleteI hope no one feels as though I am judging them. We are all entitled to our opinions, but there were many years that I welcomed new nieces and nephews into my life with a smile and many tears. I functioned at my job, but I wasn't brilliant. I just survived by sheer willpower (this was with an amazingly supportive husband and family). I can't imagine having to do that in the public eye.
Sad to know that. You make a great point. If it's the case, than it should be extremely difficult for her. It is for everyone.
DeleteThank you for sharing, Jen B. That was a well-thought-out post and appreciated. My sympathy is also with Stephanie if she is experiencing fertility issues.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteThe transition from private to public life can't have been easy. But still 5 years on, Stephanie seems to be going in the opposite direction. There has to be a stage whereupon someone in her circle of friends or confidantes says enough is enough ! To attend an event, were everyone else has made an effort, and you turn up looking like you've just popped out for a carton milk, would be a good time for someone to step in !
ReplyDeleteSuch shame really, with so many resources at her disposal, she could look quite lovely.
We can only comment on what we see, obviously. If she is going through a period of personal difficulty then we feel for her. But who hasn't had to work their way through personal crises and traumas at some point and yet we still had to get up in the morning and go to work etc etc, and put a brave face on for our families and the world - and without the resources available to someone in her position.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all the comments that came after mine, I have to say this: IF she does have fertility issues then of course I feel for her. I'm not really happy about sharing very personal details here or elsewhere on the net but here it comes: I also had my share of share of fertility issues, struggling to conceive for a decade, I lost my father just before getting married, my body is far from being perfect and I have inmensely less resources to spend on beauty treatments, hair salons, clothes AND psychological support and training than Stephanie and I'm currently expecting my first child, struggling with HG AND unfortunately has just been diagnosed with cancer and of course cannot go on treatment because of the baby but I wake up every morning and put myself together even though it is a lot of physical effort and sometimes it doesn't seem to make any sense since I'm not really allowed to leave my home but I do it anyway for my family, for the ones that love me and want me to get better and for myself, because NO ONE ELSE WILL DO THAT FOR ME, I have to take care of myself and my own soul and even though I'm not a hereditary grand duchess I know that how you look, what you see in the mirror has a lot of influence on how you feel, how you feel each day helps your soul keep healthy and your soul helps your body to keep up with every bad thing that happens to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not the one who took a job where presenting yourself gracefully and prettyly IS a requirement and you have ALL the support and resources one can possibly have on Earth to do that.
Anyway, my ultima ratio is this: I guess none of us lack empathy however we come here primarily to comment on LOOKS, don't we?
Oh my God... I'm sooo sorry to hear that. Hope you and the baby will be ok. Sometimes it's hard to find some faith when things go wrong. I can only imagine what you're going trow. Prayers for you and the baby :)
DeleteZL I am so sorry for you and wish all the strength to cope with you pregnancy and illness.
DeleteZL so brave and open of you to share your story. Wishing you strength and continued courage ! x
DeleteZL, it must have been difficult to share what is happening in your life. My thoughts and prayers are with you that all will be well.
DeleteWe are all sending our prayers your way to have beautiful baby and be healthy again.
DeleteOh ZL this is so hard to read my friend. No one would suspect the story behind your posts. We need to remember that each of us have stories and pain and difficulties. I admire your courage to share this most personal part of your life.
DeleteSending you prayers, love and light! I lit a candle for you and your baby. Positive thoughts make such a difference. I know this group will keep you close and lift you up. We are here for you in this silly little blog that is a small thing compared to your current path. But we are here.... hugs to you 👐❤🕉
ZL, keep your spirit up, I think this baby is a grest blessing and he will cure you, so I feel. I'm with you.
DeleteZL, you are such a strong woman! So full of life! Hold on! You will have a wonderful child! Please never lose faith! We are all with you and send our best wishes. Never give up, ZL!
DeleteYou are all very kind and thank you for your warm words. I feel now such an embarrassment...
DeleteMy point was, we all have our lesser or bigger tragedies in our lives but your body (even your appearance) and your soul are interconnected and these things should almost never be the reason to let yourself unloose. And if we say out this loud that doesn't mean we don't feel for each other's pain - and your compassionate words towards me (a total stranger with no name or face to you) just corroborates this.
My best wishes go out to you. You are a brave woman.
ReplyDeleteI may be wrong but I have got an idea that Stephanie and Quillaume are somehow in their private bubble. They love each others and other word, as well as fashion and style, are very far from their private bubble. What would be OK if they were an ordinary couple but is more complicated when they are heir apparent couple.
ReplyDeleteAbout this sartorial view, what Stephanie needs is some kind of course in style and basics of color analysis and what kind of clothes are becoming to her body. If I remember right her family was very religious and old fashioned, what shows out now with these plastic hair clips and rubber bands on her hair. She just does not understand how miserable just these little things make her look out. It would be so easy to step forward and avoid those basic mistakes really.
It always interests me as to what passes as art.
ReplyDeletePost a Comment
(We will not publish anonymous comments that were posted without stating a name or nickname)