| In the evening of July 12, 2017, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Prince William, Duchess Catherine of Cambridge and Prince Harry attended a state banquet held in honor of King Felipe and Queen Letizia at Buckingham Palace in London. King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia are on a three day State Visit to Britain. |
MARCHESA
What is that red thing that Queenie has on her dress? And what does Kate have on her tiara?
ReplyDeleteThat "red thing" is probably the highest honour she has from the King of Spain. Kate has nothing on her tiara - it is a flower arrangement between her and the camera.
DeleteGabriella, the red thing on HM's dress is the Spain Order of the Golden Fleece. The green leaf on Kate's tiara is, well, a green leaf from the flower centerpiece. She wore the Cambridge Love Knot tiara. I'd like to think that since she's the Duchess of Cambridge, the tiara suits her well.
DeleteI have just checked - yes, it is Sapin's Order of the Golden Fleece. The Queen seldom wears the sash of whatever Order these days, but the bow instead.
DeleteI have just checked - yes, it is Spain's Order of the Golden Fleece. The Queen seldom wears the sash of whatever Order these days, but the bow instead.
DeleteThe Queen is wearing the Dame's ribbon insignia of the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece. The Order of the Golden Fleece doesn't have a sash AFAIK. The insignia is worn on a necklace by male knights (as King Felipe is wearing at the banquet BTW) or is tied to a ribbon bowl on the chest for the ladies. Alternatively, the insignia can hang from the collar chain of the order, which must be quite heavy.
DeleteThe Order of the Golden Fleece, created by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, and the English Order of the Garter (founded in 1348) are the two oldest royal orders of knighthood still awarded in Europe today and, therefore, the two most prestigious orders in the continent.
Prince Philip and Prince Charles BTW are also wearing Spanish orders, specifically the sash of the Order of Carlos III, which is lower in precedence than the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Just to add some historic information, the Dukes of Burgundy were a cadet branch of the French royal house of Valois and, in the 15th century, became the rulers of what is now Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Philip the Handsome (Philippe le Beau in French), who was the great-grandson of Philip the Good and also son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, married Joanna of Castile, heiress to the Spanish throne, and the sovereignty of the order passed to their eldest son, who become King Charles I in Spain. The Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty became extinct in male line in 1700, but the new Bourbon king of Spain, Felipe V (born Philippe d'Anjou in France), who is a direct ancestor of King Felipe VI, claimed the sovereignty of the order for himself and his successors in the Crown of Spain. At the same time, however, the Austrian branch of the Habsburg family also claimed sovereignty over the order, so, for a while, there were actually two competing Orders of the Golden Fleece: the Austrian Golden Fleece and the Spanish Golden Fleece. The Austrian branch still exists today, but since the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was deposed in 1918, it is no longer a royal order, but rather only a family order awarded by the Habsburg pretenders to the defunct Austro-Hungarian throne. The Spanish Golden Fleece on the other hand remains a state order, awarded by Royal Decree issued by the KIng of Spain with the counter-signature normally of the Spanish prime minister. Queen Elizabeth II got it physically in 1988 (officially, I think, in 1989), in the same year when she awarded the Order of the Garter to King Juan Carlos I, Felipe VI's father.
DeleteDe todos modos modos, la diferencia entre los Habsburgo-borbones españoles y los Austriacos es que los españoles siguieron la linea femenina, con la reina Maria Teresa, que era princesa de España y reina de Francia como esposa de Luis XIV, y descendiente de los Reyes Católicos a traves de los matrimonios endogámicos de los Habsburgos españoles (emperador Carlos I hijo de juana) y los descendientes de los Habsburgos austriacos)(emperador Fernando I hijo de juana) en linea directa masculina - Ambos son descendientes de los RRCC y están emparentados hasta el infinito entre ellos y los Borbones. Al permanecer España como reino, no tiene importancia ya lo que hagan los Habsburgos descendientes de Fernando I nieto de los reyes católicos y hermano de Carlos I de España
DeleteWow!! Queen Leti was absolutely stunning! Perfection in every detail.
ReplyDeleteEveryone looks good but what a clivage is the duchess of Cambridge wearing 😱😱
ReplyDeleteI think its a bit too much.
She needs to be properly fitted for a good bra.
DeleteWow, best showing I have ever seen for Queen Leti. She looks 100% a regal queen. And even though Catherine is showing some cleavage, I think her dress and jewels are fantastic. She wore the Cambridge Lovers Knot tiara! And it looks wonderful on her. Queen Elizabeth looks fantastic. But holy cow, how tall is King Felipe?!? Can't wait to see the other royal attendees.
ReplyDeleteI read recently that he is 6ft 6in! I thought Letizia is petite but maybe not so much as she looks fine next to him - of course there's those heels!
DeleteBeautiful Spanish Royals! Wow...! Lovely Duchess Kate. But, although her dress fits her perfectly well, I am not sure about the style. Maybe it's the colour?? A bit old fashioned? Great jewels tonight.
ReplyDeleteLetizia looks good - that is a major tiara! Catherine also looks good - I like her dress and tiara but it's a shame about the flower arrangement looking like some kind-of snapchat addition.
ReplyDeleteLovely occasion loving how both Queens matches their fashion (the yellow dress suit for Queen Letizia, the Red order for Queen Elisabeth II) showing the level of coordination between both courts..
ReplyDeleteKing Felipe is such a stunner..getting better and better as he ages..
Prince Philip is a lovely sight..
Now on to the comment goes south.
What on earth she wearing?
Anyways both Queens looked stunning
Catherine looks so proud of herself before meeting the Queen of Spain..she looked grouchy the moment she met her in person..tsk tsk tsk..even the abundance of jewels did not help..its a perfect example if one was not able to make accesories work instead it wore her out.
I think that she really does trying to prove herself she topped everyone around her in terms of appearance everytime she appears in public..that must be very tiring..
1304: Yes!!! ;)
DeleteOh la la!! Queen Letizia's dress is a work of art, spectacular embroidery, and whimsical silhouette, I want to see the back of the dress, the Spanish press reports that it has a tulle train. love the tiara, and the right amount of jewels, simply regal and spectacular. I can't say that Kate looked bad, but somehow she faded next to Letizia.
ReplyDeleteNearly every woman looks faded out in that sad colour, no matter if Letizia in red is present or not.
DeleteShe looked like she was wearing a nightie next to Queen Letizia! The diamond and ruby bandeau looked awful and the decollatage just kept on going . . . and going! I don't know why she was wearing it with the Lover's Knot Tiara and those gorgeous pearl earrings. It clashed in style against both the baby pink gown and her tiara and earrings.
DeleteI agree. The necklace was not in the same style as the tiara and earrings. She doesn't have much of a bust so the low decolletage doesn't really reveal much anyway.
DeleteThe dress is pretty but I agree with some of the other comments...she pales next to Letizia. Also, I noticed she doesn't look so happy in some of these photos. All smiles in the car on the way but tense or something while seated. Wonder what she was thinking.
Kate of Cambridge looks like she just stepped out of the downtown abbey or the Victorian times 🙈, timeless class, very beautiful. I also love queen Letizia she never puts a foot wrong; never over the top like queen maxima 😅 or plain dull like princess Charlene 😁
ReplyDeleteQueen Letizia has definately not disappoint ! like i said in a previous post... i couldnt wait for this state visit. and Letizia pulled off a stunning outfit for the state dinner. red is her colour! the style of the dress the magneficent tiara and earrings....she looked so regal.... And with a dashing king at her side.... you cant go wrong!
ReplyDeleteKate looked nice... and Queen Elizabeth simply beautiful.
Wow, Letizia looks perfect. This time she is wearing that big tiara Buena Vista not other way round like earlier. Camilla and Catherine look OK. It takes long time before Catherine gets her first order.
ReplyDeleteThey royals look resplendent - time to show off the jewels. But the other female guests must feel out of place. Just looking at the photo of Theresa May who has a simple, but elegant dress and no jewels.
ReplyDeleteCommoners like Theresa May (daughter of a parish vicar) normally don't wear tiaras, who are reserved for nobility and royalty.
DeleteWhat a great state visit. Letizia looks absolutely stunning at the banquet. I hope she will surprise us again tonight by wearing the Cartier Loop Tiara or at least the Mellerio Shell Tiara. I'm getting a bit tired of the floral one.
ReplyDeleteCharles, Camilla, Felipe and Letizia seem to get along very well and truly enjoy each other's company.
Catherine was a bit disappointing. Boring colour, too low cut and quite a wild mix of jewels. And why in the world is she wearing a hair net?
Look closely and you will see most of the "professional royals" who put their hair up wear either a hair net or use half a can of hairspray leaving that sparkly, sticky finish. Who wants a great hank of hair flopping down from under a tiara or hat.
DeleteThey all look wonderful. Letizia particularly is stunning!
ReplyDeleteLetizia was definitely Queen Letizia at the State Dinner.
DeleteQueen Letizia can do what she want's, she is always the best looking female Royal Lady!
ReplyDeleteCan't accuse Catherine of playing it safe in that dress ! The blush colour would have seemed a little drab, if it hadn't been for the adornment of that necklace ! Good to see she has access to various pieces from the vaults !
ReplyDeleteLetizia exceeded expectations ! The colour and style of the dress was exquisite ! My only pause, would be, the tiara, as beautiful as it is, looks a little too big on her tiny frame. That said, I think the cape effect from the waist of the dress does balance it out it
Love the aqua embellishments on HM gown to match the aqua tiara.
Letizia is magnificent. The dress is perfect and tha tiara...wow! And, importantly, knows when to stop with the jewels and let her clothes and her appearance speak for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a problem with Catherine's look. She looks lovely and that colour is a favourite of mine but the necklace is just too much and doesn't match the tiara.
Letizia has also perfected having a pleasant facial expression at all times. She looks serene and as if she is almost going to smile. It obviously isn't easy being under public scrutiny but Catherine needs to work on that a bit.
So looking forward to what is worn tonight.
Queen Letizia looks very regal and stunning in red, her gown is very stately. I think the tiara is too large for her petite frame, albeit a beautiful piece.
ReplyDeleteI wish Kate had worn a more modern and brighter dress, in comparison to Letizia her dress looks a bit dowdy, although I love her necklace. Does anyone know anything about it?
Her Majesty, looks as regal as always.
Felipe is gorgeous and looks amazingly tall.
Prince Philip looks very dapper too, he was a honey in his day, little wonder he caught the eye of a certain young Princess.
The Duchess looked stunning, radiant in the gorgeous new gown. The distinctive flared cuffs(very much in fashion now),the plunging neckline(beautiful piece of jewellery that fits the neckline to a T) and a v-neckline at the back - stunning. It's very much a perfect gown for a beautiful Duchess.
ReplyDeleteThe Queen of Spain looked stunning after all it was a state banquet in honor for the Spanish Royal House. Therefore the focus must be on the Queen of Spain and very silly to make comparisons between the beautiful Queen of Spain and the beautiful Duchess of Cambridge.
Wow, the dress of Kate is magnificent! This is exactly what i love, a bit like the old times with a touch of the present. But her posture is very bad (shoulders) and that spoils a lot! Letizia looks also great but the tiara looks ridiculous on her, it is way to big!
ReplyDeleteCatherine looks very beautiful (I love her gown and jewels) but tense and insecure. I agree with Heather that she needs to work on a serene expression at all times during a major event--as Letizia has perfected. Chewing on your lip and looking preoccupied at a state banquet, when you will absolutely be photographed, is unfortunate. She is "on duty" every second of an event like this.
ReplyDeleteDuchess Catherine studied Art History and has seen many portraits. If she wants to use design elements from different centuries, she has that right. She was given a major honor, she was permitted to wear the necklace that was a WEDDING GIFT to the Queen from her parents. Wedding Gifts are very personal and sentimental. I wish we knew what was happening, what was being said when she was making all those facial expressions. Perhaps she was being a concerned relative around two very senior citizens? Those photos should not have been released for everyone to take out of context. That said, if all of the Queen's adult children attended, I hope they took a family photo and release that at some point.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about the seating arrangements. Catherine was awkwardly placed at the end of a table so it must have been hard to seem involved if the person next to her was speaking to someone else. As she is new to these events it might have been better to have place her among people she could better interact with.
DeleteFelipe is very elegant and handsome, Letizia looks regal and nice. As for Kate: we have some strange pictures of her - what was happening? Was she at such unease all evening or were this just unfortunate moments when pictures were taken? I don't remember seeing her like that before. Her dress is beautiful and necklase simply over the words.
ReplyDeleteKate is an english rose
ReplyDeleteTantas Ioana, Ha ha, you made my day ;)!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, Letizia ist die Königin des Abends. Kates Kleid ist ok, aber die Bilder sprechen Bände über ihr verhalten. Sie muss noch sehr viel lernen, um eines Tages Königin zu werden.
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