The Diamond Jubilee Tour: Hereford and Worcester

The Queen and Prince Philip visited Herefordshire and Worcestershire as part of their Diamond Jubilee Tour. First they visited Hereford cathedral, arriving on a steam train. HM wore a pink tweed coat with a matching hat, and began her visit by unveiling a plaque at Hereford's 12th century cathedral.

The royal party attended the Diamond Day event at the King George V Playing Field before arriving at Worcester. They opened a library called 'The Hive' and went on a royal walkabout. Now the couple will travel to Birmingham as part of their tour.

Pictures: BBC/Daily Mail

The Tribute to Bomber Command

The Queen and other members of the Royal Family attended the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park. The Royals who attended were: The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent.

It was a poignant service, as a mass was held after the Queen unveiled the memorial (which took her two attempts). A flypast followed, where a thousand poppies were dropped.

Left to Right: The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Kent, the Earl and Countess of Wessex

Left to Right: The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke of York

Pictures: The Daily Mail, The Press Association, The Daily Telegraph

The Diamond Jubilee Tour: Belfast

Now let's all look at the more joyous celebrations in Northern Ireland for QE's Diamond Jubilee.

The Queen and Prince Philip drove through the Stormont Estate in Belfast, in what was a lovely sight as they stood from the car surrounded by thousands of well-wishers. Reminded me a lot of the pope-mobile! She also visited the Titanic Centre and the Lyric Theatre.

Pictures- Zimbio

Royal Ascot: Day 2

So as Royal Ascot rolls on in a penta-festival of joy, we look at who won....and failed on day two of the races. Not many royals today, by the way.

MOST ARGH MOMENT


This ticks me off. She was so close, so close! The "strawberry ice-cream colour is wonderful, the Centenary Rose Brooch is so pretty, the basic form of her outfit is fabulous, but the string!!! Why on earth?

That's right- be VERY scared Princess Alexandra.

The Great Redeemers 

Yes, yes I know that Sophie should have chosen a better fit, the colour of her outfit and that spectacular hat really bring her ensemble back up. In the dramatic hat tally, Countess of Wessex: 1, Duchess of Gloucester: 1. Sophie's skirt is echoed in Princess Anne's lovely outfit, with a beautiful flowing chiffon dress! And the print on her jacket is mesmerising. 

Best Carriage Rider-

I had to feed off scraps for the photos, but Princess Alexandra looked very spring-like in an outfit and hat inundated with floral decorations. Good to see her with her twice-related cousin as well! And will SOMEONE from the Royal Mews please give her a State Landau? 

Pictures: Daily Mail/Justin Goff

The Garter Service and Procession 2012

Get your plumes out, it's Garter Day once again! Founded in 1348, The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the highest order of chivalry in the UK. The annual Garter Service is held at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. A rare occurrence in the 18 century, George VI started its reappearance. The members of the Order meet in the state apartments of Windsor Castle, and then walk down to the chapel for the service. Then the show really starts as the members ride back in carriages back to the castle at its conclusion. 2002 was a notable year for the service, when Queen Beatrix, Queen Margrethe, King Juan Carlos and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg all took part in the procession, as Knights or Ladies of the Garter.

 The headpiece worn is known as a Tudor Bonnet, and as the namesake suggests, was worn widely during Tudor times. Attached are the famous plumes of white ostrich feather which we now commonly associate with Garter Day. Now here's some miscellaneous photos of the Queen Mother looking adorable at Garter Day:

Okay, back to present day! The majority of the Royal Family were out in force at St. George's Chapel, either in the procession or watching from a platform.

Windsor Castle is my favourite royal setting, and it looked very fairtytale-esque today. You can probably make out the stands above the crowds, which brought a flood of coronation nostalgia back.

The Queen certainly rocked those plumes and trains and those RUBY EARRINGS, and it was wonderful to see Prince Philip back at her side. I like how HM appointed Princess Margaret's grandson, Charles Armstrong-Jones as her First Page of Honour.

I was lovely to see these colour co-ordinated royals all together. Sometimes I wonder what the relationship between the Countess of Wessex and her sister-in-law the Duchess of Cornwall is like? The Duchess of Cambridge seems to have developed a warm bond with Camilla though.

Adorable moments between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, if it were me I'd burst out in a fit of laughter.

Left to Right: The Princess Royal and Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra and Prince Edward Duke of Kent, The Princess Royal, Sir Timothy Lawrence and The Duchess of Gloucester.

Pictures: The Guardian/The Telegraph/The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor/Habsburg06 (Flickr)

Trooping the Colour 2012

My heart, my heart- the Windsors are back! After the barren balcony for the Jubilee, everyone is back together in for the Queen's Birthday Parade, or as I call it, "Royal Christmas." No open carriages this year, the Queen and Prince Philip rode in the Glass Coach, incase it rained.

A la typical QE style, the Queen recycled the same Angela Kelly outfit she wore to her grandson's wedding, along with the Guard's Badge she wears every year. The Duchess of Cambridge finally wore a brand new outfit, YAY! But I didn't fancy her fascinator, which covered a portion of her eyes! Also, I think Eugenie's carriage might have ran over a fowl on the way out of the palace. Roadkill is a no no.

L to R: The Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent, The Duchess of Gloucester, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (huge freaking veil!)

It was great to see Prince Philip out and about today, but he did look a bit frail. Hopefully he will remain energetic for many years to come. It was lovely to see the balcony packed again, teeming with royals! And of course, a major royal event wouldn't be complete without an obligatory flypast, and the Red Arrows were a delight!

Pictures: Royal News/Daily Mail

The Armed Forces' Tribute to Her Majesty

Note: I'm sorry the pics are blurry, I had to screenshot them from my stream.

What a magnificent pageant! Real joy and splendour and pride from all the armed forces. They all came together in an arena with a beautiful stage in the shape of Buckingham Palace. I really wasn't expecting that! It was all set in the beautiful backdrop of Windsor Castle, and looked like something out of a fairytale. Unlike military dictatorships across the world, where heads of states control the army, the Queen does it gracefully, with dignity and genteel. It was a beautiful setting and unlike the machine-like armies of other countries, Rule Brittania! Crown Imperial, Land of Hope and Glory and other songs were played which created a carnival-like atmosphere. Yet the main highlight of this tribute was definitely the fly-past. With forms of 60, EiiR and the roulettes spitting out the colours of the British Flag, chills ran down my spine.

HM's Right Royal Bash!

Wow. You just never see this kind of thing. HM's Diamond Jubilee Luncheon was the largest gathering of royals since the Queen's coronation (!!!!!!!!), and it proved to be a spectacular turnout. 24 Kings and Queens, an Emperor, a Grand Duke, a Sultan, eight princesses, an Emir and an Empress all arrived at the reception in honour of Elizabeth II's Jubilee. It was such a shame that so much attention was drawn on the King of Bahrain, BOO! But anyways, I thought the luncheon was a fascinating event in history, and it displayed the friendship between monarchs.

Queen Elizabeth did look lovely in that very pale blue outfit, as she was the star of the show, after all.

Also in blue was Princess Charlene of Monaco, and showing great etiquette, she curtseyed oh so low to HM- it's great to see such respect!

Much attention also focused on the Duchess of Cambridge, of course, and it was great to see her mingling with royalty- sort of a crash course in diplomatic friendliness! And it was also great to see the trio of young royals in action.

But look at this adorable couple- Emperor Hirohito and Empress Michiko were my favourite couple of the day, always smiling and gracious, the Empress stole the show with a wonderful kimono.

While we're on the topic of national dress, the wealthiest monarch in the world, the Sultan of Brunei showed up and his wife Raja Isteri Pengira Anak Hajah Saleha (what a mouthful) dazzled in a burst of spectacular colour.

And here we have the leading ladies. This event really highlighted the wonderful relationship the three reigning Queens share. It was great to see Queen Beatrice out and about, and she looked positively delighted to see Elizabeth! Also part of the exclusive queenie association is Queen Margrethe, and whilst looking quite plain in grey, it was great to see Prince Philip kissing her hand!

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also showed up, looking quite lovely in those simple outfits- not overdoing it. It was so nice to see the young royals mixing it up with the reigning monarchs, something you almost never see. And the Queen of Bahrain- Yes she is following the customs of her country but, really- Black?! Oh my, she looks like one of the witches in Macbeth!

Talking about fashion uh......mishaps, Inkhosikati, one of the King of Swaziland's NUMEROUS wives, turned up in a racy outfit. In an outfit you expect to see at a strip club, and shoes for a 7-year old's slumber party, she did not impress.

But it certainly made me chuckle! Anyways, I shall be uploading pictures from the Prince of Wales' dinner later, so stay tuned!