HM In the George IV Tiara

Duchess of Cambridge- I approve!

Wow, just wow! That teal gown that she wore to the GB Olympic Ball stunned me into disbelief. What an amazing dress! The flow from the waist down, the way it fluttered gracefully, and the lace back and shoulders- I loved every little thing about it! But another great sign about her appearance was that she IS practising her tiara hair! And I think that alone deserves a resounding round of applause.

Below- The Duchess' tiara hair.

This dress reminded me a lot of a teal number worn by Queen Margrethe to an Army Corps dinner.

And yes, I know royals don't do this sort of thing, but wouldn't it be amazing if the Duchess would've worn Queen Anne-Marie's emerald tiara?

STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT 2012

There will be more posts to come, but I must say, what a ceremony! None know how to deploy such pomp quite like the British do, and it was an amazing spectacle. It all started when the Imperial State Crown was bought in like a god in a carriage by itself. Carried by two men, it was placed before a congregation, and looked pretty impressive. Then, of course, it was all about HM. Arriving in the Australian State Coach accompanied with "God Save the Queen," she stepped off in her customary fur outfit with the George IV State Diadem on. Now due to my blurry coverage, I didn't really get a good look of her outfit, and have to rely on some pretty bad pictures (for now.) What I didn't like was how BBC cut off almost the entire carriage processions to debate over stupid topics!

Oh that fur! Love it!

I must admit, while watching her speech, all my eyes could see was that crown! The main star of the show was the Cullian II (or the Lesser Star of Africa) which out sparkled everything else.

A present from her father, George Vi, HM wore a triple-rowed diamond necklace. Although many were hoping for her to pull out the big guns for her Diamond Jubilee year, I thought it was a touching and sentimental gesture for her to wear it. As for the gown, I was less impressed! Liz, what happened to all those glorious gowns you've worn in the past years? Full of embroidery and what not, those were amazing! But I must say, this one was actually quite plain, and that vertical pattern reminds me of the purple outfit she wore recently and her Royal Wedding outfit. Oh well, I guess we would all have been extremely glad just to bask in the glory of that beauty of a crown!

For more info on the Cullian Diamond, be sure to visit- 

http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com.au/

HM's Gowns- Paris 1957

Often viewed today as an old grandmother who wears nothing but an endless parade of coats, the Queen was actually quite the fashion icon in her heyday. It is amazing how she has always kept in fashion with styles suitably to the era and her age. This is one of her most striking gowns HM wore as a young Queen. At the time, she was noted for appearing in a full-blown gown with one of her amazing tiaras at evening occasions. She didn't fail to do so here, and the embroidered dress with the Vladimir Tiara proved to be an outfit truly fit for a Queen. Of course, it was included in the sequence of the lovely, whimsical gowns designed by Normal Hartnell, her chief designer at the time. Worn on a state visit to Paris in 1957, the dress includes white, silver and gold beaded embroidery in the forms of flowers, wheat and bess. It is interesting to note that Elizabeth dress includes symbolic features, such as the bees which were in fact the emblem of Napoleon.

The lovely embroidery, in which you can see the beautiful, detailed bees and wheat. And look at those flowers!

Sadly, there are not many photographs of her state visit to Paris, and the ones found are not that flattering to the dress, but I think it is amazing to see all that beautiful embroidery on someone who is head of state- you just don't see that kind of regality any more. 

Below: The Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara set with Queen Mary's Cambridge Emeralds

Pictures: romanbendikhanson, madameguillotine

HM in South-West England

Continuing on her Diamond Jubilee Tour, on the next leg were visits to Yeovil and Crewkerne in Somerset. She toured the area to the delight of thousands of screaming schoolchildren, and sampled local produce, met police horses, and opened a new university wing. I loved the purple hue of her ensemble, but the hat and dress somehow remind me of a horrible iced wedding cake! The turned-down brim and the curved top look out of proportion. But Her Majesty did look lovely in that purple!

HM at the Annual Scout Review

Decked out in a glorious pastel/lime green outfit, the Queen stood beside the infamous Bear Grylls as she inspected scouts at Windsor Castle. She paired the fabulous ensemble with her Frosted Sunflower brooch, one of my favourites!

Above: The Frosted Sunflower Brooch

HM Visits Aberfan

The Queen visited Aberfan, Wales- her fourth visit since the town experienced a devastating landslide in 1966, killing 144 people. It was touching to hear one woman remark that in 1966, "The Queen promised she'd be back to re-open the school, and she was." HM officially opened the Ynysowen Community Primary School and attend a service of thanksgiving at nearby Ebbw Vale's Christ Church. There, she made her only speech of her whole Diamond Jubilee tour, praising the courage and strength of the people in an area which lost a generation due to the disaster. The Queen looked positively radiant in a white coat, with a pastel blue lining, with a hat in the same colour. Oh my, everything was PERFECT in this outfit- the pattern on her coat, the wrapping effect of the hat, well done ma'am!