What's Up Wednesday (Empress Crystobel Memorial)

With the Imperial Coronation literally only a few weeks away yet another glorious tip of the hat to the past was gestured with the unveiling of the Imperial Victory Memorial in Londinium this week.

The memorial was built over the last few months in remembrance of the upcoming anniversary of Empress Crystobel's death that tragically took place on the  8th July 2012. This falls in conjunction with the popularity the entire concept of Royalty and the restoration of the Scotney and Britanian monarchies. The new site is erected in the square at the Palace of Parliament on the exact spot where the Empress was shot in front of the previous memorial in honour of the Imperial Couple. The old memorial was entirely torn down and plans to honour the Empress's life and death was immediately put in place. Work was finally completed last week Friday and the unveiling took place yesterday afternoon.

The design of the memorial is of a columned half circle surrounding a central pedestal surmounted by a brass effigy of an angel holding a flaming torch. The angel is intended to be a symbol of victory through spiritual perseverance while following the inner call of true conviction. 

The truly imposing memorial does much to evoke hope from forgiveness into a far more positive future as these are the very traits Empress Crystobel is now remembered for. 

For the unveiling the new Emperor Christian-Victor and Empress Odeliah was joined by their closest family who at the same time represented some of Europa's most famous Royal Dynasties. The Duke of Swann flew in especially, immediately after his now famous abdication speech in order to support his cousin the Emperor. All the VIP's can be seen in the photo above starting from left: Princess Augusta, the Duke of Swann, Empress Odeliah, Emperor Christian-Victor, the Chancellor of Britania, the Grand Duke of Hanoveria and Grand Duchess Alice.

The Chancellor took this auspicious occasion as the perfect time to officially announce his personal joy at the tide of Royal popularity and the positive effect it has had on the Britanian economy. 

Emperor Christian-Victor shared some of his personal memories of his mother, Empress Crystobel's life and expressed his joy at finally giving her the honour she may have lacked in her life of exile and her tragic death. 

It was truly an emotional moment when the crowd responded with a standing ovation to the Emperor's speech.

The brass statue is a spectacular work of art and was sculpted by the Most Worshipful Society of Britanian Metalworkers.

Empress Odeliah looked colourful in her spring inspired dress and hat.

A very stylish Duke of Swann looked far less serious than normal in his yellow tie.

After the day's proceedings a surprise dinner was held for the V.I.P's at the Aldarian Palace as a cherry on the cake. In memory of the lifelong efforts of Empress Crystobel, four special Royals were earmarked to receive a once-off recognition award for their efforts in promoting the cause of Royalty on the International Stage. They were invited to this intimate gala dinner to receive their "Crystobel Award".

After the main course and with the dinner guests watching, the Emperor and Empress took to the stage and invited the honoured four to receive their awards.

Their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress of the United Empire, King and Queen of the Scots and Britanians.

The four selected members of the Europan Royal community were, from left: Queen Gloria of Normandia, the Duke of Swann, Lady Arcwhite and Queen Maria of Hispania.

The awards for Efforts to Promote the Cause of Royalty from left are: Best Royal Image, Most Noteworthy Male Royal, Most Noteworthy Female Royal and Friendliest Royal.

Best Royal Image might seem frivolous but Royal style does much for pushing the "brand" and showing the face of Royalty. Empress Crystobel was faultless in her appearance and always conveyed the perfect balance between regality and approachability. Lady Arcwhite was awarded this honour.

Friendliest Royal is awarded for being most in touch with the public and thus bridging the gap between the common man and the reigning dynasties. It also reflects popular opinion polls of the particular Royal in their home countries and quantifies the amount of charity work done in favour of the common man. Empress Crystobel was relentless in the field of charity and in the end reached levels of popularity that has solidified her iconic status. Queen Gloria received this honour.

Most Noteworthy Female Royal is awarded to the Royal who in light of and in spite of their position of privilege, power and responsibility has made the most quantifiable success of forwarding all the positive aspects of the concept of Royalty in their home country and on the international stage. Empress Crystobel is the quintessential " when life gives you lemons..." Royal and has done more through the worst era Royalty has ever faced, to end up " on top" even in death. Queen Maria reluctantly received this humbling award.

Most Noteworthy Male Royal like its female counterpart singles out the male equivalent. The Emperor, visibly moved, awarded this honour to: " my cousin and friend, hero of Europa" , the Duke of Swann. It is believed that this ceremony will be a once-off event, especially organised by the Emperor in his private capacity to personally honour those who have supported His Majesty and the cause of Royalty over the last decade. The event focuses even more media attention on the build up to the Imperial Coronation to take place on the 4th of July 2015.

What's Up Wednesday (Normandian State Visit to Syldavia)

Queen Gloria of Normandia has just completed a three day state visit to the Kingdom of Syldavia. Her Majesty has not partaken of a State Visit for a while and felt it long overdue to focus some media attention on her country and Syldavia. This event puts 2015 now in full swing as Royal routines and duties start catching momentum.

For the State Banquet on the first evening of the three day tour, Queen Gloria was entertained by the reigning King and Queen of Syldavia. Formal dress and tiaras were worn as per protocol.

Queen Gloria posed for official portraits with her Syldavian counterpart King Nikolas.

Queen Maximal looked very stately in official Royal jewels and Order of the Syldav Cross Insignia.

Queen Gloria opted for very down toned aquamarine jewellery paired with her velvet dress and Order of the Lake Insignia. The main purpose of the State Visist was to strengthen diplomatic ties for the new year and to also give both countries a media boost after last year's focus being mainly on the Arcwhite Crisis. 

Wonderful Weekends (Official Portraits of Queen Gloria and the Glass Throne)

Wonderful Weekends is an oasis of posting in our currently dry land of blogging. The Principality of Swann has been experiencing terrible signal strength and by extension internet connectivity problems from its national service provider since the Arcwhite Crisis which has affected Europa in many ways. Arcwhite, a major technological force in Europa with services extending from satelight, cellphones and other media, is currently stabilising and areas affected may take a while to return to normal.

So we return only now a week later after our previous post. The Normandian University for Art and Design has afforded their first year students the very unique opportunity of designing a "throne" with their Queen Gloria in mind. The project was to focus public attention on the burgeoning design talent in Normandia and to help publicize the University. Queen Gloria herself got involved by deciding to pose with the finished throne in her official portrait shoot for 2014 thus boosting media coverage to the max. The "throne", of very abstractly creative design, will never serve as an actual symbol of state but does serve the design community by creating awareness of Normandian talent. The University has auctioned the throne off to raise funds for bursaries.

Her Majesty Queen Gloria of Normandia has graciously supported the University for Art and Design by immortalising their project in this State Portrait. 

Queen Gloria chose the national colours of light blue for obvious reasons but also to compliment the throne that also included various shades of blue. 

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (The Szanguscko Jewellery Collection)

The recent engagement of the Count Szanguscko to Princess Antoinette D'Pont Du Lac has brought to our attention the jewellery collection of the Comital House of Szanguscko. The Counts of Szanguscko have for centuries been considered the premiere Noble House in Normandia and as such own some historic jewels. With the restoration of the monarchy in Normandia, the Szangusckos played a pivotal role in cementing the rebirth of historic Royalty. The then head of the Noble House married the new Queen of Normandia and gave up his title in favour of his younger brother. 

Queen Gloria of Normandia has since not worn any jewellery that may be considered from the Szanguscko collection due to the fact that her officie as Queen has many official jewels expected to be worn and she also owns a vast collection of her own. As such, submitting her title to the lower title of her husband's family by the wearing of a Szanguscko Family Tiara, may be seen as strangely inappropriate. Yet it is appropriate for a wife to receive jewellery of a personal nature from her husband and to wear it publicly. Queen Gloria has done so in the form of a bracelet especially made for her as a gift from her husband the now Prince of Northwold. 

In 2011,Queen Gloria wore what has become known as the Szanguscko Bracelet on her right arm. This very personal piece of jewellery is seen as her personal property and the only part of what may considered a Szanguscko jewel in Royal possession.

This photo shows the bracelet in detail.

The unique circumstances surrounding the Szanguscko Family has led to a younger brother being head of the dynasty. The public haven't seen much of the family jewels for the same reason but upon the Count's engagement in 2014 the spectacular Szanguscko Tiara saw the light for the first time in decades. 

In the photo above, taken to commemorate the engagement of his Excellency the Count Szanguscko and Her Highness Princess Antoinette D'Pont Du Lac, we can see the Szanguscko Family Parure. It is made from rare grey pearls and set with diamonds and grey smokey quartz.

In this detailed archive photo we can thee the parure close-up and appreciate the subtle colour differences of the materials used. This tiara dates back from the early 1900's and was made in a mock medieval style. It is, due to its size and age considered to be the official Szanguscko Family Tiara worn by the Countess Consort.

Over the last few years the most often seen tiara from the Szanguscko Collection has been worn by the Count's younger sister Mercedes. She has at times accompanied other members of her family to important State Events and then worn a small diamond bandeau tiara very suitable to her age and rank. Not much is know of this piece except that its design helps us to guess its age. It may have been made in the 1920's for the then Countess.

Countess Mercedes Szanguscko can be seen very successfully wearing the small diamond tiara in 2011.

This detailed photo shows the small tiara with its matching earrings and a strand of quality pearls.

Most of the Szanguscko Collection seems to date from the early 1900's as is just the case of this flapper style coronet tiara. It also employs grey pearls and diamonds and is designed to sit A-symmetrically on the head. This "cheeky" design was typical of aigrette style tiaras from the flapper era.

The A-symmetrical Coronet Tiara is complimented by a two-tone necklace. This set was obviously designed to be used as swapping components fro the Szanguscko Family Parure as parts from both sets may be readily mixed and matched for variety.

It is very thrifty to design elements of new jewellery to be worn alone or to be mixed in with existing historic jewels. This necklace and earrings is made from pearls but includes diamonds and grey smokey quartz. It can thus be matched to any other parts of the Szanguscko Collection. We look forward to seeing it on the red carpet as to our knowledge it has never been worn but with the advent of a new Countess who also brings her own dowry to the Comital Family we may be in for a future feast.

What's Up Wednesday (Normandian Parliament Opening of 2014)

The Normandian State opening of Parliament is an official government event and as such a grand affair held once a year during the first week of September. This seeming contradiction of opening something when a year begins to draw to a close has been tradition in this cold northern part of Europa for centuries. September weather is considered the best time of the year and allows for the festive spectacle that involves a public holiday and a carriage procession through the capital. It is the one event where Normandia completely throws itself into a Royal spectacular.  

A brand new Crown has been made for Queen Gloria at her own expense especially for this year's event and to be used in future by her and her descendants. The small crown follows the protocol of using the national colours and mimics the design of the Royal Crown of Normandia. Queen Gloria paired her new Crown with some other pieces from the Crown Jewel Collection and some of her private jewels. 

This detailed comparison allows for close appreciation of the new addition to the Crown Regalia of Normandia

Her Majesty Queen Gloria of Normandia and His Royal Highness the Prince of Northwold, husband and wife pose in the Parliament Hall for their State Portrait. 

The event requires the leading Nobility of Normandia to be in attendance and as such is considered the main gathering, dressed in their finest, of the country's Nobility.

Queen Gloria's cousin, The Duchess of Roswind and her husband Prince Valmont D'Pont Du Lac attend in their capacity as the Duke and Duchess of Vaganava, a title held within the borders of Normandia. 

The Margravine of Montrose attended this, her first Opening of Parliament Ceremony. She chose to wear the official Montrose Diadem. 

The Count Szanguzcko is the highest ranking traditional Noble in Normandia. His elder brother passed the title to him upon his own marriage to queen Gloria. The Count attended the event with his fiance, Princess Antoinette D'Pont Du Lac. 

Baroness Klariowna  looked fresh and radiant representing her Baronial family, also for the first time since the restoration of the Normandian monarchy. This years event set new standards for the popularity of the monarchy as more and mor of the upper echelons show their undivided support. 

Memory Monday (Top 10 Dress-Up Ensembles of the Past Royal Decade)

Today's Memory Monday deals with history but not of the political nature but rather that of style. It is also sometimes good to see relevant topic based photos grouped together for proper comparison. Thus we decided to do a list of the top 10 dress-up ensembles worn by our Royal women over the last 10 years. 

The list is limited to outfits worn to events, but not wedding dresses. Dresses worn in State Portraits are excluded from the list unless also worn and photographed at an actual State Event and where the chosen ensemble was deemed best outfit at that particular event.

1

We will never forget this dress and jewellery ensemble that set the stage and precedent for all events to follow. Lady Arcwhite made her debut wearing this to the 2010 Christmas Ball. The Ice Queen look was fitting to the Christmas theme and the country she represented but was "warmed" with pink tones giving Lady Arcwhite an imposing yet welcome place in our hearts. It is therefore ranked no 1 and has yet to be bettered.

2

The Annual Christmas Balls always brings out the best in outfits and jewellery. To reign supreme att these events takes something special. For our no 2 spot we selected this ensemble worn by the indomitable Empress Crystobel to the 2011 Christmas Ball. It reflects the awe inspiring glamour and style of a true Empress without taking it to extremes. 

3

As befitting of the Queen of the moment, the 2012 Investiture of King Nikolas III of Syldavia allowed Queen Maxima to dress for the part. being a restored monarchy the balance between regality consideration of practical budget was what this look was all about. Queen Maxima strikes that balance perfectly by wearing a dress made by a local designer with simple lines giving it a very modern feel. White is chosen to allude to a bride committing to her husband, which was in principle the role of the Consort Queen to the King. The long train adds majesty but it's also removable accenting practical use as the dress can be worn again for a different, less formal event. The Queen added traditional jewellery to complete this very successful look. 

4

A new "Empress" has definitely appeared on our red carpet at the 2013 Christmas Ball. The event saw all the guests pulling all the stops and many of the outfits were milestones in style for their wearers. However one lady took the cake, the Crown Princess Imperial. Often the humble Princess, although strictly speaking the highest ranked woman in the world, is over shadowed by more upfront Royals when it comes to dress-up. However the Princess, who does not care to much about outward appearances often hits the ball for a six. This event was her tour-de-force. After the death of Empress Crystobel a period of mourning put a damper on showy events and even the Christmas Ball was under threat of cancellation or at best serious down tone. However, The Scotney and Britanian Governments decided to host it as a diplomatic event in amends for the assassination of the Empress. It was the first time the Crown Prince Imperial and Crown Princess Imperial stepped out in full dress-up in public since he funeral of Empress Crystobel and the diplomatic significance of the event required something special to be worn. The Crown Princess Imperial wore a stunningly appropriate dress of dark tones to hint at mourning but with regal blue shining through in rich brocaded patterns. She paired it with a tiara from the Crown Collection to affirm her rank and also wore some of Empress Crystobel's private jewellery that was left to her husband the Crown Prince Imperial. It is amazing how clothes and jewellery can be such an intimate testament of the state of the heart and state of affairs. 

5

For her Investiture as Queen of Normandia in 2011, Queen Gloria had to face the challenge of blending her own tastes with the requirements of tradition and national symbolism. Light blue is the national colour of Normadia, it combines with the requisite fur trim (albeit fake fur), symbolic of Royal status. The dress was obviously inspired by medieval design to pair respectfully with the medieval Crown Tiara but the entire look has a distinctly modern feel. Traditional dress has never been made to look so stylish with metallic detail and Queen Gloria's brand new earrings made to match.

6

After the 2010 Christmas Ball Lady Arcwhite retained some style momentum by stealing the show for a second time in a row only a few months later. The 2012 Heads of the Royal House Meeting saw some of the main players gathering for a strategy meeting. here Lady Arcwhite showed her clout to the media with a look akin to 1950's glitz. Pairing the metallic pink with some spectacular jewellery the event was taken from regular to cosmic.

7

It is allowed to steal the show as a lady at an event that intrinsically is to honour a man. Such was the case at the 2012 15th Anniversary of the Duke of Swann's Ascension. The most eye catching woman of this event  and no 7 on our list was undoubtedly Queen maria of Hispania dressed in all white and rubies. The almost iconic look set the precedent for what to expect from Queen Maria who at that stage was still gaining her footing on the world stage. 

8

Lady Arcwhite takes her third slot on our top 10 list but this time the memorability of the ensemble is based purely on the symbolism and not necessarily the purity of style. For the 2012 Christmas Ball Lady Arcwhite was the host and was required by tradition to wear certain official jewellery. The final result was very imposing, spectacular but also a bit creepy. However the look was perfectly in keeping with the event and its host and did leave a lasting impression on us all making it no 8 on our list. 

9

Effortless glamour is the hallmark of style. The Grand Duchess of Hanoveria never seems to try too hard and always looks the part but at the Birthday Ball in 2012 she had all eyes on her. The Grand Duchess paired the spectacular Hanoverian Aquamarines with a gold ball gown that almost gave the effect of a misty hays of gold. The look was truly memorable.

10

The first internationally published event needed the hostess to look the part. That look has stayed with us as we have come to expect from Princess Augusta. She put all our Royals back on the map and turned public opinion around reigniting public interest in the extravaganza that is Royalty. Her Byzantine inspired dress at the 2009 Birthday Ball burned itself into our minds and now that flame needs constant refueling with more glamour. 

Five honourable mentions must be made as they were worn at the same events as the top 10 but as such are strictly disqualified from our limited list. However due to the fact that they came to mind instantly while making the list we thought we would add them for good measure.

Also a true icon of style Princess Xenia of Wallachia dresses impeccably stylish yet she knows her place and never tries to upstage anybody. As such her incredible ensembles are often relegated to the back ground of major events but we do make note of them and this particular one has summed up her look. Worn to the 2013 Christmas Ball the Princess' dramatic personality and penchant for dark tones and purple are obvious. 

Queen Maria often plays the white card and does it well as mentioned on our top 10 list however this one is also noteworthy. The dress was actually her second choice and back-up after her original dress was torn badly while exiting her car. 

Princess Kirtsen Youssopoff pulls all the stops when the event requires it and when everybody else goes full tilt she does the same but in her own, almost "sexy-yet-regal" manner. Clean lines with a bit of glitz and leg is paired with stylish historic jewellery to give us the Kirsten we have come to expect. Undeniably chic. 

For their first major Royal event the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Reichenthal wanted to impress and that they did. Full length evening gown can so easily be frumpy or cake icingy but the Grand Duchess Azantha showed us hoe it should be done. Aquamarine dress hugs the figure yet surrendered full volume and paired with Royal Jewels it was a complete winner also at the 2013 Christmas Ball. 

Definitely the 2nd best dressed at this event and one of her most spectacular looks to date the Crown Princess Imperial redeemed her sapphire debut with this perfect pitch of Imperial yet not-stealing-the-limelight dress. The Syldavian Investiture required all the guests to play second fiddle to the new King and Queen. The Crown Princess Imperial was however going to make the most of it and and stayed in our minds as the best dressed after Queen Maxima. It was also the prime opportunity for the Princess to wear her sapphires in a noteworthy manner after they were completely overlooked when they debuted at the same event where Lady Arcwhite stole the show. Revenge is sweet.