Tiara Watch of the Day: The Belgium/Australia State Visit

Programming Note: The blog returns Monday!

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde welcomed Australia's Governor-General and his wife for a state visit to Belgium yesterday, thus keeping us in tiara watching fun for a second time this week. (Thanks, Mathilde.)

Belgian Monarchy

Only the very grandest of settings will do for a state banquet! (This is at the Castle of Laeken.) Mathilde did not bring the grandest of tiaras - not a surprise, she tends to adjust her bling based on the guest - but longtime readers will already spot what I love here.

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PURPLE! Purple on top of purple, even. The dress almost looks blue here, it's very much on the cool violet/periwinkle end of things while the sash of the Order of Leopold is much warmer. I shall not let that get in the way of a good purplefest.

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She added in her diamond butterfly brooch, diamond and pearl earrings, and the Wolfers Necklace Tiara from Queen Fabiola.

The fabric shown on the runway, Armani Privé Spring 2016

The dress is custom Armani Privé, seen previously at King Carl Gustaf's 70th birthday banquet in 2016, when she also wore the Wolfers Tiara. Her Laurel Wreath Tiara would have been a good one to try here.

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Going backwards in time, the Queen's new Natan for the welcome ceremony has the delicate floral embroidery I love, and she's pulling her accessory color from those details, another thing I love. So it took me a while to figure out what wasn't clicking here for me: I think it's the forehead placement of the hat. I'd love to see her repeat this dress and pull a different accessory color out of the florals.

Speaking of florals, we'll continue to go back in time to last week, when Mathilde was also in a flower power mood:

Queen Mathilde attended the graduation gala at the Royal Ballet School
Belgian Monarchy

Also BIRDS! More animals in the florals, why not? It's got leaves and it's got ruffles, and if you think you smell an Erdem...

Erdem Florence Dress Agar Bird

...you are absolutely correct. She debuted this during the couple's state visit to Canada earlier this year; the designer is Canadian. I like this one on her, I really do.