I made a few changes to Royal Wedding Style 101. It sounds much better now, I think.

There’s something special about being a princess.

Princesses have that enviable combination of being regal and glamorous, looking like they’ve just stepped out of a fairytale. Glorious royal weddings really highlight the fairytale status, with the princess bride marching up the aisle in yards of silk and lace topped off with a diamond tiara. It makes your heart melt right then and there.

Your own wedding is one of the best times to celebrate your inner princess. I knew just how I wanted to look on that special day, and being a royal historian I had a lot of research from which to choose my ideal ensemble.

Here is what I did to capture royal glamour:

1.) Do your homework. My search took a few months because there were a lot of Royal brides to study. Start looking for ideas right away when you get engaged.

Eventually I decided to emulate Crown Princess Letizia of Spain.

The Crown Princess’ dress was fitted with long sleeves, and the collar of the gown was high, which I liked. Her tiara was a graceful curve, lending a subtle sparkle. The earrings were small, the veil was long, and the makeup subdued. Very smart indeed!

2.)  Look carefully. Even though I had a specific dress style in mind, I tried on several gowns of every variety just to see how they looked. Keep an open mind in case you cannot afford the exact dress you want. You never know – the second choice may turn out to be even better than the first!

3.) Assume nothing. I thought that because of the approaching autumn weather (I got married in October), the gown designs would feature sleeves. No such luck. I had found a beautiful gown at last, but it was strapless. What to do?

4.) Improvise. Throw on that Bolero jacket. Perfect! I now had the long sleeves I wanted with a smooth, curved collar. Add that to the cathedral-length veil scattered with pearls to match the lace and pearls on the dress, and Voila! Major wedding shopping is complete.

5.) Get a fabulous tiara with quality crystals. This is probably the only time in your life you will get to wear a tiara, so don’t get a cheesy one. Make it a goody!

My Accessories: Below is a picture of my tiara, made of genuine Austrian crystals and leaded-glass rhinestones. It was attached with bobby pins instead of combs, which I felt was more comfortable. It measures 2″ high in the center, and is formally known as the “Fantasy Trellis” style. It was purchased through Princess Bride Tiaras (http://www.princessbridetiaras.com)

This is one of my earrings. They are not real diamonds, but they still look regal and sparkle like an icy fire. They reminded me of something the Queen might wear, so I was absolutely sold. They were discovered at JC Penney for under $20.

Below, a necklace I made myself several years ago. I did not want too much jewelry to clash with the intricacy of my gown and the tiara, so I went simple. It is a small diamond threaded with clear wire, with small metal ends that screw together. The thread is barely noticeable in any photos, but the little diamond shines brightly to compliment the earrings and tiara.

My Hair: All royal ladies wear their hair up on the day of their wedding. I’ve seen some brides wear their hair down under their veil, but it just looked uncomfortable to me. A sleek up ‘do is the only way to go. I chose another of Letizia’s looks.

My Makeup: I chose Clinique’s Superbalanced Makeup (32 Breeze) for my foundation, followed by just a mere poof of blush on my cheeks. I smudged a small amount of gold eye shadow on my lids, and lined my eyes’ water line with black eye-liner. I topped it all off with Maybelline’s “Very Black” Great Lash mascara. A quick smudge of tinted lip gloss, and I was ready to go.

I hope these photos and ideas inspire you for your own wedding. Just follow my advice of simple and elegant, and you too can be an amazing royal bride!

- Mandy

Letizia, Crown Princess of Spain, has undergone surgery to correct a “deviated septum” said spokesmen from the Royal Palace.

Click this link to view a before-and-after photo of the Crown Princess. The removal of the small bump on her nose has subtly changed her appearance. It’s a case of “you know there’s something different, but you just can’t place your finger on it”.

I think it has definitely changed Letizia’s face, but she still looks pretty. There was nothing wrong with her before, though. She was just as lovely. Perhaps the deviated septum story is real, but these days I just can’t trust that line…

Thank you to The Royal Forums

Whoo, boy. I didn’t realize that Peter Phillips’ wedding would cause such a ruckus.

First, the Catholics have a fit because Autumn changed her religion from Catholic to Anglican (Church of England). Then there was the Hello! Magazine deal about their relationship and wedding.

A commercial deal in the royal family is looked upon with derision by many. Take the Countess of Wessex’s problems concerning her former PR firm several years ago. Some of the public began to wonder if she was cashing in on royal titles and connections. ITN states that this particular deal struck with Hello! will instead “damage any future claims to privacy” by Autumn and Peter.

That I can’t agree with, unfortunately. Even if they weren’t splashed across the pages of Hello!, they will still be viewed as glamorous, modern young royals and will be placed in the arena of publicity with Kate, Chelsy, Beatrice, etc. Peter has always been a private person, just as Princess Anne had planned, but nowadays I think that privacy is hard to find for anyone in a public family, especially when they have a beautiful royal wedding!

Princess Letizia of Spain’s sister recently discovered this the hard way: the publicity shy Telma Ortiz brought a restraining order against the media in an effort to retain her privacy. The courts felt differently, and ruled that since Telma Ortiz is the sister-in-law to the Spanish Crown Prince she is, by default, a public figure. The order was declined and the media will now, I’m sure, be on her like beans on toast while declaring a ‘freedom of the press’ victory.

Of course, we can’t forget about the religious issue concerning the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. Father Raymond J. de Souza is outraged, saying that Autumn’s conversion to the Church of England was ‘cavalier’ and that she should be ashamed for stating that the C of E and Rome are pretty much “the same religion”. It does seem fairly unnecessary to me that she should convert, as Peter will never take the throne, but lesser royal figures have had to give up their place for marrying Catholic. Maybe Autumn felt guilty that she would be playing ‘politics’ – inadvertently – with the line of succession.

There have been many debates about rescinding the Act of Settlement barring Catholics from the throne. People say the Act goes against human rights, and they also ridicule it for barring Catholics but not, say, Scientologists. People also note that the Duchess of Kent, a senior royal, converted to Catholicism yet the Duke of Kent keeps his place in the line. How do you explain that?

I have to say that this Act is a bit out of date, but if it is repealed, what happens? Will Prince Michael regain his position in the line of succession, for instance? Would Autumn reconvert? Who knows… it’s all so interesting yet it could be potentially very chaotic. For now, however, the only chaos is the war of words in the media.

There was cause for nationwide celebration in Spain at the weekend as Princess Letizia and Crown Prince Felipe became parents for a second time with the birth of a daughter on Sunday, April 29.

Just hours after the little Sofia was delivered by Caesarean section weighing 7lbs 5oz, her proud dad stepped out of the clinic to share the happy news with the world.

As you have probably heard, Princess Letizia of Spain recently lost her youngest sister. Many condolences to the Crown Princess at such a sad time.

Princess Letizia of Spain has confirmed she is expecting her second child with husband Crown Prince Felipe, while the Netherlands’ enormously popular Princess Maxima is looking forward to the arrival of her third child with Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.

[ More Baby News ]