5 royal reasons to remember February 2016

One months, hundreds of royal events and some very special memories. Among the highlights of February, five moments really stand out. From a magical tea party to the beginnings of a piece of history, these are the things that will stay with us for a long time to come. Here are five royal reasons to remember February 2016.

Princess Madeleine makes fairytales come true

Fairytales can come true, it can happen to you...and it did happen in February when Princess Madeleine invited seriously ill children to a tea party at the Royal Palace in Stockholm and came dressed as - a real life princess. In one of the most magical royal events in a long time, Madeleine donned a princess dress and a real life sparkly tiara to host the party for Min Stora Dag, the charity which provides special experiences for very ill children and of which she is patron. Her daughter, Princess Leonore, came too in a pink princess dress of her own.There were cakes, there were crowns and there were some very special memories for the twelve children who were treated to a fairy tale come true by Princess Madeleine.

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The Queen gets her own train line

What do you get the monarch who has everything? How about her own train line. Elizabeth II grabbed Victoria's place in the history books by overtaking her record as the longest reigning British monarch ever and now she's joining her great, great grandmother with another honour reserved for very few people indeed - her own train line. Crossrail, which opens in December 2018, will be known as the Elizabeth Line and just to add to the total regal effect it will be coloured purple on the train maps. Pretty spectacular.

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Queen Maxima visits Pakistan

Queen Maxima has had a high profile as a UN Special Ambassador for Inclusive Finance and her visit this month to Pakistan in that capacity was an important one. The Queen of the Netherlands spent three days in the country, hearing about projects that are giving financial freedom to many different sectors of society and making several keynote speeches about issues close to her heart. The visit was a success and that's no surprise, Maxima's clear passion for this cause shines through every time.

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Princess Ingrid Alexandra lights the Olympic flame

Her family has had a long involvement with the Olympic movement and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, future queen of Norway, carried on that tradition when she lit the Olympic flame at the start of the Youth Games in Lillehammer. She shared the starring role at the opening ceremony with her grandfather, King Harald, who was visibily moved as he declared that the games had started while Ingrid's dad, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus, was a volunteer during the event. The whole family got involved and the high royal profile at the Youth Olympics is a royal highlight of the year already.

A special wedding anniversary

It's back to fairytales. On Valentine's Day 2016, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary and brought a real royal touch to romance. Henri of Luxembourg married Maria Teresa Mestre on February 14th 1981 at Notre Dame Cathedral in the Grand Duchy. The couple have five children and three grandchildren and have been Grand Duke and Duchess since 2000. And the photos taken to mark their special wedding anniversary showed they're just as happy now as when they said 'I do' thirty five years ago.
(photo credit: Cour Ducale/ Carole Bellaiche)

Just five right royal reasons to remember February 2016 - but which was your favourite?

Victoria's maternity fashion: the final countdown

Let's admit it, we're all secretly hoping that Victoria of Sweden has a Leap Day baby. Given that she is in the final trimester, Victoria is probably at the stage where she just wants to have a baby full stop. We're all looking forward to the safe arrival of healthy, happy baby number two for the Crown Princess of Sweden so while we wait, we're looking back at her maternity fashion (see the special page) and now it's time for the final countdown. Here's how Victoria has wowed as she prepares for the arrival of her second child.

December 4th 2015, Royal Palace, Stockholm

If ever there was a time to recycle royal fashion, it's during pregnancy. After all, even if we get another two or three mini Victorias or Daniels the opportunity to rewear maternity clothes is limited. So Sweden's Crown Princess dusted down her favourite purple dress and coat and wore them for an audience with the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, as December got under way.

December 14th, Royal Palace, Stockholm

There were a lot of evening events in December so daywear glimpses were limited and even more so as Victoria held a meeting with the Crown Princess Victoria Foundation for Scientific Research. Sitting behind a table, we got just a glimpse of a rather striking red top with an eye catching necklace. 

I Prinsessan Sibyllas våning välkomnar Kungen och Kronprinsessan representanter från Tunisiska nationella kvartetten för dialog som tilldelades Nobels fredspris 2015. // In Princess Sibylla's apartment, The King and the Crown Princess greets representatives from the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, receiver of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. #kungahuset #kungligaslottet #nobel #nobelsfredspris

A photo posted by Kungahuset (@kungahuset) on Dec 15, 2015 at 4:27am PST

December 15th, Royal Palace, Stockholm

What's not to love about this fabulous navy maternity dress chosen for an audience with the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. The colour, the cut, the pleating - it's all just rather lovely. 

December 17th, Centre for Business History, Bromma
It was another case of heads and shoulders on a visit to the Centre for Business History which Victoria made with her husband, Prince Daniel, and her brother, Prince Carl Philip, as Christmas approached. The princess chose a black outfit but while the style was simple, the pulled back ponytail added a touch of glamour to a chic day look.

January 14th 2016, Royal Palace, Stockholm
Another staple of Victoria's maternity wardrobe made a repeat appearance for a meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister attended by the Crown Princess, her parents and her husband. This blue print dress has been a real favourite through this second pregnancy and it was looking just as elegant on this outing.

Kronprinsessan tillsammans statsråden Isabella Lövin och Ardalan Shekarabi inför konferensen "Agenda 2030 - Sveriges arbete för att nå de globala målen för hållbar utveckling" #kungahuset #kronprinsessan #agenda2030 #globalamålen

A photo posted by Kungahuset (@kungahuset) on Jan 18, 2016 at 1:33am PST

January 18th 2016, Stockholm
Crown Princess Victoria gave us another glimpse of a black dress with white print worn before when she attended a conference on Sustainable Development in Stockholm. She'd worn it before with a black jacket and a white one but it was back to black this time round for another take on this day look.

January 21st, Royal Palace, Stockholm The best part of this day outfit is at the very bottom. Check out the ankle boots Victoria added to this otherwise simple shirt, jacket and trousers combo for her engagement at one of the Royal Palace Music Concert events. Rather nice, aren't they? Modern maternity at its best.

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January 22nd, Royal Palace, Stockholm The pink coat was back the next day as Victoria accompanied her parents to the official opening of the exhibition 'In Time - Royal Watches for 400 Years'. There's nothing wrong with this coat, it's just very shiny and very pink. It was worn with a black shift on this occasion and the ankle boots were a great touch.

Kronprinsessan tillsammans med Emerich Roth samt elever och lärare vid Viksjöskolan i Järfälla. Kronprinsessan lyssnade till Emerichs föreläsning han höll för 8:e klassare under Viksjöskolans fredsvecka. The Crown Princess together with Emerich Roth and students and teachers at Viksjöskolan in Järfälla. The Crown Princess listened to Emerich's lecture for eighth graders during Viksjöskolan's peace week. #kungahuset #viksjöskolan #emerichroth

A photo posted by Kungahuset (@kungahuset) on Jan 25, 2016 at 3:34am PST

January 25th, Viksjo School, Jarfalla The ankle boots were back a few days later for a visit to a lecture given by Emerich Roth. Victoria teamed them this time with black trousers and a geometric print top first seen early on in her pregnancy. It was a very fitting outfit for a serious event.

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January 27th, Royal Opera House, Stockholm
Crown Princess Victoria also attended a scholarship presentation as part of Holocaust Remembrance Day this year. To present the Scholarships from the Michael Bindefield Foundation in Memory of the Holocaust, Victoria was in black.

January 29th, Royal Palace, Stockholm
The blue was back for an audience with Johan Rock, Professor of Environmental Science at Stockholm University. We got a glimpse of the geometric pattern dress this time paired with a navy blazer - it looked smart and chic.

February 11th, Royal Palace, Stockholm
The last part of every pregnancy is tiring so it's no surprise that Victoria has been sitting down a lot at recent engagements. For a meeting with Sweden's Climate Minister, alongside her father King Carl XVI Gustaf, Victoria gave us a glimpse of the black and white spotty dress that has been such a good friend through this pregnancy.

February 15th, Royal Palace, Stockholm
We got another take on the navy and black scheme that seems to have dominated Victoria's wardrobe during this pregnancy when she chose a blouse in those colours for a meeting with Mogens Lykketoft, the President of the UN General Assembly, at the Royal Palace. The sheer blue blouse had black pocket details and kept up the modern maternity style.

February 23rd, Haga Palace, Stockholm
The photos were taken a few weeks earlier but Victoria's pregnancy was clearly well into its final phase when the official photos marking the fourth birthday of Princess Estelle were taken. Victoria chose white - a long jacket over a light shirt. Add in Daniel's green shirt and Estelle's green and white dress and this is perfect family colour co-ordination.

February 25th, Royal Palace, Stockholm
It might be the last time we see her before she becomes a mum for the second time and for an audience with politicians about the UN global goals for sustainable development, Victoria chose black trousers and jacket and a white blouse. It was simple and stylish and the sparkles of the necklace added some glitter. Next time we see her it could well be with a babe in her arms and a big sister called Estelle at her side. It's been a super stylish pregnancy.

What princesses wear to the Oscars

If there's one thing more glittery than the Oscars themselves, it's the frocks and rocks worn by the stars attending the Academy Awards. From Alicia Vikander's Vuitton to Brie Larson's Gucci, there was glamour and gorgeousness all round at the ceremony this year. It's when actresses dress as princesses but it's the gown chosen by a real life princess in waiting for her big Oscars moment that regularly tops favourite frocks of all time polls. Grace Kelly picked up her Best Actress gong in a gown that became part of film - and royal - history. This is what princesses wear to the Oscars.

The most gorgeous gown of all? Grace Kelly's Oscar dress of 1956 regularly wins polls for favourite frocks

(photo credit By Metro Goldwyn Mayer -Public Domain)

Grace Kelly's famous Oscars gown was worn to the 1956 ceremony where she ended up winning Best Actress for her performance in The Country Girl. For her big night she chose an ice blue gown by Edith Head and she glittered everyone else off the red carpet.

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The dress had a structured top with thin straps and then flowed into a fabulous skirt with layers of material folded into a shape that stayed elegant and chic throughout the evening. There were gloves, there was a little bag and there was that fabulous up do which showed everyone just how beautiful Grace Kelly really was.

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It wasn't her first Oscars appearance but it was her most famous. The previous year she had walked the red carpet with Clarke Gable, her co-star in Mugambo, for which she won her first Oscar nomination. Her sequinned gown with flower detailing is pretty but a definite silver medal compared to the Edith Head creation.  Grace Kelly appeared at the Oscars just once more when she returned in 1956 to present the Best Actor statutette to Ernest Borgnine. She was in a piece of perfection with a tulle skirt scattered with flowers but this wasn't the most famous frock she wore that year.

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Just weeks after her Academy Awards appearance, Grace Kelly left for Monaco for her marriage to Prince Rainier. She looked like a princess at the Oscars and soon afterwards that's just what she became. That's how royalty does the Academy Awards/.

Six royal roles that won an Oscar

It's Oscars night and that means the eyes of the world are on Hollywood for the biggest, glitziest and most famous film awards of them all. There will be dozens of statuettes handed out this evening but the some of the most intense interest will be in who takes home the acting prizes. This year, Hollywood royalty is hot favourite for a prize with Leonardo di Caprio the man to beat for best actor. But in the past, royal roles have bagged the golden statue for several actors. Here are 6 royal roles which have won Oscars for the women and men who brought them to life on the screen.

Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Lion in Winter, Best Actress (shared), 1969

It's not really surprising that it's the great powerhouses of the English monarchy who provide parts that win Oscars.  Katherine Hepburn won her fourth and final Academy Award for her role as Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 1968 film, A Lion in Winter. She shared the prize with Barbra Streisand who was recognised for her part in Funny Girl, the only time the Best Actress Oscar has been awarded jointly.

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Charles Laughton as Henry VIII, The Private Life of Henry VIII, Best Actor 1933 

Henry VIII didn't just dominate the 16th century, the Tudor dynasty and a huge chunk of royal history. He is also the character to win more Best Actor nominations than any other. So far three men have been up for an Oscar for playing the much married monarch but only one of them has bagged the gong. Charles Laughton won Best Actor in 1933 making him the first British actor to scoop the prize. He was recognised for his performance as Henry in the comedy, yes comedy, The Private Life of Henry VIII. There would be a gap of three decades before Henry made his presence felt again at the Oscars with Robert Shaw being nominated for his portrayal of the king in A Man for All Seasons in 1966 while Richard Burton as Henry VIII was in the running in 1969 for Anne of the Thousand Days.

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Dame Helen Mirren, The Queen, Best Actress 2007

Perhaps the best known of recent royal role wins is that of Dame Helen Mirren who won just about every prize going for her portrayal of Elizabeth II in The Queen.  The film, which was set in the days following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, was released in 2006 with Dame Helen collecting the Best Actress Oscar award in February 2007 wearing one of the best pever Oscar dresses. She was gorgeous in gold and aid tribute to the Queen in her acceptance speech.

  

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Colin Firth as King George VI, The King's Speech, Best Actor 2011

Colin Firth played George VI in The King's Speech (released in 2010) which told the story of the unexpected monarch through his struggle to overcome his stutter.  And while Helena Bonham Carter was also nominated for her portrayal of Bertie's wife, later better known as the Queen Mother, it was the make believe king who took home the gold statuette when the awards were held in early 2011.

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Dame Judi Dench as Elizabeth I, Shakespeare in Love, Best Supporting Actress 1999

Dame Judi Dench collected the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1999 for her performance as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.  It's one of the shortest ever appearances to win an Academy Award and as well as winning for her star turn as Gloriana, many commentators believe it was also an opportunity to recognise Dame Judi's performance as another royal - the year before she had just missed out on the Best Actress Oscar for her potrayal of Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown.

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Yul Brynner as King Mongkut of Siam, The King and I, Best Actor 1957

It's rare for a musical performance to bag the Best Actor award but Yul Brynner achieved this difficult feat in 1957 when he took home the Oscar for his performance as King Mongkut of Siam in The King and I. His co-star, Deborah Kerr, just missed out on the Best Actress Award but then Oscar history is filled with favourites who didn't quite grab the gong. Just a word of warning, Leo - don't put it in the bag just yet.

Look Who's Walking

We saw him take a few steps on the celebrations for his first birthday but Prince Jacques of Monaco is really hitting his stride now. As he accompanied his parents to a rugby tournament, the heir to the throne of Monaco looked more than confident at walking out as he trotted happily holding on to Princess Charlene's hand. And Monaco's leading lady may just have won the prize for proudest looking mum of the year while he did it.

Prince Jacques of Monaco takes some big steps forward as he heads to the rugby with his mum

Jacques, who looks rather like mum, was with Charlene and Albert at the Saint Devote rugby tournament where all the contestants are under the age of twelve. Ten teams from nine different countries took part in the event which is organised by the Monaco Rugby Federation and the Princess Charlene Foundation. 

Prince Albert watches as his wife presents prizes at the end of the Saint Devote rugby tournament

And it looks like future competitors might have a big fan cheering from the stands as Prince Jacques seemed totally enthralled by the whole thing. His sister, Princess Gabriella, stayed at home. 

The happy prince - Jacques of Monaco clearly loved his day out at the rugby

Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella were born on December 10th 2014 at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco, the first children of Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II. Jacques, although several minutes younger than his sister, is heir to the throne. And as he showed this weekend, he's striding into the future with confidence.

All photos Princess Charlene Foundation/ Facebook.

Princess Alexia recovering well

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands is recovering well following an operation on her right leg. The princess, who is ten, broke her leg in an accident while on a ski-ing holiday with her family in Austria. The Royal Household issued a brief statement late on Saturday to say that Alexia had undergone surgery and the procedure had gone well.

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, seen here with her sisters, is recovering following an operation on a broken leg sustained during the family holiday to Lech, Austria

Princess Alexia, who is second in line to the throne of the Netherlands, will stay in hospital for several days. The accident came several days after the Dutch royals arrived in Lech, Austria for their winter holiday.

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands will stay in hospital for several days following her operation

Alexia accompanied her parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, and her sisters, twelve year old Princess Catharina-Amalia, and eight year old Princess Ariane, on the trip. Her grandmother, Princess Beatrix, is also on the holiday along with Willem-Alexander's brother, Prince Constantijn, his wife, Princess Laurentien, and their three children.  Wishing Princess Alexia a continued speedy recovery.

Princess Alexia breaks her leg

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands is in hospital tonight after breaking her leg during a ski-ing accident in Austria. The ten year old princess, second daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, was involved in an accident during her family's winter holiday in Lech on Saturday morning and airlifted to hospital where doctors diagnosed a break to her upper right leg.

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands in an official portrait

The Dutch Royal Household released a statement saying that Alexia, who is second in line to her country's throne, was taken to hospital by helicopter following the accident and that she has undergone surgery. They will release more information later.

Alexia with her two sisters, Ariane and Amalia

Alexia arrived in Lech earlier this week and on Monday she posed for photographs along with her parents and her sisters, twelve year old Catharina-Amalia who is heir to the throne, and eight year old Ariane. Her grandmother, Princess Beatrix, joined the party as did Prince Constantijn, brother of King Willem-Alexander, and his wife, Princess Laurentien and their three children. The family released their short statement very quickly and have said there will be updates. Wishing Princess Alexia a speedy recovery.

The Royal Wardrobe: all sorts of colours

As the first shoots of spring appear, the Royal Wardrobe is also blossoming and this week we saw a lot more colour than we have in recent times. There were a couple of big, bold splashes but mostly this week was all about mixing subtle shades with black, grey or white to produce all sorts of interesting looks. Here are five fabulous outfits from this week's Royal Wardrobe.

Maybe it was the unstructured sleeves, maybe it was the cool collar but there was something about Princess Charlene's white jacket that made it unforgettable. Add in the black jumper and skinny jeans and this is formal relaxed at its very best. All sorts of chicness here.

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You want bright and bold then here's Queen Maxima ski-ing. Snow based outfits can be hard to pull off in the style stakes but Maxima is on such a run of fashion form that it was never going to be a problem for her. She went for bright red in a classic design jacket and trousers but the addition of a black belt and print scarf took this one to the top of the style stakes.

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Kate kept her colours more muted as she headed to Edinburgh for a day of engagements. Her sage green coat was really rather lovely with panelling and a huge collar that added another special touch. Elegant and on trend, this was a real winner for Kate.

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Her grandmother in law went for a brighter shade for her visit to a construction site on the railway line that will bear her name. Elizabeth II wore purple for a visit to the Elizabeth Line which will run across London and beyond from December 2018 and be represented on the rail maps by a purple line. A fabulous look for a fabulous day.

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Look of the week came from Letizia and it's a long time since we've said that. The Queen of Spain wore all sorts of colours for her visit to ARCO 2016 mixing black leather trousers, white blouse and candy pink jacket to maximum effect. The strappy shoes and pink bag turned this into a total winner. All sorts of fun from the Royal Wardrobe this week as spring starts to make itself felt.

The Windsor Wrap: headlines from the week

It's been a busy week for the House of Windsor. We got tennis, we got football, we got trains, we got a whole new railway line. That's not bad for seven days. Here's a round up for the week in the Windsor Wrap.

The Duchess of Cambridge visited Edinburgh on Wednesday. Kate popped into St Catherine's Primary School to see more of the work of Place2Be, the mental health charity of which she is patron and to join a discussion with headteachers from across Edinburgh about mental health support. 

(photo Kensington Palace Twitter)

6 royal versions of pink and black

Queen Letizia's choice of that striking but under used colour combination of pink and black gave her a fashion winner. And she's not the only royal to add these two colours together to score a hit - though to be fair to Letizia, she's favoured this mix more than most and has had some real winners in the process. Here's a look at six times royals have added pink to black - which is your favourite?

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark added a gorgeous pink coat to a gorgeous black jumper and pink skirt and looked, well, gorgeous. The combo was chosen for a visit alongside fellow style icon, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who looked just as good in different colours. Two royal women showing everyone how to mix and match.

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Charlotte Casiraghi chose this eighties inspired outfit for the wedding of her uncle, Prince Albert II, and Charlene Wittstock in July 2011. The black bow is cleverly position on the palest pastel pink for maximum impact and you have to be brave to attempt a headband at a royal wedding. Charlotte proved that fortune favours the brave and scored a total hit.

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Queen Rania made the colour combination really cutting edge with the chic and super styled coat and dress outfit she chose fora visit to London earlier this year. There might be more black in this outfit than pink but the cerise is so bright it more than holds its own and Rania looks great.

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Newlywed Crown Princess Victoria chose this very bright pink dress with wide black belt for an appearance in August 2010. It's simple, it's summery and it's striking. Pink and black in classic form.

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It's very similar to a hot pink dress with black belt that was a firm favourite of Letizia while Princess of Asturias. Designed by one of her favourites, Felipe Varela, it made numerous outings, including on this visit to ARCO 2012, and looked just as great on every single one of them.

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Which brings us back to the pink and white winner that Letizia chose for ARCO 2016. A fresh take on an firm favourite, this trouser and jacket combination is a style stunner and just goes to show that a a pink and black mix can be magic.

A very famous engagement ring

Thirty five years is usually linked to jade or coral but this 35th is all about a sapphire. For on February 25th 1981, the papers were full of photos of a sparkling sapphire and diamond ring. Ia world before the internet (yes, that really happened) we had to wait until the day after the announcement of the engagement of Charles and Diana for a chance to really study the ring he had given her. So it was 35 years ago right now that we got a proper introduction to what is now one of the most famous rings in the world.

Famous from the first moment - Diana's sapphire and diamond ring sparkling in an official portrait

And what a ring it was. A 12 carat oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds on a band of gold. No wonder it got so much coverage all those years ago. It was big, it was bold, it was beautiful. And it broke the royal mould. Diana didn't pick a family heirloom, she chose a new design from the jewellers Garrards and pretty much as soon as it appeared in the papers all those years ago, just about everyone wanted a copy of it. Diana was a trend setter from the start.

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Of course it became famous all over again in 2010 when her first son, Prince William, presented it to his fiance, Catherine Middleton, when they announced their engagement to the world. William said he wanted his mother to be a part of his special moment and as the ring sparkled on Kate's finger it took on another chapter in an already famous royal history.

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Then it starred in royal portraits beamed around the world. Today it features in more globally known pictures. The way the photos are spread has changed with Kate's ring snapped on the internet while Diana's was a newspaper sensation. Thirty five years on, this famous piece of royal jewellery is still making headlines.

Letizia in the pink

Ultimately, it looked better with the jacket but the outfit picked by Queen Letizia of Spain for her day out today put her back at the top of the style stakes. After a very quiet start to the New Year, Letizia let rip with a pink and black combo that wowed from a distance and still got a round of applause close up. Spain's style icon queen is back in business.

Liking the look - Letizia admires some art while we all admire her

(photo casareal.es)

Letizia was out and about with her husband, King Felipe who was wearing a grey suit and blue tie if you're interested. No? Thought not, back to Letizia. You can't beat a bit of black and pink - for a more unusual colour combo, it's right up there for me. Spain's queen found herself a very nice candy pink jacket with flared sleeves and a bag so colour co-ordinated it was almost as if she had stayed up all night dying it to match.

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There was also a very daring pair of leather trousers with zip detailing at the front and strappy shoes that, let's face it, no other queen on the continent is a) going to try and b) get away with.

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So far, so lovely. But while touring ARCO 2016 with her husband, Letizia obviously got a bit warm which meant losing the jacket (boo) and giving us a closer look at the white shirt underneath which was nice but just, well, a white shirt. Without the pop of pink the outfit went from gold medal winning to photo finish.

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Not to worry, it was back draped across her shoulders as she left the exhibition hall having spent time seeing some of the exhibits in the International Contemporary Art Fair which is now in its 35th year.

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There was also a slick of bright pink lipstick which worked wonders and one of her favourite pairs of earrings which didn't quite do the trick as they feature a bright pink and a bright green stone. With the powerful colour combos already going on, it was a shame to add a fourth.

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But overall, this is a winner for Letizia who has stuck to muted shades, lots of monochrome and a favourite red coat for the first months of 2016. But given that they have been tricky months for Spain's royals with the beginning of the trial of the Infanta Cristina and the postponement of the State Visit to the UK perhaps Letizia has been wise to keep the knock out outfits out of the spotlight for now. But there's no doubt that Spain's queen is back in business as a style icon. Let's get read to enjoy.

Victoria's maternity fashion: daywear, part two

Part two now of Victoria's maternity day wear (you can read part one here) and we start with her trip to Peru and Colombia where we got lots of bright colours and eye catching jackets.

October 19th, Lima, Peru

For the first appearances of the tour, including a meeting with Peruvian President, Ollanta Humala, Victoria chose a red shift dress with a raised waist and mid length sleeves. The jaunty jewellery was a nice addition and this was a striking look to start the tour.

October 20th, Lima, Peru

There was another eye catching dress on display on day two when the Crown Princess chose a geometric print design with full sleeves for a series of engagements including a tour of Lima's historic centre. It was another victory for Victoria.

October 21st, Cartagena, Colombia

The royal couple then moved on to Colombia and for a visit to Cartagena, Crown Princess Victoria chose a fabulous black dress with floral print scattered across the body. It was a look worth repeating over and over again.

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October 22nd, Bogota, Colombia
For day four of her tour, Victoria returned to regal purple as she met Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, on her first day in the country's capital, Bogota. The purple shift worn for Nicolas' christening was teamed with purple coat and pretty, delicate gold jewellery to make this another standout look. Rather lovely.

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October 23rd, Bogota, Colombia For the final day of her South American tour, Crown Princess Victoria chose a black and white print dress with a bolero length white jacket fastened with a neat bow just above her bump. This is one of my absolute favourite Victoria maternity looks - super chic but with the added twist of black shoes and white bag to really mix it up. Fabulous.

November 2nd, Royal Palace, Stockholm We got a hint of a rather nice red top from Victoria on her next day appearance. She was sitting down, admittedly, so we didn't get to see how the rest of the outfit panned out but the colour and cut of this one was an eye catcher. She was attending a briefing ahead of the Tunisian State Visit to Sweden - you can see her great gala gown from that trip on the evening maternity looks post.

November 3rd, Uppsala University Is it me or has Victoria been wearing a lot of blue during this pregnancy? One of her first baby blue outfits came in November, when she was around four to five months pregnant (scan time everyone, just saying), and she attended the Dag Hammerskjold lecture at Uppsala University wearing a gorgeous blue dress with baby blue coat and blue scarf. That's a lot of blue.

November 4th, Royal Palace, Stockholm There was more blue on display (I"ll stop now) when Victoria joined her parents, husband and brother to welcome the President of Tunisia as he started his State Visit to Sweden. We got a glimpse of a pale blue dress with a fabulous cornflower coat over the top and a sweet little matching fascinator. Very appropriate and very nice indeed.

November 5th, City Hall, Stockholm Want to see the red dress from Lima again? OK, here you go. Victoria wore it again for a lunch for the President of Tunisia and it looked just as good second time round.

November 6th, Royal Palace, Stockholm That rather lovely spotty frock first seen in Luxembourg was brought out of the royal wardrobe again as Victoria and Daniel said farewell to the Tunisian delegation at the end of the State Visit. This dress just gets better and better. A firm favourite all round.

November 10th, Stockholm Victoria has made a point of royal recycling during this pregnancy and for a visit to a WWF lecture she rewore the red and grey geometric print dress from her South American visit. It looked just as lovely, one month on from its last appearance.

November 17th, Royal Palace, Stockholm Another favourite frock made an appearance for a meeting with the Swedish Justice and Migration Minister that Victoria attended with her father at the Royal Palace. The black and white print dress worn in Bogota was teamed with a longer, black jacket this time round. It's a more serious take on the same look and while not as striking as the white jacket combo, it's still a winner.

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November 18th, Varmland The blue outfit from earlier in the month was out of the Royal Wardrobe again for a visit to Varmland with Prince Daniel. And just to carry on the theme, Victoria's husband chose a blue suit, shirt and tie for this visit. That's a lot of blue. Again.

November 27th, Royal Palace, Stockholm The King and the Crown Princess gave an audience for honorary consuls as November came to an end and Victoria chose a simple but elegant shift dress for the occasion. It was chic and classic and another style hit for this queen of maternity fashion.