My Week With James McAvoy: A Story In Screenshots

This has probably been the weirdest week of my life.

Before I begin, I should clarify that at no point during the week did I actually meet James McAvoy. If you want to read a post about meeting famous people, I did see the Duchess of Cambridge in person last month, and I still haven't stopped bragging about it. But I didn't even leave my house this week, so this is going to be a story told entirely through screenshots and links to YouTube videos.

Just in case you didn't already know, this is James McAvoy:

He's played Mr Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Wesley Gibson in Wanted and the younger version of Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies. He's also kind of pivotal to this blog post, so it's very important for you to know what his face looks like.

When the week started, I'd just returned from a long vacation, and even though I was still on holiday, I was determined to be productive. I dusted off my Bullet Journal (which I still occasionally use! Didn't quit after two months like I initially thought) and made a list of all the things I could do: I could learn how to use Photoshop; I could write a research paper; I could apply for an online internship; I could read all of Shakespeare's works and direct a modern day adaptation of Hamlet for my college's drama festival!

Five minutes later, I was scrolling through the list of recommended videos on YouTube.

Somehow, I ended up on an episode of the Graham Norton Show with Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe and The Corrs. I clicked on it because of Benedict Cumberbatch, and I stayed till the end because I absolutely love The Corrs. I didn't really care much about James McAvoy at this point, so I just listened to him talk about Victor Frankenstein and laughed at his story about not being as attractive as Channing Tatum. And then The Corrs came on, and up until that point in my life, I was relatively normal.

Now, while I was watching, my friends were having a conversation on group chat about their favourite Jane Austen heroes.

I thought it was a hilarious coincidence that James McAvoy just happened to come up in the conversation at the very same time that I was watching him on Graham Norton, so I decided to go and watch a video of him giving an interview to promote Becoming Jane. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but at that time I was very glad that I did. I thought he was quite charming, with the noises that he made with his mouth and the way that he spoke to the cameraman and everything.

So I Googled him, and I saw the list of movies that he'd done, and I saw that he was in Atonement with Keira Knightley, who I have quite a girl-crush on, and so I went an watched an interview that the two of them did together while promoting Atonement.

It kind of snowballed from there. I don't remember the details, but I have realised that YouTube's "Up next" feature is a very dangerous thing. By just clicking that play button over and over again, I managed to watch practically every single interview that James McAvoy has done in relation to Atonement.

Spent the whole day watching old interviews with James McAvoy #productivity

— Nikita (@NikitaWhoWrites) May 11, 2016

And it got worse. Over the next 36 hours, I traversed James McAvoy's entire career through interviews with the man. I watched interviews about The Last King of Scotland. I watched interviews about Wanted. I watched interviews about X-Men, and there were many, many of those. I watched interviews about Victor Frankenstein with Daniel Radcliffe, and I loved those so much, I watched them again.

By the end of it, I was going a bit mad.

Suddenly, inexplicably, James McAvoy had become my whole life. I did see his face when I closed my eyes, and the voice in my head had an unmistakably Scottish accent. It was the strangest thing, and instead of discouraging me, which was the only sensible thing to do, the Universe egged me on, and every coincidence that could possibly take place did take place, and with me.

First, this happened:

Going to spend the weekend watching a new interview with James McAvoy #productivity https://t.co/NHyWWBdUhv

— Nikita (@NikitaWhoWrites) May 12, 2016

Which was understandable. After all, X-Men: Apocalypse is coming out in a few days, it makes sense that its actors are going onto talk shows to promote the movie. It still doesn't explain why I began this obsession with James McAvoy, for a completely unrelated reason, in the very fortnight before his big movie releases. It also doesn't explain why they couldn't have sent Michael Fassbender with Jennifer Lawrence, but this wasn't that weird.

What happened next was.

If you can't see the attached image clearly, this is what it was:

Really, though.

So, on Friday, after making sure that I had the TV all to myself that night, I was at a bit of a loss about what to do. I'd already seen every YouTube video that had James McAvoy in it, and given what I had planned for the evening, I couldn't just go about my life as normal. Now, I knew that James had a wife, Anne-Marie Duff, and I knew that she was an actress, so I figured that she'd have some interviews too. So I searched for them, and she did! I watched them all.

I'm so ashamed of myself.

I hated Anne-Marie at first. I was inordinately jealous of her, in the same way that I'm jealous of Sophie Hunter, Susie Hariet and anyone who has ever dated Prince Harry. But as I listened to her talk, I started to grow quite fond of her. She seemed quite intelligent and socially conscious, and I could see why James would like someone like that. Besides, I appreciated the way that he was so loyal and faithful to his wife and how always wore his wedding ring everywhere he went. And so it was that by the time I settled down to watch Atonement, I didn't hate Anne-Marie Duff anymore.

Over the next three hours, I watched Atonement and cried, and then I watched the Graham Norton Show and chuckled at Jack Whitehall's ridiculous costumes, and as I was going to bed, two thoughts floated through my head. The first was about James McAvoy's marriage. Despite the age difference, despite the fact that he acts opposite so many attractive women all the time, they'd managed to make it work, and for so long, and I thought that was just lovely.

The second was that the realisation that I was possibly being quite ridiculous about the whole thing with James McAvoy. After all, he's an A-List actor who has been in a lot of films, and it's perfectly reasonable for one of his movies to come on TV. And actors go on talk shows all the time. It was a coincidence that these were shown on the same day, sure, but coincidences happen all the time. Besides, I thought as I drifted off to sleep, it wasn't as though any of this of a major event in the life of James McAvoy. It was just a part of his routine - nothing to write home about. 

The next morning, I woke up, turned on my computer, and, as has been my custom of late, typed "James McAvoy" into the search bar on Twitter. And this is what came up:

I think my heart stopped for a moment. I just gaped at the screen like an idiot. 

And then I stumbled over myself to get to my phone to text everyone and let them know that James McAvoy was getting a divorce, and that I was possibly a sorceress.

I proceeded to spend the rest of Saturday scrolling through Twitter, trying to work out if it was just another one of James McAvoy's pranks. But it wasn't, and they were really splitting up, and I cried because it made me really sad to think that I might have jinxed it. Or perhaps it was just residual sadness from the end of Atonement. Either way, James McAvoy reduced me to tears. 

The upshot of it all is that I've had far too much of James McAvoy, and am no longer obsessed with him. And just in time too, because I was fully intending to go and watch X-Men: Apocalypse in 3D. That's money that I can now spend on books.

I hope you've enjoyed this story of one person's obsession and some sort of black magic, maybe. Here, have a GIF.

N

Best Possible Outcome

I'm tired. I'm sweaty. I'm sunburned. I'm hungry, thirsty, and I've been shat on by a pigeon (So has Richard Palmer, who was standing right next to me when William and Kate were arriving. Same pigeon).

But none of that matters. Because both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge waved at me. And I have never been happier.

Despite all my worrying and uncertainty yesterday, today had the best possible outcome. I saw William and Kate on three separate occasions, in two different outfits, but I didn't actually meet them or speak to them. And that's brilliant.

Because now I've seen the Duchess of Cambridge. And she is gorgeous. I didn't think it possible, but she is actually prettier in person than she is in her pictures. And she's so nice. So is William. It was such fun to watch him playing football with a bunch of little kids. He tackled and slid and ran about in the hot sun and I just could not stop smiling. This, and Harry's Nepal tour last month, really prove that these two are Diana's boys through and through. They just have the best hearts.

Honestly, I'm so thrilled that I got to stand ten feet away from William and Kate, and watch them play cricket and get on a bus with a bunch of children. Royal tours are when these two are at their absolute best, and I just got to see them on one.

And I didn't get to speak to them. I didn't get to tell Kate that I love her hair, or ask William how George and Charlotte are. I didn't technically meet the Duchess of Cambridge.

Everything has worked out brilliantly. I've had the excitement of seeing that Jaguar pull up with William's face in the window, and I've felt my hands shake like mad as I tried to take pictures of my absolute favourite person (and her personal assistant, that picture got a lot of attention for some reason), but I still haven't actually met them yet, and so I still have something to look forward to, something to work towards. If anything, seeing them in person has just made me more determined to meet them. I will do whatever it takes.

Today has been the best day of my life. But if all goes well, it won't have that distinction for long.

N

Follow me on Twitter @NikitaWhoWrites or @RoyalCentral, where I posted a bunch of stuff from today morning in Mumbai. I will continue to live-tweet the tour for the rest of the week, and there might be a couple of posts on this blog as well. 

I Don't Know Anything

This is it then.

As I'm typing these words it is the eve of what will either be the best day or the biggest disappointment of my life. In slightly over twelve hours, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will land in my city, and then proceed to spend the rest of the day carrying out engagements less than an hour away from where I live. 

I've spent five years waiting to meet the Duchess of Cambridge. Ever since the Royal Wedding in 2011, that has been my answer to the question "What is the one thing you want to do before you die?" - I want to meet the Duchess of Cambridge. And suddenly, tomorrow there is a very really chance that it will happen.

I don't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, five years is quite a long time. I've changed so much as a person in these last five, and the only thing that's remained constant is my desire to meet the Duchess of Cambridge. But on the other hand, people wait entire lifetimes before their dreams come true, and in comparison, five years is nothing. Do I really deserve to get something so massive after such a short period of wanting it?

And then there are other questions. Is it really smart to meet the people that you've always admired from afar? And if I do meet her tomorrow, what will I have to look forward to for the rest of my life? And yet, if I actually meet the Duchess of Cambridge, then I never have to worry about death anymore, because I've done the one thing that I really, really wanted to do in this lifetime.

I'm so conflicted. And so excited, in equal measure. And also so nervous. I don't know what to feel.

All I know is that tomorrow morning, William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and two of my favourite people in the world, are going to be coming here. And I'll be waiting for them.

And I don't know what will happen. 

N

Follow me on Twitter @NikitaWhoWrites or @RoyalCentral. I will be live-tweeting on location for the entire time that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in Mumbai, and then live-tweeting from my house for the rest of the Royal Tour.

Six Word Year

I hate six word stories. The whole concept annoys me, because stories that only have six words are usually not very good stories. They only exist for the benefit of those people who are too lazy to read a short story in its entirety, and, to be honest, these people don't really want to read stories at all. This year, for some reason, I stumbled across six word stories more often than I'd have liked, and so, despite the fact that I don't like them, it seems fitting that they are a part of a blog post that is representative of the year gone by.

If I had to write something about my 2015 in six words, it would be this: Princess Charlotte, Downton Abbey, Joe Jonas. 

The first one is pretty self-explanatory. Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, the happiest baby in the whole world and my favourite little girl, was born this May. I remember the day that Charlotte was born - I had a holiday, so unlike when George was born, I was able to spend the whole day glued to my computer, refreshing Twitter for updates. Mercifully, the announcement of her birth came pretty much right away, so I didn't have to stay awake until 3am like I did for George. I live-blogged the whole thing.

I didn't like Charlotte so much in the beginning. She was the second child, and rather boring compared to George, who was perpetually making grumpy faces and being upset about things. But I grew to love her just as much as I love George, and now I wish her nothing but happiness for the rest of her life. It's going to be hard for her when she grows up - everyone's always going to want to see what she's wearing, and where she's going, and who she's dating, and she's never going to be able to put a foot wrong without attracting all sorts of criticisms.

She's got a few good years ahead of her, though, in which she can just be a baby and not worry about anything. I hope that 2016 is a really good year for Charlotte, and for George.

Isn't she the sweetest little thing?

The second one, Downton Abbey, has sort of been my companion for these past twelve months. I started watching the first season of Downton in January, and carried on with the show for the rest of the year, until Christmas, when I had to cry my way through the series finale. I had planned to write a review about the final season, and voice my opinions about Mary's new husband, and Edith's new husband, neither of whom I particularly liked when they were first introduced (I've come around on them both). But once I saw the finale, I was just so overcome with emotion and feelings of goodwill towards every single character that I couldn't write a bad word about any of them. So I scrapped the review, because I was worried that it would only be me gushing.

Actually, I might write it sometime next year, when I'm a little less sentimental. Maybe so that it coincides with the show's American airing.

I loved Downton Abbey. It was a brilliant, brilliant show, and I'm very sorry that it ended. The story lines were great, the historical accuracy was amazing, and the actors were magnificent. But the thing that struck me the most right at the very end was how much the characters had changed over the course of six seasons. And no one more so then Mary. Because I had watched six years worth of episodes in a little over six months, I remembered very clearly what Mary was like when she found out that Patrick was dead and that Matthew was the new heir. And when I saw her in the Christmas Special, she was a completely different Mary to the one from 1912.

And I loved it. There she was, married to a second hand car salesman with no money, and no prospects, attending the wedding of her younger sister to the Marquess of Hexham. She didn't care about titles, and advantageous relationships, or anything of that sort. And she was happy. Which is the most important thing of all.

The third one is perhaps the hardest to explain, and I wonder whether I should even be talking about it on my blog. But I don't care, and it's not like anyone reads my blog, so it doesn't really matter.

When I started college this June, I was not in the best place, mentally. I was unhappy, for a lot of reasons, and even though I wasn't actually suffering from depression, I couldn't have gone on like that forever. The only thing that made me happy at that point was the Royal Family, but they were too far away, and whatever pictures and postcards and thank you letters came from them were few and far in between. I loved them, yes, but I only saw them maybe once in six weeks, which was frustrating.

Which is where Joe Jonas came in. Obviously, I'm not talking about the real Joe Jonas here - the person in question is a someone of my age who I go to college with, whose name I cannot reveal for obvious reasons, and who I will continue to call Joe Jonas until he latches on to the fact that that is my name for him. When college started, I would occasionally see Joe, in class or in the canteen, and, for some strange, inexplicable reason, it made me happy.

I don't understand it. I've tried and failed, on numerous occasions, to explain to a friend (or a friend acting as a therapist, as my friends often are) the reason why I get so excited when I see Joe. There's nothing remarkable about him. He's quite ordinary - boring, even. And I don't love him. I've never even spoken to him - he means nothing to me, But when I see him, I feel happy. It makes me happy to just know that he's going on with his uneventful life as normal, and it also confuses the life out of me, but that's how it is. That's why this paragraph is so rambling. I don't understand it, but I'm trying my best to explain it anyway, and I'm botching it up because I'm a rubbish writer.

Right now, I'm happy. And, among other things, I have Joe Jonas to thank for that. By doing nothing, by simply existing, he managed to make me happy every day, and I am eternally grateful to him.

So, that was my year. Much like Lady Mary, I'm nowhere near what I thought I'd be like at this point in my life, but I'm happier than I've ever been, so it doesn't really matter. Admittedly, I've been rather under productive this year, as you can make out from the fact that I wrote all of one blog post in November, a month in which I'd planned to write loads, but I plan to roll up my sleeves and really get cracking from tomorrow. I've just discovered Bullet Journaling, which I intend to diligently keep up for at least a month and a half, so that should increase my productivity a little bit.

I was recently appointed Desk Editor for Royal Central, so that is another thing that I need to focus on in 2016. Also, I will try and be a bit more regular on this blog. I'll still write about nonsense, though - that can't be helped.

I'm excited for the new year. William and Kate are going on tour again, and, as if that wasn't good enough news in itself, they're coming to my country, which means that I might finally be able to fulfill my lifelong (well, since 2011, anyway) dream of meeting the Duchess of Cambridge. Of course, many things could happen between now and the time that they actually come here - they could decide not to visit my city; they could decide not to undertake any public engagements; they could just call off the visit altogether - so I don't really want to get my hopes up. I'll write more about that once the Palace releases the official schedule, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

It's going to be a good year. I think. I hope.

We'll find out soon enough.

Have a lovely new year.

N

Happy Six Months!

I don't mean to jinx it, but so far so good.

Of course, I had to write today, because is a rather special day. Today, the most darling little girl on the whole planet, and my second favourite baby (sorry, but when she starts making faces like this, I'll reconsider) Princess Charlotte turns six months old!

View image | gettyimages.com

I've grown quite fond of Charlotte in the six months that she's been around. I still don't love her as much as I love George, that's true, but in fairness, she hasn't been on a tour of another country yet, which means she hasn't quite had the chance to be photographed looking grumpy that George has.

Unfortunately, owing to my badly timed blog hiatus, I missed covering a few important moments in Charlotte's first six months, so I'm going to quickly go through them to bring you up to speed about the life of the first Princess born so high up in the line of succession to the British throne since Princess Anne.

Here Charlotte having her first official picture taken. She looks a bit confused, but also quite pleased with herself.

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Here she is at her christening, crying in her mother's arms and waving her fat fists around. She's excused because she's a baby, and also adorable.

View image | gettyimages.com

And here is George, wondering what would happen if he released the latch and sent his sister's pram rolling down the drive.

View image | gettyimages.com

And here he is again, telling the Queen about his diabolical plan, because if anyone can understand how frustrating it is to have the your sister steal all the attention, it's Princess Margaret's older sister.

View image | gettyimages.com

And here is Charlotte again, with her whole family after the christening. The women's dresses are very pretty, Prince Philip looks incredible for someone his age, and Prince Harry is noticeably absent, but the real star of the day is the baby (no, not you George)...

...who probably fell asleep as soon as the whole thing was over, and didn't remember any of it the next day.

Happy half-birthday, Charlotte. I'll always love you

N

Word Count for November (including yesterday's post): 873

Follow Me, Please

I know that I've been gone for an abysmally long time, but in my defence, I've been very busy (read not busy at all) doing important things (read watching the newest season of Downton Abbey, which, by the way, is absolutely brilliant. Frankly, the show hasn't been this good since Matthew was alive, and I'm going to be quite sad when it's over).

In the six months that I was gone, a lot of things happened to me: I started college to study Economics and English Literature, I took part in a few extra-curricular activities, I gained a reputation as a stalker, I came up with some pretty excellent Tudor analogies, Princess Charlotte grew up a whole lot, and I gave a bunch of exams which I have probably failed, I don't know. And, which is what I really wanted to write about today, I made an Instagram account.

Now, the immediate reason I joined Instagram was so that I could follow Michelle Dockery, who is not on Twitter or any form of social media, other than Instagram, for some reason. It was worth creating a whole new social profile just to follow one popular actress, though, because a few days after I joined, she posted this:

Reunited. @thatdanstevens I've missed this face #bafta #LastDaysOfDownton #matthewandmary

A photo posted by Michelle Dockery (@theladydockers) on Aug 12, 2015 at 6:04am PDT

Which just made me so deliriously happy, because I've missed that face too.

Along the way, I started using Instagram less to see what the cast of Downton Abbey was up to, and more to see what people who I knew were up to. Well, 'knew' is perhaps a bit of an overstatement - these were people that I went to college with, but never had the courage to speak to. Most of them used Facebook sparingly, and weren't even on Twitter, so Instagram was the only way I could really follow them online.

I never posted anything. For the longest time, my profile revealed absolutely nothing about myself, because I was afraid of accidentally double-tapping something as I scrolled through someone's pictures from 2013. But when one of my friends pointed out that I wasn't in a position to berate stalkers because I had an Instagram account solely for stalking, I figured it was time to start posting pictures.

And so I do. Occasionally. You can follow me @hrh_nikita for pictures of the letters and postcards that Kensington Palace so kindly sends me every time I write for someone's birthday or Christmas. Also, next year (2016, that is) I am going to attempt the Hundred Book Challenge once again, except this time, I'll be posting pictures of the books that I read on Instagram, which allows me longer descriptions than Twitter.

Also, if you are on Instagram, and I know your name but don't follow you - please don't make your account private. I rely on public accounts for information, and it would break my heart if I couldn't see pictures of where you went for dinner last night,

Posts on my blog have been few and far in between this year, so I'll try and see if I can fill it up a bit this month. I'll definitely write tomorrow, which is a rather special day, and I might write a few more times while I'm on holiday, so come back for that. And please be kind. I haven't written in absolutely ages, and I've completely forgotten how.

Here's a picture of the Cambridge family to tide you over until the next post.

View image | gettyimages.com

Adorable. Just the best.

N 

My 10 Favourite Swedish Tiaras

- Ipshita Rhea Peters

It’s not easy writing a blog post when the only instructions given are, and I quote: "Write anything you please. Just mention the royals somewhere."

As it turns out, I will be writing about the royals. Specifically, the Swedish royal family. My knowledge on this subject isn't nearly as vast as Nikita’s, but my love for all things Swedish and sparkly does leave me with enough data to compile a list of my 10 favourite Swedish tiaras.

So. Without further ado.

10. Swedish Diamond Bandeau Tiara

A Bandeau, but definition, is a narrow band worn on the head to hold the hair in place, which makes it more of a fancy headband than a tiara. Whichever the case, it is undeniably pleasing to look at.

Important Appearance : 2008 Nobel Prize Gala Dinner. Worn by Crown Princess Victoria. 

9. King Edward VII Ruby Tiara 

This tiara was a gift from King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Princess Margaret of Connaught, on her wedding to Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. After her death, it was inherited by her son Prince Sigvard, who later sold it to king Gustaf VI Adolf. Since then, Queen Silvia has worn it on multiple occasions.

Important Appearance : The wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark and Alexandra Manley, 1995. Worn by Queen Silva. 

8. Baden Fringe Tiara 

Popularly dubbed as the Crown Princess’ signature tiara, the Baden Fringe is yet another wedding gift. Given to Queen Victoria of Sweden by her parents (Grand Dude and Duchess of Baden) for her wedding to Crown Prince Gustaf of Sweden in 1881, the tiara was left to a family foundation, and has since been worn by many members of the family. Recently, it has been primarily used by the Crown Princess.

Important Appearance : Nobel Prize Banquet 2014. Worn by Crown Princess Victoria 

7. Six Button Tiara

This particular tiara is of immense historical importance to the royal family. The buttons on the tiara were part of the crown of King Carl XIV Johan, used for his coronation in 1818. These 10 buttons were later removed an used to create two separate tiaras: the Six Button Tiara and the Four Button Tiara. The Six Button was allegedly intended for Princess Lilian, wife of Prince Bertil, but has been used by many royal ladies over the years.

Important Appearance : 2011 Nobel Prize Awards. Worn by Crown Princess Victoria. 

6. Braganza Tiara 

[As worn by Queen Silvia, left]

This French tiara belonged to Amélie of Brazil, wife of the Duke of Braganza. After her death in 1873, it was inherited by her sister, Queen Josephine of Sweden, and has remained in the family ever since. The Braganza has traditionally been worn by Queens, except once in 1937 by Crown Princess Louise. Recently, Queen Silvia has been using it exclusively for state visits and official portraits. 

Important Appearance : Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Sweden. Worn by Queen Silvia. 

5. Swedish Laurel Wreath Tiara 

Made in Boucheron, the Laurel Wreath is popularly remembered as one of Princess Lilian’s signature pieces. Another wedding gift, it was given to Princess Margaret of Connaught by her grandmother-in-law, Queen Sophia of Sweden, and was later passed on to Prince Bertil. It was frequently used by Princess Lilian.

Important Appearance : King Gustaf VI Adolf’s birthday, 1962. Worn by Princess Lilian. 

4. Modern Fringe Tiara 

One of the more recent additions to the family’s jewels, the Modern Fringe can be worn as either a tiara or a necklace. Although the personal property of Queen Silvia, it was allegedly a 10th anniversary gift from King Carl Gustaf. It has since been one of Princess Madeline’s favourite tiaras. 

Important Appearance : Princess Madeline’s Wedding, 2013. Worn by the bride. 

3. Leuchtenberg Tiara 

A wedding girt from Napoléon to Princess Augusta of Bavaria, Duchess of Leuchtenberg, on her marriage to Eugène de Beauharnais, this tiara has been a regular guest at Nobel Prize ceremonies. It was inherited by Josephine’s daughter Augusta, the Queen Consort of Oscar I of Sweden, as has been frequently used by Queen Silvia. Currently , it is part of a parure of jewellery, including earrings, a brooch, a necklace, and two hairpins.

Important Appearance : 2011 Nobel Prize Banquet. Worn by Queen Silvia. 

2. Connaught Tiara

Known as Princess Sibylla’s Tiara, this tiara is yet another wedding gift for Princess Margret by her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. It was inherited by her son Gustaf Adolf, who later gave it to his wife, Princess Sibylla, as a wedding present. The Connaught Tiara was later worn by many royals, including Queen Silvia on her first public appearance.

Important Appearance : Crown Princess’s Victoria’s Wedding, 2010. Worn by Princess Madeline. 

1. Cameo Tiara 

The Cameo tiara is not at the top of this list because of fine looks or craftsmanship (although it certainly lacks in neither of the two), but due to its significance in the family’s history.

One of the oldest jewels in the family, the Cameo Tiara was a gift to Empress Joséphine by her husband, Napoleon, in the early 1800s, back when such tiaras were more popular. It was inherited by her granddaughter, Josephine of Leuchtenberg, who brought it to Sweden through her marriage to King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. The tiara was then passed through many royals- Princess Eugénie, Princess Margaret, Princess Sibylla, Queen Ingrid of Denmark- until it finally came to rest with the current King of Sweden.

Traditionally, the tiara has been used as a wedding crown. It was worn by Princess Brigitta and Princess Désirée on their wedding days, in 1961 and 1964 respectively. Later, the current Queen wore it for her marriage to King Carl Gustaf in 1976. To further the tradition, Crown Princess Victoria wore it for her wedding to Daniel Westling.

Seen on the head of any Swedish royal, this tiara can cause any fan (myself included) to break down into tears. A symbol of power and heritage, the Cameo certainly fits the wedding tradition of wearing "something borrowed."

Important Appearance : Crown Princess Victoria’s Wedding, 2010. Worn by the bride.

~

Contrary to what Ipshita thinks, she actually knows a lot more about Sweden's Royal Family and their tiaras than I do, but who am I to tell her that she's wrong.

This is truly the pièce de résistance of all the guest posts on my blog. Not only is it so obviously about royalty that you couldn't possibly think otherwise, but TIARAS!

The Swedish Royal Family is so appropriate for a tiara post, because their collection of tiaras is not only gorgeous, but also vast, which means that there's a tiara in there for everyone. And the best part is that this post comes a week before Prince Carl Gustaf's wedding to Sofia Hellqvist - a perfect occasion for the ladies of the family to bring out their tiaras in all their splendour.

Ipshita has her own blog, Euphoniour, on which she writes poems and posts about music and her dog (You can read that by clicking HERE). Apart from the Swedish Royal Family, she loves Gerard Way, and Maggie Stiefvater, so if you have that in common with her, you can follow Ipshita on Twitter or on Pinterest.

She also has the most adorable pet squirrel.

N