Tiara ideas for soon to be Princess Catherine Middleton

Fashiona has Royal Wedding Fever.   On Easter Sunday...she watched Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding...again.  Fashiona was 6 when they got married and according to Mom watched the wedding EVERY time it came on. 

While Fashiona has not resorted to planting herself in front of the TV just yet, she does scan Twitter for those oh so important updates...like the fact that William has elected to have a groom's cake and he is following royal tradition by not wearing a wedding ring.

InStyle, one her favorite glossies, has done a stellar job of feeding Fashiona's wedding frenzy.  They developed a delightful virtual paper doll game where you can choose between gowns from Lanvin, Monique Lhuillier, Oscar De la Renta and Reem Acra. Then between 4 pairs of stunning designer shoes, a statement jewelry piece and finally a tiara. 

InStyle must have known that 4 tiaras  wasn't nearly enough to satisfy and shared 14 sketches that Designers submitted inspired by Kate. Fashiona's favorite of these was the one designed by Chopard.

Chopard, a jewelry house founded in 1860, designed a tiara that features hundreds of pear-shaped and round diamonds. 

Fashiona's cure for Royal Wedding Fever: she'll set the clock for 4 am on Friday April 29.

Social Sunday: Kate Middleton ushers in Modern Royalty

The April 29th wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William will be the most watched wedding since that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer almost 20 years ago. The facts that both women knew that they were marrying into the Windsor family and wearing a sapphire ring that deserves it is own zip code are essentially the only notable similarities. 

The physical differences between  Kate Middleton and the late Princess Diana is obvious.  Diana was a blonde and preferred short hair styles and Kate is a long haired brunette. Diana was a direct descendant of King Charles II while Kate is a commoner by British Royalty standards. Diana was barely 20 when she married a 32 year old Prince Charles and their marriage was "arranged" by the family.

Kate (29) and William (28), met in college and seem by all outward appearances deeply in love. While Diana eventually came into her own as her ill fated marriage was crumbling...Kate is already a woman's woman who is willingly marrying the man she loves...albeit a very wealthy and famous royal one.

Kate already has a sophisticated sense of style and sense of self that I hope she maintains. Like the rest of the "royal voyeurs"  I am a bit concerned that she is getting too thin but I hold hope that she is just stressed and overwhelmed by the wedding process...like most brides in the "real world" would be as their big day approaches. All brides have to make some concessions when they marry but she can't even use her nickname "Kate" anymore in public and has to learn generations of dated protocol and she has the entire world watching her every move and decision.

I would contend that Kate is more similar to Michelle Obama.  Both are independent women that have been thrust into a role steeped in tradition and social exceptions. Granted the First Lady has more flexibility in defining her position, I am confident Catherine will continue to carve her niche in Buckingham Palace and create her own legacy just as lasting yet very different then the late Diana...starting with a much much better wedding dress.

Alicia "aka" Fashiona