Crown Princess Marie-Chantal Recovers from a Fashion Faux Pas at a Royal Birthday Party

At the royal-studded 18th birthday party celebration for Prince Christian of Denmark Sunday night, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal and Crown Prince Pavlos cut their usual glamourous figures, with the Crown Prince decked out in formal evening attire hung with ribbons, medals and a sash. And the Crown Princess was radiant in a blush pink long gown by London-based Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou, the same designer she stunned in at King Charles's coronation. This time, the gown featured billowing sleeves, a ruffled high neck and pleats falling from the waist to the floor. Overall, her look was impeccable: Queen Sophia of Greece's stunning silver tiara, check. Tasteful diamond drop earrings, check. But royal sash? Wardrobe fail. It seems the Crown Princess made her entrance wearing her sash on the left (ahem incorrect) shoulder—and eagle-eyed royal watchers noticed.

It seems the sash, which is part of the Order of Saint Olga and Sophia, is by custom worn over the right shoulder. The Order was instituted by King George II of Greece in 1936 in honor of his grandmother Queen Olga and mother Queen Sophia. It is awarded to women of the royal family and other ladies of Greece for exceptional services to the Fatherland and the royal family. As we see in an earlier appearance pictured above, the sash properly hangs across the body starting on the right shoulder, as Crown Princess Marie-Chantal wore it in September 2022 when the royal couple appeared in Copenhagen.

As for Marie-Chantal's most recent body banner fail (sash crash?), not to worry—later in the evening, the she was spotted having set her sash correctly on her opposite shoulder. We'd expect no less graceful resilience from a businesswoman New Yorker who's a mother of five (her children range in age from 15 to 27). Such aplomb recalls the time she told Paper magazine that her children frequently keep her on track. '"[My kids] will remind me, 'You've written an etiquette book — so put your phone down!'" But, as she adds, "We're all human."' With the graceful way she recovered from her wardrobe fail, Marie-Chantal is our fancy-dress role model.