It was the coronation ceremony of King Charles III two weeks ago, so it would not be out of place to expect some class, elegance, and luxury in what the royals and their guests wore.
As the traditional kind of dressing faded away, this extended to the coronation of King Charles III, his guest’s dress codes. Gone were those days when guests were requested to wear grand robes or ceremonial attire in favour of a more relaxed, pared-down look.
Members of the royal family, however, arrived in traditional regalia. The Prince of Wales wore a ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh guards, while the Princess of Wales looked resplendent in official robes — worn over an Alexander McQueen ivory silk crepe dress peppered with silver bullion embroidered roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrock motifs symbolizing the different nations of the United Kingdom.
According to CNN royal experts Max Foster and Lauren Moorhouse, Kate was also wearing a pair of drop-pearl earrings set in diamonds, once belonging to Princess Diana, as well as a lavish silver bullion laurel-shaped headpiece by Jess Collett and Alexander McQueen.
The esteemed British designer is a fan favourite of Wales’. Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen since 2010, custom-created Kate’s striking wedding dress in 2011. At the coronation this morning, Princess Charlotte was similarly sporting McQueen — matching her mother in a white silk crepe look and identical satin floral embroidery, as well as a similar silver headpiece.
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CNN reports that the Queen Consort’s outfit had a nod to tradition while incorporating more modern and personal touches. Upon arriving at the Abbey, Camilla wore a crimson velvet and ermine Robe of State. Underneath, her ivory, silver and gold embroidered coronation dress was by British designer Bruce Oldfield.
First Lady Jill Biden wore a periwinkle blue Ralph Lauren skirt suit accessorized with a coordinating hair bow and was accompanied by her granddaughter Finnegan Biden in a chic pale yellow cape dress by Markarian, in what could be seen as a sartorial nod to show solidarity with Ukraine. Inside the Abbey, the pair were seated next to Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska in an icy blue dress and coat pairing.
CNN also observed that British actor and “Love Actually” star Emma Thompson arrived at the ceremony in a monochrome red rose-printed overcoat from Emilia Wickstead, accessorized with her Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) medal.
Thompson, who has been known to subvert royal dress codes after she received her MBE award at Buckingham Palace in 2018 in a pair of Stella McCartney for Stan Smith trainers, was seen outside Westminster Abbey this morning in a more opulent type of footwear: Roger Vivier black satin pumps with a crystal heel and buckle.
