Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024

The outfits Kate, Camilla and other royals wore to the coronation

The outfits Kate, Camilla and other royals wore to the coronation

Celebrating British design and craftsmanship, crowds at last saw Catherine, Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla's hotly anticipated coronation gowns, at Westminster Abbey.

Catherine, Princess of Wales

The Princess of Wales was wearing an Alexander McQueen dress in ivory silk crepe with silver bullion, and embroidery featuring the floral emblems of the UK - rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.


"The craftsmanship at McQueen is unrivalled," says fashion journalist, Tiffanie Darke. "And she has a relationship with them that goes back so long - they would be the natural choice for her."

She was also wearing pearl and diamond earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.

"That's the beauty of jewellery," says gem expert Joanna Hardy, "that you can include people, you can include their memories."


The princess was also believed to be wearing the George VI Festoon Necklace, made for Queen Elizabeth II when she was in her twenties at the request of her father, King George VI. We have yet to see Catherine wearing it.

She was wearing a beautiful headpiece made of silver bullion, crystal and silver threadwork by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen - in what is believed to be the milliner's first collaboration with the fashion house. Jess Collett has made hats and hairbands for Catherine's sister, Pippa Middleton, in the past.

According to Dr Benjamin Wild, a cultural historian and expert on royal dress, it is significant that none of the Royal Family were wearing tiaras.

"Dispensing with the coronets is a nod to make the monarchy more relevant and more modern," he says. "Only the King and the Queen will have jewel-encrusted crowns on their head, to elevate their status."


Queen Camilla


The Queen's coronation dress was by British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield, who has been designing for her for more than a decade, providing couture for many of her public engagements.

"This is the biggest commission of my life - I have to pinch myself sometimes," says the couturier, who attended the ceremony. "Her Majesty has always been wonderful to collaborate with. I know what she feels happy and confident wearing."

The tailored gown has an ivory, silver and gold colour palette, with bracelet-length sleeves, a wide neckline and a short train.


Cut from Peau de Soie, a matte silk fabric, and woven in Suffolk by Stephen Walters, the dress featured embroidery depicting garlands of wildflowers, said to represent the King and Queen's affection for nature and the British countryside. There was also celebratory bunting stitched in antique gold and silver thread.

The front hem of the underskirt and the dress's cuffs were embellished with the floral motifs of the four nations - which were also elements of Queen Elizabeth II's sparkling coronation dress in 1953, by couturier Sir Norman Hartnell.

Near the hem there appeared to be a pair of embroidered dogs - which may represent the Queen's beloved Jack Russell Terriers, Beth and Bluebell, however the Royal Household declined to comment about the significance of the embroidery animals.


Queen Camilla was also wearing the Coronation necklace and earrings made for Queen Victoria by Garrard. Worn by several Queen consorts in history, as well as at the last coronation by Queen Elizabeth II, the platinum, gold and silver set necklace comprises gemstones removed from old garter badges and the hilt of a ceremonial sword.

Joanna Hardy says it was "very fitting... It's wonderful to see all these jewels being worn - so much nicer than seeing them in a glass cabinet".


Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Prince George, one of King Charles's Pages of Honour, was wearing a traditional uniform. The nine-year-old's scarlet tunic was decorated with gold lace trim and blue velvet cuffs. He was also wearing an ivory silk satin waistcoat trimmed in gold braid.

Like her mother, Princess Charlotte was wearing an Alexander McQueen dress, with an ivory silk crepe cape embroidered with flowers signifying the four nations. The eight-year-old princess was also wearing a smaller version of the headpiece worn by Catherine, designed by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen, which features three-dimensional leaf embroidery.


Five-year-old Prince Louis wore an outfit by Savile Row tailor, Dege and Skinner, which consisted of a blue doeskin tunic with specially designed lacework embellishing the collar, cuffs and fronts.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×