Queen Camilla's coronation outfit was full of beautiful symbolism
Queen Camilla arrived at her and King Charles III's coronation while wearing a special tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.
According to tradition, the Queen Consort wore two robes during the coronation — one upon arrival at Westminster Abbey, and one during her exit – and rather touchingly, the first robe was first made for Elizabeth II during her coronation ceremony 70 years ago.
Ahead, we break down every element of the Queen Consort's coronation outfit.
The Robe of State
Worn when she first arrived at the service, the Queen Consort's Robe of State was a subtle nod to the late Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, the piece was originally made for the late monarch, who wore it during her 1953 coronation.
The dramatic piece is made of crimson velvet and has been conserved by robemakers at Ede and Ravenscroft.
The Dress
Camilla wore a regal white coat dress, designed by Bruce Odfield, with an embroidered underskirt underneath. The long-sleeve dress is made from silk fabric with a dull lustre finish, and additionally includes delicate gold and silver embroidery of flowers like daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine, and scarlet pimpernel, which are meant to represent the King and Queen's love of nature. On the hem of the underskirt and cuffs are flower emblems from the United Kingdom's four nations, including a rose, a thistle, a daffodil, and a shamrock. She finished the look with silk shoes from Elliot Zed.
The Robe of Estate
This new robe was designed and hand embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework, while the robe itself was made by Ede and Ravenscroft.
The piece is made of a majestic purple velvet, matching King Charles's Robe of Estate. Its gold embroidery features the queen consort's cypher, the United Kingdom's national emblems, and symbols of nature, the last of which reflects the couple's deep "affection for the natural world," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. These naturalistic illustrations include bees, a beetle, and plenty of flora.
The embroidered flowers also have a special meaning to Camilla: the Lily of the Valley was one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites and was also included in Camilla's 2005 wedding bouquet; and the Delphinium is one of Charles's favourites as well as the birth flower for July, Camilla's birth month.
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