While all eyes were on King Charles III on the momentous occasion of his coronation today (May 6), we couldn't help but look to his wife of 18 years, Queen Camilla.
Camilla (formerly the Duchess of Cornwall and Queen Consort until the coronation), accompanied her husband to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace wearing a white silk dress, covered in floral embroidery and designed by Bruce Oldfield.
Atop this, the Queen wore a traditional robe known as The Robe of State, that was first made for the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Read Next
The mother-of-two paired her ensemble with a striking necklace, known as the Coronation Necklace and featuring the stunning Lahore Diamond. The historic piece of jewellery was previously worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II at her own coronation in 1953, as well as Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra before her. The diamonds that make up the piece of jewellery reportedly came from Queen Victoria's jewellery collection.
Queen Camilla's crown, meanwhile, also held a special significance. The royal was crowned with the Queen Mary's Crown, that was designed for Mary to wear at George V’s coronation in 1911. The striking piece features more than 2000 diamonds, and Camilla added a personal touch by having it re-set with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds - which made up the late monarch's personal collection.
There is a rich tradition of both jewellery and tiaras/crowns being shared and borrowed by the British royal family, and it is believed King Charles III inherited all of his mother's, Queen Elizabeth II, jewellery when she passed away in September of 2022 aged 96.
And Camilla, who Queen Elizabeth II encouraged be titled Queen Consort when the former Charles, Prince of Wales was to ascend to throne, isn't the only royal bride being lent or gifted royal heirlooms.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, was given many of her late mother-in-law, Diana Spencer, formerly Princess of Wales, jewels, including a gold bracelet, butterfly earrings, and, of course, her engagement ring includes a trio of other stones from Diana's personal collection.
Queen Elizabeth II also lent Markle pieces from her personal collection, most notably a diamond and platinum bandeau tiara made in 1932 for Queen Mary worn by the Duchess on her wedding day.
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge similarly has borrowed items from her late great-grandmother-in-law's personal collection, including her Bahrain pearl drop earrings while in Balmoral, and was famously given her late mother-in-law's engagement ring.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
