Queen Camilla Steps Out In One Of Queen Elizabeth's Tiaras For The First Time
King Charles III and queen consort Camilla hosted their first state visit as the reigning monarchs of Britain on November 21, 2022 (via Royal UK). They welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Buckingham Palace (via BBC News) alongside William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales. The visit began with a tour of the Palace Picture Gallery, followed by a state banquet. As per royal tradition, Charles and Camilla oversaw the event's planning and proceeded to inspect the set-up of the banquet before the guests arrived. In a video shared to the royal family's Twitter account, the king and queen can be seen admiring the flower arrangements made from "wildflowers from the royal estates including rosehips, hydrangea, and chrysanthemum," according to Town & Country.
For the actual banquet, the couple arrived in full royal dress, which saw Camilla wear one of Queen Elizabeth II's tiaras for the first time as queen consort.
The tiara is part of a set known as the King George VI Victorian Suite
Queen consort Camilla wore Queen Elizabeth II's Belgian Sapphire Tiara to the occasion, in addition to a matching necklace and bracelet belonging to the late monarch (via People). While she didn't wear the matching earrings, the accessories were of great importance to the queen. The necklace and earrings were a wedding gift from her father, King George VI. In 1963, the queen had the Belgian Sapphire Tiara made from a sapphire necklace given to Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (via The Court Jeweller). The necklace was made into a tiara by fixing it to a frame. When the queen wore these items, they were collectively called the King George VI Victorian Suite. She last wore this jewelry set in 2020 for her Canadian portrait (via the Government of Canada).
Like Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, Camilla wore brooches that paid tribute to the queen with a beautiful portrait. According to the Daily Mail, these brooches "are a sign that the wearer has been made part of the Royal Family Order, an honor gifted to female members of the [royal family] by the monarch."
Kate Middleton also wore one of the Queen's tiaras
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, wore Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara at the Buckingham Palace state banquet (via People). Kate Middleton paired the tiara with Princess Diana's pearl drop earrings, which she recently wore to a Remembrance Day service in London. The tiara was made in 1914 for Queen Elizabeth II's grandmother. It was a reconstruction of the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, worn by Queen Mary's grandmother, the Princess Augusta of Hesse. The Lover's Knot is comprised of diamonds and pearl droplets, which was given to Queen Elizabeth following the death of her grandmother in 1953 (via BBC News).
The queen would later loan the tiara to Princess Diana for her wedding to King Charles III in 1981, which became a treasured piece of her jewelry collection. However, when the royal couple divorced in 1996, Diana gave the Lover's Knot Tiara back to the royal household. It wasn't seen in public for nearly two decades until Kate Middleton wore it for the first time in 2015 while attending a reception at Buckingham Palace (via The Court Jeweller).
Camilla has donned royal jewels before
While this may have been the first time Queen Consort Camilla wore something from her deceased mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, it's not the first time she wore a special item from the royal family, per Page Six.
Before Queen Elizabeth's passing, Camilla would often wear special broaches from her family collection, as the outlet noted. This was evident when, for the queen's funeral in September, Camilla wore a very special broach — a "heart-shaped pin" complete with "three blue sapphires," as People reported. This piece of jewelry had a deep connection to the royal family, as Queen Victoria wore it at her Platinum Jubilee ceremony in 1897, per the outlet. Talk about deep history!
While the broach may not be as exciting as wearing one of the queen's tiaras for the first time, there have been many occasions where Camilla has stunned in special family jewels — and we imagine this trend will only continue.