The Most Expensive Outfits Queen Camilla Has Ever Worn
We always hear about Princess Catherine when it comes to British royals and fashion. We also hear a lot about Meghan Markle and her simplistic elegance. And obviously, we always think about one of the true fashion icons of our generation: Princess Diana. But we are here to tell you that we all have been sleeping on Camilla, the queen consort.
As we all know, Camilla has been King Charles III's wife since 2005, and a longtime girlfriend before that. Their beginning was definitely a bit, well, salacious. Camilla and Charles originally met in 1970 and began dating briefly, before she married Andrew Parker Bowles. Despite being married, Camilla and Charles rekindled their relationship and started an affair in 1986. This affair became known to the public in a scandal in 1993.
However, there is a happy ending as the pair are now living not only as husband and wife but as king and queen consort of literally the United Kingdom. Camilla is beautifully stepping into a new role looking mature, regal, and expensive as ever. After all, she is a literal queen, so no expense should be spared. Let's take a look at some of Camilla's most expensive outfits that she has ever worn.
Camilla wore not one, but two dresses to her wedding to King Charles III
During Camilla's wedding to Charles, she actually wore not one, but two different dresses. The first dress was for the civil ceremony and was a simple cream chiffon dress by one of Camilla's favorite designers, Anna Valentine, who frequently designs her dresses. She wore pearl and diamond earrings, as well as a feathered hat by Philip Treacy, who appears on this list multiple times.
Camilla's second dress was more ornate. For the blessing at St. George's Chapel, she wore a gray silk dress with gold stitching, also by Anna Valentine. Camilla once again wore feathers in her hair, this time in gold. She paired both dresses with LK Bennett shoes that range from $300 to $500.
While we weren't able to find the cost of either of Camilla's wedding dresses, we are sure it was tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, when you compare them to the cost of Princess Diana's dress (estimated to be $115,000) and Princess Catherine's dress (estimated to be about $300,000).
Camilla wore a beautiful blue Fiona Clare in the official portrait with King Charles III
Camilla, the queen consort, loves wearing U.K. designer Fiona Clare and can be seen in the couturier's dresses frequently. She opted to wear a cobalt blue Fiona Clare dress for her official portrait with King Charles III. The official state portraits are a very significant representation of the royals so it is no surprise that the choice of color holds a deeper meaning.
Color psychologist Lee Chambers actually broke down the choice for The Daily Mail, telling them what the choice in color represents: "With Camilla to be crowned queen, it is no surprise to see her dressed in both royal and navy shades of blue. Blue carries a historical symbolism of nobility and status, and this still makes it a strong royal statement color to this day. In addition, blue conveys that the wearer has a calm, reassured confidence and its associations with trustworthiness and loyalty are qualities that Queen Camilla will be wanting to send as a message during this time."
Fiona Clare Couture prices are not readily available, but the designer does have a ready-to-wear line that is comparatively more affordable, varying around $400.
Camilla looked very chic on Commonwealth Day
Camilla was looking stunning in blue again during 2023 Commonwealth Day, the day that celebrates countries all over the world that are a part of the Commonwealth. The celebration included a televised sermon from Westminster Abbey that the royals attended. Camilla wore a stunning cobalt blue coat and matching dress by one of her favorite designers, Fiona Clare.
She paired this ensemble with a matching velvet hat by another favorite royal designer, Philip Treacy. Meghan Markle has worn similar hats that are estimated to cost from $1,100 to $2,400. (Camilla also wore a remarkable pink hat by the same designer to the latter's wedding made entirely of feathers. The hat was truly a showstopper.)
While the prices of the coat, dress, and hat are not readily available, Hello was able to track down Camilla's Eliot Zed pumps, which cost £275 (about $340), as well as her black Launer London leather purse, which retails at £1,600 (about $2,000).
Camilla wore a very expensive brooch at a special reception
Camilla, the queen consort, sure does love her jewels. At a special reception honoring famous ballet dancer and choreographer, Mikhail Baryshnikov, who we know best for his role as Aleksandr Petrovsky on "Sex and the City," Camilla wore a beautiful ballet brooch by another favorite designer, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Van Cleef & Arpels is a French jewelry brand that was founded in 1906. Love Luxury describes them as combining "quality craftsmanship with high-value materials and gemstones which give it its coveted and high-value status in the jewelry market." Hello reported that the Bouton d'Or ballerina clip costs £72,000 (or $85,000). Camilla wore the clip on a teal Bruce Oldfield coat with gold buttons, as well as her Eliot Zed pumps that she is seen wearing quite a bit. We honestly love that she recycles pieces, because it shows that she's thrifty (relatively, of course, since the shoes still cost hundreds) and knows what she likes.
Camilla can be seen sporting Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry quite frequently, wearing a four-leaf diamond brooch on a 2023 state visit to Germany that you can buy for $66,500 secondhand (via 1st Dibs). She also wore the Magic Alhambra earrings to the 2022 Booker Prize for Fiction ceremony, which according to Express cost $47,000.
Camilla can be seen wearing designer Bruce Oldfield frequently
Camilla, the queen consort, loves to wear designer Bruce Oldfield and can be spotted wearing him quite often. Most recently, in April 2023, Camilla was spotted wearing a royal blue dress by the designer with a matching Philip Treacy hat to the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster. During the Maundy Service, the monarch "distributes special Maundy money to local pensioners in a service which commemorates Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles at the Last Supper" (via The Royal Household).
Camilla paired this blue ensemble with new Eliot Zed shoes, as well as a Kiki McDonough Apollo Mini blue topaz and diamond pendant that costs £2,500 (about $3,100). Camilla also was carrying a Chanel purse that costs close to $5,000.
Another time when Camilla wore a stunning velvet Bruce Oldfield gown was at the royal premiere of the film "1917." While the prices of these ensembles aren't readily available, on the secondhand market his gowns range in price from about $300 to $2,500 (per 1st Dibs).
Camilla wore Chanel to meet with the French president, Emmanuel Macron
The Royal Maundy Service is not the first time that Camilla, the queen consort, has been sporting Chanel. She very fittingly wore the French brand during a state visit with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in 2020.
Seen once again in a blue Bruce Oldfield dress, this time in a navy shade, Camilla paired this more traditional dress with black and cream Chanel shoes that cost almost $900. Camilla finished this outfit off with traditional, classy pearls.
Camilla frequently accessorizes with Chanel shoes and purses, and the meaning is a symbolic one. The two C's that represent the Chanel logo also stand for Camilla and Charles. In the book "The Diana Chronicles" by Stephen Barry, it is discussed how Camilla gave Charles Chanel cufflinks for his wedding, making Princess Diana very jealous (via Insider). It was also rumored that Princess Diana would not wear Chanel for this reason.
Camilla has also worn another mainstream designer, Burberry
In addition to wearing Chanel, Camilla, the queen consort, also can be seen wearing the long heritage trench coat with black buttons by Burberry out and about. This coat retails for around $2,500. In the past, Camilla has paired this coat with a Midi Mayfair bag in a dark brown by Aspinal of London, which costs $850. Another time, she paired the ensemble with timeless pearl earrings and a matching necklace, as pictured above.
Burberry was a favorite brand of Queen Elizabeth II and had what is called a royal warrant. These brands are recognized as favorites of the monarchy. Royal warrant holders are allowed to have the royal coat of arms on their products and packaging to signify this prestigious acknowledgment. King Charles III has given over 150 royal warrants as the Prince of Wales, and will be sure to give more as the new monarch.
Camilla can be seen in another french designer: Christian Dior
At some points, Camilla decided to go outside her usual favorites of Fiona Clare and Bruce Oldfield and wear the legend that is Christian Dior. Camilla wore a cream coat dress by Dior at the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance back in June 2019. The event is very similar to America's Veterans Day, honoring "those who serve to defend our democratic freedoms and way of life," according to the Royal British Legion.
While the coat dress that Camilla wore is not readily available online, a cropped jacket with a similar fabrication retails for $3,800, leading us to assume that the coat dress costs more. Camilla paired this cream ensemble with a beautiful Philip Treacy hat and the Bugle Horn of the Rifles brooch, which is worth $48,000. She carried the Tosca clutch from Launer London, which costs about $1,900. Camilla topped the whole ensemble off with classic pearl strands with an ornate silver and diamond clasp, as well as drop pearl earrings.
Designer Roy Allen has been dressing Camilla for years
Roy Allen has been dressing Camilla, the queen consort, for almost 20 years! Camilla was seen wearing a brown tweed coat and matching skirt to November Ascot in 2018. This is a horse jump racing weekend that takes place just outside London. And this isn't the first time that Camilla wore this outfit, as she also was seen wearing it at the Cheltenham races in 2014.
Allen has not only dressed Camilla, but he has designed for royals for decades. His clothes have been worn by Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Princess Diana, Princess Margaret, and Sarah, Duchess of York. In regards to dressing Camilla, Allen said, "I think she's getting great fun out of clothes now. She doesn't mind what people say if she wears them over and over again" (via The Daily Mail).
She paired this ensemble with knee-high dark brown boots, a lighter brown purse, and a Lock & Co. Hatters brown fur hat that retails for £220 (about $275). Lock & Co is purportedly the oldest hat shop in the world, having been established in 1676. The price of Camilla's Roy Allen ensemble is not readily available, but it is couture, so we are assuming it set the royals back a pretty penny.
Obviously we have to talk about the royal jewels that Camilla wears
Marrying into a royal family definitely has its perks. Namely, all the royal jewels. Camilla was seen sporting a sapphire and diamond tiara with matching earrings and necklace at the first official state dinner that she hosted with King Charles III in December 2022. The jewels belonged to Queen Elizabeth, and Camilla seemed to wear them as a tribute to her. The Victorian Sapphire Tiara is reported to be worth $6.8 million (per She Knows).
Camilla paired this jewelry with another blue Anna Valentine gown that she actually has worn before, but that was not the most surprising choice about her ensemble: Camilla opted to wear King Charles III's daqlah, a Saudi robe given to him in 1998.
Although the pieces Camilla wears are priceless, the fact that she is willing to re-wear items gives her an air that she is a queen of the people, and the public loves it. Hello reports that one fan commented on an Instagram post, writing, "I love her re-wears! Beautifully done, Queen Camilla."
Camilla's coronation ensemble
On May 6, 2023, King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, were officially crowned in a lavish coronation ceremony. Prior to the coronation, it was announced that Camilla's gown would be designed by Bruce Oldfield, who once worked with Princess Diana. A source told the Telegraph, "Camilla has a very close friendship with Bruce spanning many years. In so many ways, it is the natural and obvious choice. Camilla trusts Bruce because he has really delivered on dresses for so many important occasions recently for her."
On the day of the coronation, more details about the dress were revealed. Buckingham Palace described it as "simple and tailored." The white gown made of Peau de Soie silk with gold and silver details featured symbolic embroidery of the English rose, which may have been a nod to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation gown. As the publication Echo noted, the dress features other symbolic flowers, such as daisies, forget-me-nots, and scarlet pimpernel, which are all thought to indicate her and Charles' love of nature. Camilla also wore a symbolic diamond necklace, which features the famous Lahore Diamond and was worn by Queen Victoria at her coronation.
Additionally, Camilla donned the purple velvet and diamond embellished Queen Mary's Crown, which features 2,200 diamonds, and carried the Queen Consort's Rod with Dove, which is made of ivory and gold and has been used by every queen consort since 1685. She also held the golden Queen Consort's Scepter with Cross. While the exact cost of Camilla's full coronation ensemble is unknown, it's safe to say that this is one of Camilla's most extravagant outfits yet given that her crown alone is worth over $50 million.