King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted a Buckingham Palace state dinner for the emperor and empress of Japan last night. Princess Anne is still being hospitalized, so she wasn’t there. Neither was the Princess of Wales (who was never scheduled for the state dinner). So it was left to the Duchess of Edinburgh to bring the under-60 royal glamour. Interestingly, there are very few photos of Sophie, even though I think she genuinely looked nice in her emerald-green Suzannah London gown. But what was really interesting about her styling was the tiara!
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh is sparkling in one of Kate Middleton’s top tiaras at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
On June 25, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 59, shimmered in the Lotus Flower Tiara at the diplomatic dinner held in honor of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan’s state visit to the U.K. The style choice was significant as Sophie’s first time wearing the Lotus Flower Tiara, expanding her royal rotation.
Prince Edward’s wife has previously glittered in two aquamarine tiaras and her all-diamond wedding tiara made up of four detachable diamond anthemions, which were reportedly sourced from one of Queen Victoria’s crowns.
My first thought was “Waity, you in danger, girl.” But it’s possible that under King Charles’s reign – or more importantly, Queen Camilla’s reign over the Royal Collection jewels – the rules around tiaras have changed. Back in Queen Elizabeth II’s day, once she “assigned” a tiara to a royal wife, that was “your” tiara to wear to state events. That’s why Sophie always wore – for decades! – the same two aquamarine tiaras to state events, because those were the tiaras assigned to her by QEII. Apparently, Camilla is loosening up the tiara assignments, because now Sophie gets to wear the Lotus Flower Tiara, which the Princess of Wales has worn several times over the years? That was supposed to be “Kate’s” for a while. But with Kate still recovering and absent from events… well, I guess Sophie didn’t want to wear the same old aquamarines. Now that I’m looking closely at Sophie’s necklace and earrings, my guess is that this whole jewelry set up was set aside for Kate, but in Kate’s absence, Sophie was like “MINE!”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Ms Julia Longbottom, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Edinburgh and H.E. Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of their state visit to the UK. Picture date: Tuesday June 25, 2024. . NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 884750370, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Ms Julia Longbottom, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Edinburgh and H.E. Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of their state visit to the UK. Picture date: Tuesday June 25, 2024. . NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 884750370, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Ms Julia Longbottom, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Edinburgh and H.E. Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of their state visit to the UK. Picture date: Tuesday June 25, 2024. . NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 884750370, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Emperor Naruhito, King Charles III, Empress Masako, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of their state visit to the UK. Picture date: Tuesday June 25, 2024. . NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 884750416, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Empress Masako and Queen Camilla make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of their state visit to the UK. Picture date: Tuesday June 25, 2024. . NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 884750657, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- King Charles III, Emperor Naruhito and Queen Camilla make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of their state visit to the UK. Picture date: Tuesday June 25, 2024. . NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 884750661, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
WOW. Nah, I think that’s a significant message, not just tiara rotation. Is it wrong that I hope the Kate stan/bigots are steaming mad this morning? Hahahaha
lmao yeah it’s kind of pathetic.
Unless Kate has been allowed to graduate to bigger and better tiaras (like she was allowed to start wearing this lotus tiara after being stuck with her starter wedding tiara for a few years), I have to think this is not a good sign for her.
It seems like in the past, QEII allowed very long-term loans of tiaras allowing them to become associated with specific royals. Camilla wore the honeycomb tiara for YEARS. This is definitely a change in that practice. Congrats to Sophie on seeing her nonstop kissing of the rings paying off in some lovely jewels.
@Pinkosaurus – Camilla wore the Greville (the honeycomb one) for most events because the Queen Mum had actually given it directly to Charles. It wasn’t a loan from QEII.
“Sovereign to sovereign” gifts like that don’t come under the usually punitive estate taxes. QEQM just skipped a generation.
Camilla got some other stuff loaned, but the Greville goodies (and it was quite a stash) mostly went to Charles.
A few of the Euro houses have “family foundations” for their jewels and items get basically checked out for events. Some “big guns” are reserved for the current queen, but it works pretty well for all members.
@sussexwatcher: i hope they are mad. There is nothing as delicious as deranger tears.
But personally i don’t think it’s anything significant if i am honest. I even think they might have done it to enforce the close family narrative. As in: they are so close to each other they don’t mind sharing jewelry
But we all know better than that. There is no familial love in that den of vipers.
Plus “lotus flower” worked thematically for the event. If Kate wasn’t going to show up, Sophie was the next up in seniority.
It is definitely a message from camilla. Sophie could have been lent a new tiara and not the lotus but she knew tongues would be wagging over this, as it is not something the Queen ever did.
(I think there are some cases of Margaret wearing something and then it went to Anne, but Margaret wouldn’t wear anything after it was lent to someone else)
Agreed, there are so many tiaras that haven’t seen the light of day in a while. This is a message to Kate.
It seems very stingy on the part of Cam to force the girls to share the same crummy tiara. The old trout can’t take ’em all with her after all.
And another thing: Is Cam really converting the royal earrings to clip ons? For cryin’ out loud, the next Maj will just change them back in 5 years or so. Very hard on those old settings.
Now I know what all the azz kissing was about. All that bowing and scraping, just to sport some stolen blood diamonds. KittyKat can’t take this lying down, can she? Does she have stans? I’m so glad Meghan’s not there. This is yet another thing they would have held over her head– I can only imagine the months upon months of “will they be invited, won’t they”; or “Meghan banned from wearing tiara!!”
Not every jewel is stolen. This tiara was made from a necklace that the Queen mum was gifted for her wedding by her husband. He bought it from Garrard. Now blood diamond ? Likely true given the situation of diamond mining then (1923). But it’s still one of the less problematic of royal jewels.
The jewels should be shown off as often as possible. Pretty silly to keep them in a vault where the public never sees them. God knows these people could use a bit of glamour.
Sophie knows which side to choose and what strategy to play out to butter her bread and secure her future – cosying up with Camilla & Charles and Willy. Same as she did towards the late queen: she did lots of engagement to impress the queen and spent a lots of spare time with her and Prince Philip to secure the Duke/Duchess titles (horse/carriage riding, etc.). Now that she is in the good grace of the sr ones and has the new title, she is allowed to enjoy the better perks. Well played, for now. I don’t think she gets along with Kate.
Pretty sure it worn by somebody in the family to honor Japan – it is the LOTUS FLOWER tiara. No shade to Waity. Just respect for the honored guests.
Becky English would have been fed that information to lessen the obvious snub to Kate by Camilla. But she wasn’t which means it’s not innocent. Camilla wants this noticed and commented upon.
I’m assuming the significance of this particular tiara is that the royals love their themed cosplay dressing, and they thought the Lotus Flower Tiara would be appropriate for the Japanese State Dinner, given the significance of lotus flowers in Japan.
If Kate were there, I’m sure she would have worn it, but my hunch is they wanted someone – anyone! – to wear it to demonstrate how culturally sensitive (LOL!) they are. Since their cultural sensitivity seems limited to “stereotypical theme dressing.”
I won’t lie, it looks good on her. I definitely get the feeling Camilla’s jewelry rules are a lot different than QE2’s were. Either that or maybe Cams is having some of her usual fun with Kate.
I agree, because of Sophie’s hairstyle it shouldn’t look that good on her but it looks great! Far better than on Kate. And the necklace bling to match is perfect, the deep green sets it all off so well, and compliments her coloring….A+
I don’t think it’s a dig at Kate, it’s one of Kate’s “lesser” tiaras than her Big Gun Cambridge. But I do hope this suggests that Kate gets a new one in December, I’m so bored of the same old same old. Bring out Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik diamond tiara, please!
Kate wore it as a headband and it looked awful. Sophie has a better sense of how to style her hair with tiaras to set them off better.
But this is all Camilla. She knew the message she was sending. And Sophie couldn’t have said no. She needs Camilla on her side.
Sophie doesn’t have 10 lbs of massive fake hair to detract from the delicate beauty of that tiara. We know Kate would have had some huge complicated updo fighting for domination on her head.
Kate already has a “new” tiara, the one she wore at the coronation ^^
Wasn’t that lady, I can not recall her name gate keeping all the jewels during Queen E’s era? Even had a major meltdown during MM ‘s tiara selection for her wedding. Now that she is gone and living in that gifted cottage or somerhing the rules are more lax. Happy Queen C is more lenient with the jewels.
That was Angela Kelly. 😊
Angela Kelly, who was promptly thrown out on her ass by Charles.
Camilla being in charge of the jewels is just entertaining. She gets to decide who wears what which I’m sure she doesn’t mind. If I was Sophie, I don’t know how I’d feel being given a tiara that Kate has previously worn. It’s a move that could annoy both Kate and Sophie. Why couldn’t Camilla have given her a new one that hasn’t been seen before? Or idk maybe Sophie is happy to wear one previously donned by the POW. I think I’m more annoyed that there’s presumably all these tiaras and they keep wearing the same ones. Everything about these state dinners is ostentatious and it’s ridiculously that they have all these jewels in their vaults and yet they’re still just hoarding them from the public eye.
Maybe because these have been worn & are ready to go? I mean, cleaned, stabilized, strengthened, and so on? These things are old & delicate and I would imagine they wouldn’t want to suddenly discover there’s a weakness not previously known.
Maybe? They need to hire some jewelry cleaner/experts then. Just not any like Ak.
By the way, my eyebrows just raised!! We knew Camilla was going to get her payback, and with them ignoring Katie Keen on the balcony, this sends a significant message to me, and Willy did nothing to help her.
All that sucking up has its perks. Better tiaras. I wonder how Can’t felt about that? Sophie wearing what she wore. I like to think it made her mad.
The necklace and earrings aren’t as big a deal. The late queen had shared a few things between Sophie and Kate before. This set, the Bahrain pearl earrings, and another pair of pearl earrings. Now the tiara? That is something way bigger. Honestly, I can see this sharing thing go 1 of 2 ways. Their majesties opening up the vault and lots of new stuff(old) coming out and everyone has fun trying it on, is option 1. Option 2 is the vaults stay shut and only stuff previously seen is shared, so any variety is up to either the ladies/their hubbies buy them new stuff. I’m curious as to what Sophie wears jewelry wise tonight.
Hmmnnn, Sophie was scheduled to attend the Return Dinner this evening but didn’t show. Curious.
Sophie looks good. I’m not fond of the fabric of her dress which seems to be bunching and puckering in front. And the bodice would have looked better without the sash and pin to drag at it. But the color is nice – striking without being overwhelming.
The color is nice, the fabric not so much. The design makes her look about 90 years old from the waist up
Dowdy. That’s the word I was searching for, and your comment helped me find it. The color might be nice in a different design or fabric choice, but as is, it just looks dowdy. And it doesn’t highlight the jewels at all. I wonder if that was the compromise for getting the big guns. She could wear the fancy jewels, but she wouldn’t be allowed to shine.
Agree! Sophie looked great from the necklace up and the green color was great but that dress didn’t do her any favors other than the color.
Agree. The dress looks like it was purchased from Goodwill as I suspect is where Sophie gets most of her wardrobe.
She looks good from the neck up. The dress is hideous…casual, “housewife dress” cut, dimpling fabric, no belt or sash but a cheap looking “elasticized” waist (yes, I know it’s likely not elastic, but that’s exactly what it looks like). It’s a sad, polyester sack hanging off the rack at Zara, no disrespect to Zara.
I actually really like this dress…. on someone else. At the Suzannah London website where I first saw this dress it looked fabulous but Sophie and the sash are doing a disservice to this gown!
Sophie wears this designer a lot – Suzannah London. There’s a very similar gown on the website, but the drape goes across the bodice to cover just the shoulders – it’s silk, retails for $6,550 and doesn’t look like it was stored in a laundry bag. It seems like Sophie’s bodice was altered to accommodate the sash and pin, and the drape made longer to cover her arms. But it looks weird and bunchy and like she’s wearing it inside out.
I’ve often wondered how all of the brooches and honors affect designer gowns. It makes sense that they would have to be reworked, unless they’ve all turned into some magnetic situation.
@christine, female Royals from other countries have this down pat. You will often see that their ribbon, surely an extra, has been cut so that it may be placed lower on the gown as opposed to draping across their shoulder. For example, Queen Letizia, at the most recent UK State Dinner for Spain wore a sleeveless dress with the ribbon cut and tucked in on each side of the bodice, front and back. In the case of Sophie’s gown, the ribbon could have been cut and then at her right side of the gown the top of one ribbon portion could be pinned under the chiffon gathered at the bodice with the other end of the ribbon under the gathering in the back. That would leave the chiffon free to drape around her shoulders. Something else I have seen is that a slit at the top of the shoulder has been tailored in so that the ribbon can go underneath draping or other fabric on the bodice, like a cape, and then come out the slit and back down the back. I also have heard of magnets being used. Back in the day a large piece of buckram would be sewn into the bodice to allow for the pinning of metals and such without a strain on the fabric.
Having said all that, the UK Royals don’t seem to do that. In other words, they just throw their ribbon on over the shoulder of any old dress whether it looks good or not!
Here is a link to the original dress at the Suzannah London site. I actually really like this dress but not the one on Sophie:
https://www.suzannah.com/en-us/products/crystalline-couture-silk-dress-green
The bodice of that dress makes no sense.
Note that the base of the tiara is still wrapped with dark velvet from Kate’s last outing. Looks like a last-minute loan.
As for the necklace and earrings, Sophie has worn them before. Not a great match for the tiara IMO.
(I read the royal jewelry blogs because jewelry.)
I will be curious to see if any of the jewelry blogs note that Sophie getting the lotus is contrary to what the Queen did in the decades prior to then.
Which blogs do you recommend?
https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2024/06/two-dazzling-tiara-debuts-at-buckingham-palace-during-the-japanese-state-banquet.html
This one covers a lot. There are a few commenters who are experts on this. I think Art historian would know a few more sites and have more info.
How does Sophie manage to always look so blah? She just comes across as bland and uninteresting, even dripping with all those jewels. It amazes me how someone can be so lacking in personality. She doesn’t look bad, she’s just painfully unremarkable… Even wearing all those diamonds. (If a royal wears a tiara in the forest, does it make a sound?)
It’s come to this. They’re depending on Sophie to bring the glamour. They’re in a lot of trouble.
The Windsors are jealous natured and competitive. Sophie is by far the best looking member in her generation, but she can’t outshine anyone higher up or cause waves of retaliation. She has to be dull and dowdy, but polished enough not to make herself look foolish. The Windsors also don’t want all the jewels seen all the time and highlight all the unearned generational (looted and untaxed) wealth. Well. That seemed to QE’s logic. Camilla seems like a kid in a candy store going through the royal collection. i think C² sent a message with the tiara and a wave of negative press is going to be directed at Keen now that she has been lured out.
It’s protective coloration. She tried for attention and glamour in the early days and got burned so now she blends blandly and doesn’t pull focus away from those with more power.
Agreed. She pushed hard to be Diana 2.0, and it massively backfired.
it’s her face; specifically, her facial expression. She is not interested, not engaging, just getting through. Look at her husband just in front, he’s having a convo with the woman he is escorting; Sophie’s just walking & staring blankly.
You’re so right.
Sophie needs to really work it, it’s never too late: sparkle, be vivacious, with smiling genuine warmth. That’s where Diana scored, it wasn’t just her looks her height or her style-setting clothes.
Well she is working a lot more so why Not?
Such a power move by Cam . This is definitely a message to Kate . She should be worried.
Exactly sunny. The rf is more like a vipers nest than a family. And Camilla is chief snake.
The queen mum who kate wants to emulate, was the chief viper back in her day and it continued during Elizabeth’s reign because the queen had other things to do. There is a reason why Wallis Simpson has been painted as poorly as she has been. (The photo of the family doing the Nazi salute shows they were not much different than Wallis and the queen mum was an open racist)
She does more “royal work” so why not?
Seems like she can carry it off, I’m surprised too. And she actually looks like she could be Queen. Too bad she doesn’t have her own money, she could do with a good stylist, makeup artist and make royal watching more interesting fashion wise. Don’t come at me for being superficial, they offer nothing else except optics.
Nic919 – absolutely correct. That palace is rattling with all those snakes.
I love the way you worded this, it’s true!
I don’t know why people would be mad. Kate has still her DIY tiara. No one can take that away from her.
😂
No one would want to.
😂
She should wear that at the next state dinner, if she’s allowed to go to any more.
Did they just awkwardly walk next to each other without talking the whole way? Aren’t they taught and encouraged to do some nice and charming small talk to keep their guests comfortable and entertained? Weird.
Royal women used to just have their assigned tiaras because with the Queen remaining in her position for so long, we didn’t really see things like women changing official ranks within the family. But now that Kate is Princess of Wales I think it’s just that she’ll be wearing more important things like the Strathmore Rose. So Sophie gets lesser ones but she’s still moved up.
Loads of ill-gotten jewelry, ribbons, hairdo’s, gowns….check check check.
Why do none of these women have a decent bra? They all look like they dragged something out of the hamper, comfy and loose. Surely royalty has access to a decent lingerie fitter? They need to follow Salma Hayek’s lingerie game. Her girls are not hanging around her waist.
Bite your tongue lest Angel-of-Death Kelly hears you! She was the one who kept Betty Windsor in foundation garments. We don’t want her oozing her way back into the fold!
It might be worth it to have SOMEONE to hoik those chests up above their waists. Current situation is visual assault.
The Bra things also really stumps me because it’s such an easy fix and the Queen literally was the most famous patron of Rigby and Peller.
So the Royal ladies could also promote a famous UK institution by getting properly kitted out. Tow birds and one stone.
Just weird
Why do breasts have to sit upright? They are not 15 year old girls.
What is wrong with sagging breasts?
I love that colour of green on Sophie, but I wish that Victorian Order didn’t look so much like a post-it! It would actually be an interesting move if Camilla didn’t keep to QEII’s rules and “awarded” the big jewels based on need.
The yellow ribbon is the family order from Elizabeth. It is still the larger ribbon that Camilla used to have as well, but they shrunk it a bit, presumably to make room for the new order from Charles. I think Kate was spotted with a smaller yellow ribbon last year too.
They really have been slow at bringing in the new family order. I would have thought Camilla would have debuted that in 2023.
Now Sophie’s recent affection for Baldy makes perfect sense. You gotta grift where you can, I guess. I still find it bizarre how Kitty has been in the fold for nearly 15 years now and she still doesn’t have a tiara to call her own. Better yet, she hasn’t even got the financial capacity to buy one.
That is the plight of a commoner. When women from aristocratic families married in they would usually have access to their family tiara, and sometimes they have many of them. I believe the Duchess of Gloucester has her own because of her own family.
Kate only ever has access to what the current Queen lends her.
The Duchess of Gloucester rolled out a giant family tiara (from Princess Alice maybe) that I was hoping would get mentioned here. She has short hair but carried it off really well. It must have been so heavy. Best tiara/wearer combo of the night imho.
The Duchess of Gloucester has the best personal jewelry collection. Her mother in law received a lot of significant pieces for her wedding and her husband was left a lot by different relatives. In this case, it was by Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig Holstein who lived in England after her divorce decades prior. She had no children.
The Duchess comes from an ordinary background. Duke Richard inherited a whopping collection from his mother, which was mostly wedding gifts. (His only sibling predeceased him.) The Gloucesters were better off than the Kents and did not end up selling a lot of their stuff (when the Duke dies, though, there will probably be a big sale).
Her big gun is the Cartier Indian tiara, which was a present from Richard’s godmother, the aforementioned Princess Marie Louise.
The Duchess has a personal collection of tiaras, necklaces, etc., better than the Belgian queen’s.
IIRC, QEII straight up gifted tiaras to Sophie and Fergie for their weddings. Sophie’s tiara might have originally been an ugly cobbled together affair, but still, QEII made a point of getting tiaras for her and Fergie that they would own outright. Why couldn’t Chuck gift tiaras to Mrs. Wails and Meghan as wedding gifts?
I bet he would have if either of his sons had chosen an aristocrat. That family is wretched.
Sophie looks good here AND she suits the tiara. She like Cams can wear the bling bling without it wearing her.
Keen will not be happy that she’s been ‘upstaged’ like this. She lives for these big state and family events where she can flaunt her status over everyone else.
Cue some Carole PR soon enough.
When we were wondering what Camilla would do after looking at bit grumpy at the Trooping… we have our answer. The dark material on the tiara hasn’t been changed for Sophie either.
I believe there was a turning point with the South Korean state visit in November last year. Kate’s flamboyant head to toe scarlet outfit with bare legs (in November!) wasn’t a good look. Her exit from the state car with her dress at almost crotch level looked suspiciously planned. One shot sees her out of the car with one foot on the ground and the other raised as if about to ascend a step. There is no step but the action serves to keep her dress at thigh level.
Charles would not have said anything directly to Kate but he would have made William aware that Kate’s behaviour was unacceptable.
I also believe there was a turning point with that visit. Kate was not only making extravagant attempts to gain attention but everything thing she did seemed off.
The exhibitionistic exit from the car, the bright red outfit coupled with a dramatic hat, giant bow and was that a cape, all screamed look at me.
It was so peculiar that it reminded me of nothing so much as a young starlet engaging in misbehavior at a public event followed by a quick retreat to rehab, or hospitalization for exhaustion.
Kate was a grown woman representing the crown and her behavior was not only embarrassing but it called into question her ability to comport herself appropriately. She seemed mentally unwell and it was sad to see.
And as we know this family shows no mercy to the women who marry in if they experience distress in their roles.
I am always so impressed with everyone’s knowledge on the Royal Tiaras, I learn so much in that department here.
There are a few websites out there with lots of info. Plus it’s been easy to track what kate and Sophie have worn because to date they have worn most of the same ones.
That’s my favorite tiara, love to see it get an outing! And love that green on Sophie.
The post-it note pinned to the boob never fails to make me laugh!
I always thought old Lizzie’s yellow family order ribbon looked like a used, frayed, yellow cocktail napkin!
I’m Sophie’s age or a bit older and I wouldn’t be caught dead in that dress. My 93 yr old Mom would wear it though.
Sophie didn’t wear the new royal family order like Camilla.
I strongly suspect that Charles wanted Camilla to have her moment of being the only one with the new family order to be the first. Unless there is another state visit, I suspect we will see the other women have the order for the diplomatic reception at the end of the year. In particular Anne, Sophie and possibly the duchess of Gloucester.
Only Camilla has the family order for now. According to Becky English the others are still being made.
Becky also made sure to point out that Sophie was wearing a tiara previously lent to Kate. You know she was given a directive for that.
She will get it eventually. They are all hand painted and custom framed so it can take a while. The ladies who have one now will get a new one.
I’m not sure I want to read “Kate you in danger, girl” into this loan. As a jewelry follower I’m delighted that Sophie got a new loan under the new mistress of the vault.
(Now I think that having Kate wear the “Strathmore Rose” was a wee bit of trolling.)
I bet this is one of the hidden costs to the taxpayers for keeping their national mascots, like a coronation, Jubbly, Trooping, etc…
I really want to know how much each one costs to produce. If it were Meghan, we would already know each and every effing detail.
@Christine, it will cost some money to have the painting and jewel work done, but at least 1) Charles has said NO to ivory and 2) they no doubt have enough diamond and gold around for materials.
And yes, if Meghan wore one, it would be costed out and added to her “total” to show her extravagance. Like her Cartier watch she’s had for yonks and I think she bought herself gets added in.
Apparently the Kate stans were upset that Sophie was wearing Kate’s tiara. But Kate gets to wear the Strathmore Rose tiara now so maybe it was decided that Sophie should wear the Lotus Flower tiara.
Kate did not do the Strathmore tiara justice. I don’t know why she insists on wearing those tiaras the way she does.
I totally agree. As I said at the time, not only was it too small for Kate’s head, but she wore it with her hair down like a little girl and looked ridiculous. The Queen Mum would never!
Tiaras as a headband just look awful.
Looking back, I wonder if Camilla was being shady letting Kate wear the Strathmore ROSE tiara. Like Camilla made sure to get photographed with Rose Hanbury this year. She is clearly not above trolling with her tiara choices.
Lolololol that never dawned on me, but I totally wonder now! Especially since Kate looked like she was on medication the whole visit, from the carriage flashing to her puffy face and bad hair at the dinner.
Did they bother to clean the jewels before they were worn?
I would hope they get cleaned after each wearing & before being put away. That would seem to be the appropriate curatorial thing to do.
Yes, I noticed Sophie’s necklace looked a bit grubby. Unless those diamonds are a yellow shade.
Could it be as dumb as lotus flower = Japan? They love a theme. But if it comes with a little snipe at someone else—all the better.
Probably. Kate also wore this tiara for the Chinese State Visit.
Absolutely. That’s a given.
I always think, out of all of them, Sophie has the truest regal essence to her. I think I’m trying to say she looks like a woman of substance. She was genuinely upset by the queen’s death. I like her look here.
I agree Sparrow, she may not have the best dress sense but she carries herself with dignity, something Kate hasn’t mastered because she typically dresses to stand out, not to blend in with decorum like Sophie.
Publicly hitting on Huevo and stealing her tiara ? Kate is definitely in danger. They’re probably trying to see at what point she’ll snap and reappear.
LMAO so many heads exploding in Middleton Manor right now.
I usually agree with your take on situations but I cannot get the image out of my head of Sophie blatantly ignoring Meghan while making it a point to lean forward to talk with Kate. Not a woman of substance, imo.
.meant as reply to Sparrow
Hi Libra. Yes, that was bad. Thank you for reminding me. She wasn’t as substantial as her husband on that day, who treated Harry and Meghan with some kindness. I suppose she strikes me, in the round, as someone with more substance than the others because of her work ethic. I recall an article, years ago, about how seriously she takes her patronages. She researches them, she prepares, she drives herself to the venues during the days before, no security, no frills, so she can work out where they are and not be late caught up in traffic. This sounds like basic stuff but I think it separates her from some of the others. She discussed miscarriage and her experience of a near fatal ectopic pregnancy, in the early 2000s I think. Of course, miscarriage can remain a private matter, it’s up to the individuals involved, but I think she was brave in relaying her personal experience within the public realm, and it helped others perhaps. If I had to sit next to a senior royal woman on the bus and talk about serious matters, I think I’d pick her. Camilla would be drunk on the back row, of course, so she’d be out of the running.
Sophie also had a risky delivery when Louise was born. I was not impressed with how she treated Meghan, but in terms of doing the work, she has never hidden away for years because she had young kids. She can also give a speech and not seem like she just saw the notes that day.
It’s about time the Queen started allowing other members of the family to wear the jewelry. Sophie has been stuck with ugly ones for her entire married life. The late Queen was way too stingy with the treasures in the vault. I see she’s also wearing a BIG MF necklace as well.
Sophie has worn the necklace and earrings before. However Kate has also worn the earrings, too. So no idea if they were ever more than a one-time loan from QE2.
I am so happy to see Sophie wearing the lotus flower tiara! However, I am not surprised to see it at this state visit. The lotus flower is a traditional Japanese flower symbolizing purity, enlightenment and beauty. However, I think Kate was expected to attend and wear it, and Sophie was runner up as next highest lady to then wear it. The band that sat on Sophie’s head still had the dark velvet for Kate and hadn’t been changed to yellow for Sophie. Her hair dresser did a good job trying to hide it, but it was still visible in some pictures. I think wearing this tiara was a diplomatic nod, and they let the highest ranking lady wear it.
“The band that sat on Sophie’s head still had the dark velvet for Kate and hadn’t been changed to yellow for Sophie. ”
^^ Very interesting and thanks for the info.
So had Anne not been ill, would she have worn this Tiara?
Sophie just looks meh. The darts on her gown look askew so the fabric isn’t laying correctly. And I think the color is too dark for June.
Can’t she rent a better dress?
That gown. Ugh. Edith Head could have designed something so much better for her (it looks vaguely from that era).
They all look like their use by date has expired! They all need new bras to prop up their Lady parts. All I can say is age isn’t any of their friends! Face and boob lifts all around! Charles can afford to invest the money so the left behinds can last another few years!
It definitely seems like low, flattened, pancake boobs are a thing among the royals and aristos. I cannot imagine what the appeal is, but it’s far too pervasive to be a coincidence.
Something I also noticed from the Ascot photos, was a lot of women going bra-less, who, in my opinion, weren’t wearing the kind of tops/dresses/materials that can get away with no bra. They were NOT flattering looks.
Also, Camilla ALWAYS overdoes the jewelry. And none of it matches. She is SO tacky. She looks like my 5 year old niece when she puts on a ton of costume jewelry
Camilla’s dress is so-so, but that strip of lace (or something) running down the middle of her dress, starting right where her cooch probably is…….cringe 😵💫🤮😳
Someone said that Sophie looked regal. Far from it. She looked like a frumpy mess. That fabulous tiara and necklace looked out of place on her. She needed a more sophisticated dress to go with them. Green is definitely not her color and please cover those flabby arms. Not a glamorous person among the lot of them. What year is the Japanese Empress living in? She dresses like she is living in the 1950’s. No wonder they long for Kates’s return at least she dresses in the current era. Nothing says stale and pale like this lot. Sophie and the rest of them frumps are younger than Dr. Jill Biden and look and dress older than her. Why not invite some of the younger royals to these state dinners some of them are much more interesting than what they have now. Let them showcase some of those jewels. A lot of the younger royals lead interesting lives. Beautiful jewels on frumps are a waste. Notice I said frumps. There are some older women who dress beautifully and would have showcased those jewels wonderfully.
The Japanese imperial protocol is much MUCH stricter than the British one. She isn’t even supposed to wear colored jewels, diamonds and pearls only.
Same. The grey men in the Japanese household tightly control every detail and nothing is left to personal taste. The Empress who is an intelligent, educated, competent and accomplished woman has been restricted in every facet of her life since she married in.
I knew Camilla wouldn’t like that article about Carole being the only support and nosy in law to the Wails (bc fuck C+C) and how Kate is the only royal woman that matters. Carole approved articles are always like “can’t wait for the King to die so MY daughter becomes Queen Consort and bring glamour back”. Those articles are always quite directly taking a dig at C+C. Camilla didn’t become the most famous rival to one of the world’s most beloved, glamorous and famous woman in recent history for nothing, Carole.
Sophie pushed for years the narrative that QE2 loved her so much but she didn’t get a substantial tiara or necklace until after she died…
I’m thinking that The Queen was a stickler for who got what by their station. She may (?) have loved Sophie, but she is only the wife of queen’s 4th child. So QEII wasn’t going to let her wear jewelry above her station. I’m totally guessing, just think it makes sense.
Another guess is that since Sophie is now Duchess of Edinburgh, she sort of needs to be allowed access to some of the better pieces. Can’t have her wearing jewels below her station!
All the Royals wear sashes, what’s up with that. I just think of my HS graduation sash, beauty pageant, Girl Scouts, plus they get in the way of the clothes. Whatever they signify could probably be displayed in a more tasteful fashion. But who am I kidding.
Sophiesta is such a bore! Truth be told, she would’ve never crossed my radar if she hadn’t gone peak Mean Girl on Meghan. Since then, she’s been nothing to me. Racist, grasping, groveling trash without an inkling of fashion sense.
Agreed.
I think some Kate fans are steaming about this but don’t care and it’s not that big a deal. Camilla has the keys to the jewelry vault and can do what she wants and distribute the loot how she wants. Whatever. Her forehead looks really big with that tiara but could be how her hair is styled. Sofiesta looks appropriate but even dripping in way too many diamonds she’s always so basic.
Sophie looks very regal.
I have a soft spot for Edward and even if his wife meangirled Harry, I think it is part of their job and still like them both.
Edward looked unwell for so long, it is good to see him obviously feeling better again.
Not a racist family but refused to allow Meghan to wear any tiaras for the 1 state dinner she was eligible to wear one. In fact, Charles told her she didn’t need to wear one🙄
Meghan never attended a state dinner?
The Fiji dinner would have been a state dinner.
I was about to say, “‘All style, no substance”, but she has no style. I know royals wear minimal makeup, but bland and washed out is worse.
Sophie doesn’t have the same funds as Kate however she could buy half the amount of new clothes and invest in better quality/tailoring and a good stylist. The queen of Denmark re-wears her dresses, including the formals, and gets a lot of praise.
Mary has a *huge* clothes budget.
Sophie’s could have used a little tailoring, I think.