Queen Camilla Coronation Dress: Her Majesty “Outfit Repeats” at The Opening of Parliament
At His Majesty’s first State Opening of Parliament, the British Royal made a sustainable fashion choice, opting to re-wear her coronation dress
King Charles III has long been committed to sustainability and climate change action, especailly as the Prince of Wales, and this is a core belief that he has carried with him as he ascends the throne. During the King’s first address of Parliament for its State Opening yesterday in London, Queen Camilla decided to join the Royal tradition of repurposing outfits to promote sustainable fashion in the public eye.
According to People magazine, the late Queen Elizabeth opted to wear her coronation dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, on six different occasions; including significant events like the Opening of Parliament in New Zealand, Australia, and Sri Lanka in 1954, as well as the Opening of Parliament in Canada in 1957. Establishing the rewearing of this garment somewhat of a Royal Tradition, and in line with the king’s stance in drawing back the opulent norms of the Royal Family to stay with the times.
The gown, a custom couture creation by Bruce Oldfield, was made in white Peau de Soie fabric with delicate gold detailing. It features intricate embroidery displaying the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, as well as her grandchildren: Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza, and Lola, as well as her two rescue dogs. Queen Camilla also payed homage to the late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in choosing to wear the George IV State Diadem, a crown that Queen Elizabeth would often wear, and in fact wore to her own State Opening in 1952 and was featured in her Royal Portrait for British postage stamps.
This event was the first Kings Speech in over 70 years, and delivered promises of renewable energy resources, tackling climate change and biodiversity loss ahead of King Charles’s appearance at COP28 next month in Dubai.
Lead image Courtesy of @theroyalfamily via Instagram.