Camilla's coronation gown: The subtle meaning behind the Queen's dress
The Queen chose a designer favoured by Diana to create her coronation dress.
"What does one wear when being crowned Queen?" isn't a question many people have to ask in their time, but for Queen Camilla, it would have been something she's pondered for a considerable amount of time.
Camilla chose one of her go-to designers to create her coronation dress for the illustrious occasion, opting for an embroidered ivory gown for the ceremony.
A fitted bodice swooped into a short train which was designed to complement each of the two robes worn by Her Majesty at the coronation, but it was the embroidered detailing which had several sweet meanings behind it.
The Bruce Oldfield-designed gown featured his signature panelling, and fit more like a structured coat dress than a gown, with a matching embroidered underskirt.
The Peau de Soie gown was woven by Stephen Walters in Suffolk, and featured delicate embroidered garlands of abstract wildflowers from fields and hedgerows: daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine and scarlet pimpernel, "representing the King and the Queen Consort’s affection for nature and the British countryside" per Buckingham Palace.
Embellishing the front hem area of the underskirt and the cuffs of each sleeve are the flower emblems of the four nations of the United Kingdom – a rose (England), a thistle (Scotland), a daffodil (Wales) and a shamrock (Northern Ireland) – of which she is now Queen, and further stitching paid a sweet tribute to those in her personal life, too.
Among the floral detailing, eagle-eyed viewers could spot the names of her children, Tom and Laura, and those of her grandchildren, Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza and Lola, as well as two gold terrier dogs embroidered onto the gown in honour of Camilla's rescue dogs, Beth and Bluebell.
The ivory, silver and gold-coloured gown palette featured bracelet-length sleeves, a strong shoulder and a wide V-neck neckline to make room for the coronation necklace, a piece from the Crown Jewels featuring 25 graduated brilliant-cut diamonds and a 22.48 carat diamond pendant, known as the Lahore Diamond.
The 72-year-old British fashion designer known for his couture occasionwear, was also favoured by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, for high-profile events, and has been dressing celebrities including Jerry Hall, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diana Ross and Sienna Miller, as well as other members of the Royal Family, for decades.
Brought up and educated under the care of children's charity Barnardo's, Oldfield went on to graduate from St Martin's School of Art before starting his own eponymous fashion business in 1975.
By 1978, he was creating custom couture designs for his high-profile clients, and by 1980, he was one of Diana’s go-to designers for public events.
Oldfield designed some of Princess Diana’s most iconic dresses during their decades-long relationship, which turned into a close friendship, often referring to the period as “relentless” as Diana was photographed everywhere she went.
He said: “When I look back, it was relentless for her. We dressed her up like she was going to a wedding every day.”
Oldfield has since worked with other members of the Royal Family, including Camilla, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
Regarding his relationship with both Camilla and the late people’s princess, the veteran couturier was once quoted as saying he “gave Diana her glamour and Camilla her confidence”.
Camilla followed in the footsteps of the late Queen Elizabeth in choosing a British designer for the coronation ceremony, as is customary for the Windsors.
The late monarch chose Norman Hartnell for her iconic white duchesse satin coronation dress and deep red silk-velvet robe, which the then 27-year-old wore for her coronation service at Westminster Abbey on 2 June, 1953.
Camilla also wore Queen Mary’s crown for the ceremony, which underwent “minor changes and additions” by the Crown jeweller, including the addition of the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds from the late Queen's personal collection, and the omission of the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Watch: King Charles III's coronation: Camilla, from the 'other woman' to Queen Consort