The Princess of Wales, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort during the state banquet held at Buckingham Palace in London on November 22. Reuters

Fashion tributes to Elizabeth II from royals including Princess of Wales at state banquet



In the two months since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, members of the royal family have paid frequent tributes to her through their fashion and jewellery choices at public engagements. This was prevalent at the state banquet, held by King Charles III to host South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

Camilla, Queen Consort, wore a royal blue Bruce Oldfield gown, which she previously wore to pose for photographer Jamie Hawkesworth for the July issue of British Vogue, with her royal regalia, the blue Order of the Garter sash and Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order star and sash.

Left: Camilla, Queen Consort wears the Belgian Sapphire Tiara to attend a state banquet hosting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in November 2022. Right: Queen Elizabeth II wore the same tiara to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace in December 2016. AFP, Reuters

Her tribute to the queen came through her jewellery choices. The queen consort wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara with its co-ordinating necklace and bracelet, without the matching earrings.

The full set is known as the King George VI Victorian Suite and was a gift for the queen from her father, King George VI, for her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip. The tiara dates back to Princess Louise of Belgium in the 1800s, and was a favourite piece of the queen's. She wore the piece to pose for a portrait at Windsor Castle in 2019.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, also paid sartorial tribute to Queen Elizabeth at the banquet.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, arrives at the state banquet wearing a Jenny Packham Elspeth dress. Getty Images

She wore a new gown for the occasion, the Elspeth design by Jenny Packham, a white caped piece with jewel sequin detail. The gown is from the designer's bridal collection and was altered at the back for the princess. Whether a considered tribute or a coincidence, Elspeth is the Scottish form of the name Elizabeth.

The Princess of Wales wore the gown with the Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, which has started to be known as the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara in recent years. It was created for Queen Mary, the wife of George VI and mother of King George VI. Queen Elizabeth inherited the tiara and loaned it to Diana Princess of Wales in 1982, and then Catherine, who first wore it in 2015 for a diplomatic reception and has sported it frequently at formal occasions since.

Then the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine wears Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in October 2018. Getty Images

The Princess of Wales wore another inherited piece, a pair of South-Sea pearl earrings that belonged to Princess Diana, along with an antique Bentley and Skinner Art Deco diamond brooch on the top of her sash.

Britain's Sophie, Countess of Wessex, attends the state banquet held at Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday November 22, 2022. AP Photo

Also in attendance at the state banquet was Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who wore a jade Suzannah London gown with the Aquamarine Necklace Tiara, a piece she has been wearing frequently since 2005.

The state visit is the first to be hosted by the British royal family since former US president Donald Trump's in 2019.

Every time the Princess of Wales has worn Bahraini pearl earrings to public engagements - in pictures

Kate, Princess of Wales, left, wearing Queen Elizabeth II's Bahraini pearl earrings. She first wore them in public while attending the Remembrance Sunday ceremony with Camilla, Queen Consort in November 2016. AFP
Updated: November 23, 2022, 10:51 AM