London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 24, 2026

The outfits Kate, Camilla and other royals wore to the coronation

The outfits Kate, Camilla and other royals wore to the coronation

Celebrating British design and craftsmanship, crowds at last saw Catherine, Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla's hotly anticipated coronation gowns, at Westminster Abbey.

Catherine, Princess of Wales

The Princess of Wales was wearing an Alexander McQueen dress in ivory silk crepe with silver bullion, and embroidery featuring the floral emblems of the UK - rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.


"The craftsmanship at McQueen is unrivalled," says fashion journalist, Tiffanie Darke. "And she has a relationship with them that goes back so long - they would be the natural choice for her."

She was also wearing pearl and diamond earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.

"That's the beauty of jewellery," says gem expert Joanna Hardy, "that you can include people, you can include their memories."


The princess was also believed to be wearing the George VI Festoon Necklace, made for Queen Elizabeth II when she was in her twenties at the request of her father, King George VI. We have yet to see Catherine wearing it.

She was wearing a beautiful headpiece made of silver bullion, crystal and silver threadwork by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen - in what is believed to be the milliner's first collaboration with the fashion house. Jess Collett has made hats and hairbands for Catherine's sister, Pippa Middleton, in the past.

According to Dr Benjamin Wild, a cultural historian and expert on royal dress, it is significant that none of the Royal Family were wearing tiaras.

"Dispensing with the coronets is a nod to make the monarchy more relevant and more modern," he says. "Only the King and the Queen will have jewel-encrusted crowns on their head, to elevate their status."


Queen Camilla


The Queen's coronation dress was by British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield, who has been designing for her for more than a decade, providing couture for many of her public engagements.

"This is the biggest commission of my life - I have to pinch myself sometimes," says the couturier, who attended the ceremony. "Her Majesty has always been wonderful to collaborate with. I know what she feels happy and confident wearing."

The tailored gown has an ivory, silver and gold colour palette, with bracelet-length sleeves, a wide neckline and a short train.


Cut from Peau de Soie, a matte silk fabric, and woven in Suffolk by Stephen Walters, the dress featured embroidery depicting garlands of wildflowers, said to represent the King and Queen's affection for nature and the British countryside. There was also celebratory bunting stitched in antique gold and silver thread.

The front hem of the underskirt and the dress's cuffs were embellished with the floral motifs of the four nations - which were also elements of Queen Elizabeth II's sparkling coronation dress in 1953, by couturier Sir Norman Hartnell.

Near the hem there appeared to be a pair of embroidered dogs - which may represent the Queen's beloved Jack Russell Terriers, Beth and Bluebell, however the Royal Household declined to comment about the significance of the embroidery animals.


Queen Camilla was also wearing the Coronation necklace and earrings made for Queen Victoria by Garrard. Worn by several Queen consorts in history, as well as at the last coronation by Queen Elizabeth II, the platinum, gold and silver set necklace comprises gemstones removed from old garter badges and the hilt of a ceremonial sword.

Joanna Hardy says it was "very fitting... It's wonderful to see all these jewels being worn - so much nicer than seeing them in a glass cabinet".


Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Prince George, one of King Charles's Pages of Honour, was wearing a traditional uniform. The nine-year-old's scarlet tunic was decorated with gold lace trim and blue velvet cuffs. He was also wearing an ivory silk satin waistcoat trimmed in gold braid.

Like her mother, Princess Charlotte was wearing an Alexander McQueen dress, with an ivory silk crepe cape embroidered with flowers signifying the four nations. The eight-year-old princess was also wearing a smaller version of the headpiece worn by Catherine, designed by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen, which features three-dimensional leaf embroidery.


Five-year-old Prince Louis wore an outfit by Savile Row tailor, Dege and Skinner, which consisted of a blue doeskin tunic with specially designed lacework embellishing the collar, cuffs and fronts.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Give Ukraine Classified Storm Shadow Blueprints for Domestic Missile Production
UK Graduate Job Vacancies Plunge 45% to Lowest Levels on Record
Iranian Hackers Shut Down British Power Plant for Four Days in Landmark Cyber Attack
Novak Djokovic Reveals Relentless Self-Doubt and Rejects Retirement in New Documentary
Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods After Bilateral Trade Talks Collapse
First Bus Bars Unaccompanied Under-Sixteens From Evening Services in Stoke-on-Trent
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Cost UK Waste Sector About One Billion Pounds a Year
Reform UK Proposes Lower Social Housing Priority for Foreign-Born Naturalised Citizens
UK Government Deploys AI Drones in Crackdown on Illegal Waste Dumping
EU Biometric Border Checks Cause Disruption for British Travellers and Freight Operators
UK Expands Voluntary Drug Treatment Programme for Sex Offenders to Twenty Prisons
CrossCountry Cancels Most Services After Major Power Failure at Control Centre
Met Office Warns El Niño Could Bring Severe Autumn Storms and Higher Food Prices
Resolution Foundation Says UK Productivity Growth May Be Stronger Than Official Data Suggest
Andy Burnham Proposes Giving Regional Mayors Greater Planning Powers
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Links
Russia Withdraws Ambassador to Britain and Warns of Retaliation Over UK Drone Supplies to Ukraine
Iran-Linked Hackers Blamed for Cyberattack That Shut Down UK Power Plant
Andy Burnham Pledges UK Support for Long-Range Missile Production in Ukraine
Australia Combines Indigenous Fire Knowledge With Satellite Tech to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
Father and Son Jailed in Scotland Over £900,000 Airport Cannabis Smuggling Operation
UK Fraud Reports Surge Sevenfold as Criminals Exploit QR Codes in Parking Meters and Phishing Emails
Brighton Thrash Aston Villa in Four-Goal Opening Half as Manchester City Trail Bournemouth
Erin Patterson Appeals Triple Murder Convictions After Hotel Mixed Sequestered Jury With Prosecution
Bank of England Maintains Close Watch on Banks Amid Global Economic Uncertainty
Warm Weather and Tourism Support UK High Street Spending During Summer
Westminster Faces Continuing Political and Administrative Fallout From Epstein Files Release
UK Invests in Domestic Defence Drone Manufacturing to Strengthen Military Supply Chains
Around Five Million UK Households Face Higher Mortgage Payments by 2028
Bluetongue Virus Cases Rise Across England, Wales and Scotland
UK Government Holds First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism
Historic Summer Droughts Threaten UK Harvests and Put Further Pressure on Food Prices
UK Economy Holds Up in Second Quarter Despite Global Energy and Geopolitical Pressures
UK Opens National Artificial Intelligence Safety Testing Facility
UK Government Finalizes Plans to Bring Remaining Regional Rail Services Into Public Ownership
Environment Agency Imposes Record Penalties on Water Companies Over Illegal Sewage Discharges
Great British Energy Announces Offshore Wind Partnership in North Sea
UK Government Tightens Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Development
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Cut Elective Care Waiting Lists
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates May Stay Higher for Longer as Inflation Pressures Persist
The rise and fall of Hui Ka Yan, China’s richest man
Woke: Britain Considers Plain Packaging for Cigars as Specialist Shops Warn of Industry Collapse
Britain's Public-Service Productivity Remains Below 2019 as £80 Billion Output Gap Fuels WFH Debate
Mandelson Epstein Case in Jeopardy as U.S. Files Stay Out of Reach
Prince Harry and Six Others Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million After High Court Defeat
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Inflation and Energy Risks Persist
UK AI Security Tests Find Autonomous Agent Attempting Malicious Code Injection
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Amid Global Pressures
UK Joins European Allies in Condemning Israeli Settlement Plans in West Bank E1 Area
Multiple People Killed in A66 Collision Near Middlesbrough Involving Police Vehicle
×