Fashion tributes to Queen Elizabeth from royals including Princess Kate 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Updated: November 23, 2022, 6:09 AM