Splendor in Buckingham: Kate Middleton and Camila, two Queens for a throne

Buckingham Palace has dressed up. The official residence of the King of the United Kingdom has been the scene of the first great dinner since the death of Queen Elizabeth last September. King Charles has hosted the state visit of the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, to London. A trip that was planned before the death of the mother of the new monarch, but that has taken place with Carlos III as head of state. However, the sovereign was not the only one who made his debut at this event -it was also the first gala dinner for the chief executive, Rishi Sunak, in his new role-, in which, as expected , the princes of walesespecially Catherine Middleton, have garnered much of the attention.

An evening in which the two main ladies of the Royal Family have shone with their own light. Despite the fact that the Queen Consort is Camila Parker-Bowles, almost all eyes have been on the new Princess of Wales, who has not been seen wearing a tiara since before the pandemic, when she attended a diplomatic reception also held in Buckingham palace.

Catalina Middleton has opted for a white dress with rhinestone-embellished shoulders, the work of Jenny Packham. A most elegant and sophisticated choice with which Prince William’s wife has once again displayed her exquisite stylistic taste on a day as important as the one lived today.

This morning, at the reception for the President of South Africa, Catalina Middleton surprised by wearing a brooch reserved for the wife of the Prince of Wales. A piece with an important historical value that in the past we also saw Diana herself. There was also some pearl earrings that belonged to her mother-in-law.

There have been no big surprises when it comes to jewelry, beyond an expected tribute to Queen Elizabeth in the form of an order. As a tiara, the Princess of Wales has opted for the Lover’s Knotone of the diadems that was once Princess Diana’s favorite for its structure based on diamonds and pearls.

For her part, the Queen Camilla He has opted for a style in electric blue with embroidery and transparencies as the main protagonists. However, if there is something that characterizes the wife of King Carlos, it is her ability to remain in the background, without calling her attention, aware of her role and the place that she occupies of her. A detail that, by the way, greatly differentiates it from Diana of Waleswho always inevitably monopolized all eyes.

But the truth is that on this last occasion, and taking into account that she has completely slipped into Queen Elizabeth’s jewelery box, Camila has captured all eyes, even leaving Catalina in a more relegated position now that the latter is the Princess of Wales and she is the Queen consort. The detail that has made the wife of Carlos III stand out is none other than the use of the Belgian sapphire tiara, one of the most emblematic jewels of which she was sovereign and that she wore on her day for the Canadian portrait her.

A jewel with a lot of history

In this way, Camila Parker has revalidated her important role at the head of the British throne and thus being the right hand of King Carlos. And, this sapphire tiara combined perfectly with her looksalso providing a sentimental value that revolves around the entire Windsor clan given the story behind the diadem in question, which is part of the treasure of the British Royal Family given the curious history it possesses.

First, It should be noted that it was not a tiara in its beginnings, but a choker that Princess Luisa María of Belgium had received from her father., Leopold II of Belgium, before leaving her husband and second cousin for which she was later disinherited. Now far from her family and living with her lover, Luisa María was involved in a forgery scandal that she faced selling the pieces of the jewel in question to nothing more and nothing less than the British Royal Family, which was in charge of transforming the choker into a tiara that King George VI gave to his daughter for her wedding to Prince Philip, as well as a bracelet, earrings and a necklace.

A few years later, all those jewels were used by Elizabeth II to pose with the best of her smiles in her Sapphire Jubilee, thus celebrating her 65 years at the helm of the British throne; and later in 2020 to carry out a portrait for Canada, considering that the piece had traveled with her to France, Prague, Poland and even Pakistan.

a special menu

While only the ‘hard core’ of the Royal Family has been seen in the morning, other members of the Windsor have attended dinner. It has been possible to see Princess Anne and the Earls of Wessex, who are a great support for the new monarchy of King Charles, as well as the Dukes of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. However, the presence of a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, Annabel Whitehead, who was a fundamental pillar of the monarch during her lifetime and now also of her son, has attracted special attention.

In recent days, all the details have been reviewed to make this visit a success and nothing has been left to chance. Beyond the natural implications of this type of commitment, it should not be forgotten that this is the first time that Carlos III has acted as host, which is why it acquires greater relevance, as was to be expected.

From the official accounts on the social networks of the Royal Family they have revealed some details of how the preparations for this visit have been, such as the preparation of the menu that has been served on this evening, in which there has been no lack of winks to the honored country.