I've been keeping regular tabs on updates from the royal rota regarding next
week's State visit by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril
Ramaphosa. It's a highly significant one from a historic perspective: the
first for King Charles III, and the first for William and Kate since assuming
the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales. The State visit takes place from
Tuesday 22nd to Wednesday 23rd of November (it seems a tad shorter than usual;
I would have expected an event or two Thursday) and it's been confirmed we'll
see participation from the Waleses throughout Tuesday.
The President will arrive in the United Kingdom on Monday and will be greeted
at Stansted Airport by Viscount Hood, Lord-In-Waiting on behalf of the King.
Tuesday is a packed day, beginning with the Prince and Princess of Wales
officially welcoming President Ramaphosa at the Corinthia Hotel.
William and Kate will then travel with the President to Horse Guards Parade
where a ceremonial welcome will take place. Readers will recall William and
Kate first undertook the role in 2014, welcoming President Tony Tan Keng Yam
of Singapore and his wife Mary Chee Bee Kiang at Royal Garden Hotel,
Kensington.
It promises to be an event filled with pomp and pageantry. We'll see the King
and Queen Consort involved at this point, with a carriage procession along the
Mall to Buckingham Palace. The King will host a private luncheon at the Palace
and there will be a viewing of items from South Africa contained in the Royal
Collection. I expect William and Kate to be involved in these events.
That evening, the King and Queen Consort will host a glittering State banquet
at Buckingham Palace where His Majesty and President Rhamphosa will deliver
speeches. Long-time followers of Kate will remember her State banquet debut in
2015. For a State banquet in honour of President Xi, Kate dazzled in a true
'Princess gown' by Jenny Packham, the Queen Mother's Papyrus Tiara, the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond and
Chandelier earrings, and bracelets also on loan from Her late Majesty.
For a
2018 State banquet
in honour of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima's visit, we saw Kate
choose a bespoke kingfisher blue
Alexander McQueen
mermaid-style gown (it was one of her least popular white-tie choices),
with the Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara, Diana's pearl earrings and a
dazzling pearl necklace from Queen Alexandra's wedding parure.
Amidst a sea of sparkle, the most significant news of the night was that
the Duchess had received the Royal Family Order from Her late Majesty.
Traditionally the order was made of ivory, but we knew we wouldn't see the
Duchess wearing ivory and instead Kate's was created with glass.
And in 2019, in honour of the
United States visit, Kate once again turned to Sarah Burton at McQueen, this time selecting a
white ruffled gown with a v neckline and short sleeves. Again, the Cambridge
Lovers Knot tiara, the Queen Mother's Sapphire and Diamond earrings, and
Diana's triple-strand pearl bracelet.
A notable addition in the form of Kate's GCVO Regalia was worn. Weeks
earlier, Queen Elizabeth II invested Kate with the Insignia of a Dame Grand
Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Like the Royal Family Order, the blue sash
with red and white trim and the star of the order will be worn at white-tie
occasions throughout Kate's life.
We'll be keeping an eye on Kate's jewellery choices for the night. Might we
possibly see the introduction of a new tiara in her rotation?
In terms of gowns, it would certainly be a delight to see the beautiful
Phillipa Lepley creation the Princess wore during the Caribbean tour
again.
And not forgetting the sweeping Jenny Packham creation worn in Jamaica -- the Wonder Glitter Tulle Gown is available
at Neiman Marcus.
The following day, Wednesday 23rd, encompasses a variety of events including a
visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens with the Earl of Wessex. There are also
meetings at Number 10 and a Guildhall banquet on the agenda, though the Prince
and Princess are not scheduled to participate on Wednesday. Back in 2015, we
saw William and Kate join President Xi for a creative industry event at
Lancaster House. Kate chose a floral
Dolce & Gabbana dress for the day.
Do you have any sartorial predictions for the visit? Let me know in the
comments!
************
A couple of quick updates before wrapping up. Yesterday, the King hosted a
reception at Windsor Castle to thank those involved in the Platinum Jubilee.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were there, in addition to the Countess of
Wessex, Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Gloucester. Thus far, no photos
or additional information has been released.
The Prince of Wales is visiting Wales today. During a meeting, William
answered a question we've all been enquiring about: the possibility of an
investiture.
The BBC reports:
'BBC Wales was told that the prince understands he is at the start of a long period of association with Wales' political system, and was keen to express his desire to deepen the trust and respect of people of Wales over time.
He planned to tell them that there are no formal plans for an investiture ceremony, aware of the political controversy that surrounded the event in 1969.
Kensington Palace said an investiture is "not on the table".'
And last but certainly not least -- it's twelve years today since a very special announcement was made. Make yourself some tea or coffee and relive this interview.
I expect we'll see an embargoed engagement for the Princess before the end of the week.
Will Kate be wearing the RVO the late queen gave her or will she wear a new one since Charles is King now?
ReplyDeleteShe will continue to wear it until the King bestows a higher order which takes precedence. She will still wear the star of the RVO along with the higher order ( if given) at white and associated state events.
DeleteMy understanding is that the royal family order will always be worn. Kate will wear the one from Queen Elizabeth and one from King Charles when he issues one to her. She will eventually have a third one when William is king. I suppose it would be possible for to eventually have one from her son as well if she outlives William and is given one by George. They are worn stacked in each other as the queen did her her grandfather’s and her father’s.
DeleteYes this is true, the Royal Victorian Order, her sash and star will be worn until the King bestows a higher order ( like the Order of the Garter)
DeleteHer RFO ( Royal Family Order) will run concurrently, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and King William etc. She may even have four with George.
I'm really excited to see a tiara event. I hope we get photos and I hope she has a new tiara, maybe the ones Camilla used to use, now that she has got access to the tiaras reserved for the Queen. I think not holding an investiture for the P and P of Wales is the right call.
ReplyDeleteI can’t flippin wait!! BTW I personally really loved the ice blue McQueen mermaid dress!
ReplyDeleteBeth in SF
I think it was beautiful.
Deletei agree, its one of my favourites
DeleteThe pink gown we saw so little of looked beautiful on her, as did the Caribbean gown with those lovely colors. I hope the necklace is simple but full of diamonds. :)
ReplyDeleteIs it too bold to wish we will see another tiara instead of the Lover’s Knot? I don’t think it works for her. Sleek hair is no good match for those type of tiaras and somehow she seems to refuse to go for more elaborate and big updos. But those pieces- they need volume. Diana’s short hair were always styled accordingly.
ReplyDeleteAnd looking back, I have to say I really really prefer her 2015/2017 looks. The Phillipa Lepley dress would be a nice choice. The green Jenny Packham is a rare, if not the only miss in their long relationship. I don’t think it would work at all. Let’s hope it’s not another mermaid style (that has truly run its course for now I think) or crinkly fabric again. And wow, I kind of forgot how many lace day dresses she used to wear. I know they are not “back in fashion” yet- BUT they really worked for her. It would be lovely to see her revisit them.
Maybe it’s time to dig deep into the vault now. I always hope to see some big guns we haven’t seen a lot of. Camilla, Kate, Sophie and Anne all decked out with flashy pieces would be a dream. Just because I love the royal jewels so much. So, ‘Come on, darlings. Do it for me/us. Pretty please’.
I have to say I really agree with your tiara comments. Her hair with the lovers knot has always seemed not quite right. The papyrus tiara worked well.
DeleteRight there with you Anon 19:10 with the pretty please!!! It's time to break these pieces out of the vault!!
DeleteI am so with you guys! i personally would love to see the teck crescent tiara, for sure time for the big guns! the setting would work perfectly for her hair (similar to the papyrus in profile) and it has not been seen in soooo long. i have never been a big fan of the Cambridge lovers knot on her and could not figure out why, but you are so right with it being about the hair!
Deletejust sitting in the winter cold hoping for a different tiara:)
Thank you so much Charlotte! Can’t wait!!! I’m hoping to see the beautiful green Jenny Packham gown. She was stunning.
ReplyDeleteJoanne in CA
Jo, I liked the green dress as well and glad she didn't wear the emerald necklace matching the set she's wearing. It would look amazing with the Grenville emarald tiara and Queen Victoria's emerald earrings. S. ☺
DeleteS, let’s keep our fingers crossed 🤞🏻 That would be amazing ☺️
DeleteJoanne in CA (Jo is good too ☺️)
Since green is on the South Africa flag and the coat of arms, I think Kate will wear an altered version of the green dress...without the ruffled lace.
ReplyDeleteI’m looking forward to this! I wonder about the gown for the state event & Earthshot. I’d love to see a new tiara! Sue :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to see:
ReplyDeleteA) the green Jenny Packman from Jamaica with the Queen Mary's Tiara and the Greville Peardrop earrings
B) the Phillipa Lepley gown with the Five Aquamarine Tiara and any other piece (necklace! earrings! )from the Paraure
C) the black velvet strapless gown she wore as a newlywed with the Burmese Ruby Tiara with ruby earrings
D) or blue gown with any of the sapphire jewels
AND some stunning earrings (NOT the Diana Collingswood pearls or Bahrain drops)
With the economic downturn in the UK, a rewear of a gown and a display of the 'old jewels' would be a welcome tone and a way to elevate her new role with a nod to the reality that the country is facing.
Seems like forever since the last state banquet. Yes I would love to see new jewels on show but I wonder Is it too soon after the late Queen passing. All the Ladies have a fairly good collection except Sophie. That mermaid dress was just wrong. I love seeing her wear Queen Alexander pearl necklace. I would like to see her wearing Diana's Saudi sapphire necklace and the Russian sapphire tiara. Charlotte thanks for the update, I was wondering how it would play out with the visit. Charlotte, if you look at the picture of her wearing the white dress, that's not Diana's three strand bracelet. It's four strands and bigger pearls. I think the Lepley would be a perfect choice for the occasion. When I first saw it I thought that neckline was made for the Nizam diamond necklace. Tiara wise my wish is the girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, without the base. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteMy first choice would be for the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara as well S. It would suit Kate perfectly. My second choice would be for the Oriental Circlet, and my third would be in agreement with E.J. for Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara, although it may be too soon for Kate to wear that one as it is so closely associated with the Queen IMHO. While I love the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara, I do believe as Princess of Wales, it is time for a different tiara. Loving everybody's suggestions!
DeleteGrenville emerald, Russia sapphire, Queen Victoria's Ruby or Queen Mary's fringe. My first choice would be the girls without the base. S. ☺
DeleteWow, so many tiaras, what to choose! The Girls without the base is lovely, as is Queen Mary's fringe. Let's hope there are many more tiara events, so many tiaras, so little time! You are very knowledgeable on the royal jewelry S, thank you for sharing, love learning.
DeleteWell I hope that Kate gets the Girls of Britain and Ireland tiara or that if drops down to Charlotte given HM wore that one so many times. And I hope Kate is given the Vladimir tiara because it has three looks (plain, emeralds, pearls). I think the Aquamarine and Sapphire ones are kinda gaudy (they'd work better on Camilla, plus Camilla has several large tiaras that she's been wearing). But the Burmese Rudy might work on Kate.
ReplyDeleteBurmese Ruby tiara is heirloom of the Crown so that likely not be used.
DeleteYou're thinking of the Oriental Circlet. The Burmese isn't an heirloom of the Crown.
DeleteThe Burmese rubies were a wedding gift with diamonds from the Nizam tiara also a wedding gift. S. ☺
DeleteWill be fun to see what she wears. I do think it must be hard to figure out gowns that work with the all the pins and the sash etc that she has to wear. ali
ReplyDeleteThank you as always for your posts. I rather hesitate to mention it, but not sure if you are aware of how many ads appear to your loyal readers. Of course I will continue reading
ReplyDeleteJust install an adblocker. I don't see any ads.
DeleteSo fun to revisit their engagement interview. Thanks! Shows how tremendously Kate's confidence has grown.
ReplyDeleteI know what I wish. Any new (for her) tiara and earrings. Emeralds would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe gowns worn in Jamaica were both fabulous.
What think she will wear: a new gown, there is a pattern there and she has worn new gowns at every state banquet. The Cambridge Lovers Knot tiara. Earrings a few choices but ones she has already worn. And perhaps a new necklace or one she has only worn once a diamond collet.
I am not sure she has access to a lot things, and now the Queen is no more, who will decide what is lent to her? I think the Queen had a very clear idea. She would suggest a necklace and Kate would have her dress made accordingly. Except the white one, all her gowns have adapted themselves to the jewellery, not the other way round.
I agree with you Natacha, I have always thought the Queen made suggestions to Kate about what jewelry she could/should use, and Kate worked around that, with the jewelry the Queens input and the dress Kate's own sense of style. I have no clue as to how it works, or whether or not that happened, it's what I like to believe was a chance for the Queen to bestow/share some wisdom with Kate and chance for Kate to learn the nuances of being a Queen.
DeleteI'm pretty sure the King would allow her to wear more pieces if she needs any from the Royal Vaults, he's always held her in high regard and is extremely fond of her, his darling daughter - in law.
DeleteDear Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteI have been your long time reader but I have never written a comment. After your new post I decided to break the silence. First of all thak you for your wonderful blog, I check it every day.
Speaking about the jewellery I think all of us remember the Platinum Jubilee Trooping the Colour where Catherine debuted sapphire drop earrings previously worn on numerous occasions by William´s mother. Diana often wore them with her iconic saphire chocker. I think these earrings and chocker were William´s gift for her 40 birthday. So that I hope we will see Catherine wear the seven-strand pearl and sapphire chocker soon. But I don´t think it will be next week because she could overshadow the Charles during his first state banquet as a King. I think all royal ladies will honor the late Queen and wear jewellery from her collection.
The last time the sapphire chocker was publicly seen was when Diana attended the Met Gala in New York in December 1996. So we could see the chocker during the Earthshot Prize Ceremony in Boston. Other possibilities are Diplomatic reception in Buckingham Palace or BAFTA awards next February.
E. J.
E J, very good point about that necklace getting a lot of attention if she wore it. I just hope that she has it and we get to see it worn again. S. ☺
DeleteAgreed! That is an iconic piece of jewelry and it's going to look as beautiful on Kate as it did on Diana.
DeleteDiana's will stated that her wish was here jewels be divided equally between her sons. I'd guess Diana thought her full collection. I remember reading after she died and the will was amended by her family, that sources were saying a different between her personal jewellery and those given to her as Princess of Wales. A example given was this sapphire gifted from the Queen Mother to the then Princess of Wales was in fact a gift from one previous Queen to a future Queen and gifted to be worn by further Queens. A very wise move on behalf of the Crown. Its a priceless jewellery collection. I've said before the only jeweler we have seen worn were from Diana's private collection. I'd guess all jewels worn by Diana and previous Princess of Wales will become available to her. S. ☺
DeleteThank you S for your comment. I have one question. Was Diana permited to wear jewels
DeleteI thougth that after the divoce Diana could wear only jewels from her personel collection and those official ones had to return to the Crown. E. J.
DeleteHi, no my understanding of the divorce settlement was. Diana would retain the use of the jewellery gifted to her as Princess of Wales. That large sapphire was a engagement gift from the Queen Mother. The Queen gave the Cambridge tiara as a wedding present as in life time loan. I don't know what jeweler the Queen gifted Diana but anything I've seen was on loan. Diana returned the Cambridge tiara after the divorce. Diamond necklace, pear necklace now worn by Kate, diamond earrings and the Cambridge tiara and emerald choker is all I can think of she was lent. The late Queen was a lot more generous with the new Princess of Wales. S. ☺
DeleteActually I'd rather the seven row pearl and sapphire choker be reconfigured. Keep the necklace as is and use the sapphire piece as a brooch again.
DeleteIt was way too much in it's last configuration.
Really? I think it's absolutely beautiful. Stunning piece of jewellery. That necklace is probably one of the most famous sapphires in the world. It might be a good idea to be able to remove the sapphire to be worn as a brooch or bracelet. It's the Saudi sapphire necklace I think needs to be reworked. Maybe longer necklace and the sapphire hung sideways as a pendant. S. ☺
DeleteNo matter what she is wearing, HRH The Princess of Wales exudes such warmth, charm, and humility; a truly regal-royal, filled with kindness & compassion.
ReplyDeleteI love a tiara event…I would love to see the green Jenny Packham from the 2018 BAFTAS come back around. She wore it while pregnant but I think it would be just as pretty not pregnant. I think she’ll stick with the Lover’s Knot but I would love to see something new like Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik tiara. If my research is correct, it has ties back to the Princess of Wales title and was also worn by Queen Elizabeth for a South Africa state visit in 2010. I think it would be a beautiful nod to not only her new title but also to Queen Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for anything that's not the Cambridge Lover's Knot. I really dislike that tiara. Anything else. I couldn't care less about the dress, she could wear a brown paper bag and I'd be happy with it, as long as she wears a different tiara. Lol
ReplyDeleteMy prediction is that she will wear a different tiara than she has worn before. Also, I think she will wear a new dress. Do you think we could make possible outfits for her appearance at the State Banquet like we used to do?
ReplyDeleteCharlotte - I'm feeling like a blog post on tiaras and jewelry is due (again). I love the input everyone has and the stories behind some of the jewelry. I would suspect HM left very clear instructions about her jewelry collection (or it is the Royal Jewels). Time will eventually let us know. It must be both daunting and overwhelming for Kate to eventually have so much jewelry. thanks, Linda
ReplyDeleteLinda, I have to agree. I think the Queen gave jeweler to her family before she passed. Princess Anne wearing one of the Russian sapphire brooches before and after the Queen died. We also saw the Cambridge pearl brooch on the Princess of Wales and also the three strand pearl necklace. Catherine would of been well provided for. Th King has more interest in jewelry than his Mother had. I'm sure he will make sure his beloved Daughter in law is well provided for. S. ☺
DeleteMy prediction is that she will wear a different tiara than she has worn before and a recycle
ReplyDeletegown
Looking forward to what everyone will wear at this state occasion! Sue in WA
ReplyDeleteUnpopular opinion here, but I don’t really care for any of her state banquet looks. The overload of bling and heavy, fussy dresses just swallow her up. She’s looked so elegant on other very dressy occasions (BAFTA, charity galas). I hope she takes a page from that part of her stylist notebook for next week. Would love to see her skip the overly embellished dresses that she’s favored in the past and (gasp!) go easy on the hardware display. Let her natural effervescence shine through!
ReplyDeleteI love all the pictured dresses above, I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite and I diss about her hair, I think tiaras look much better with sleek hair, to me the big fussy hair like Camilla and Diana wore are outdated. The tiaras don’t need puffy hair they look much more stately with neat hair. I think she should absolutely wear something new, she’s now in a position to never be expected to wear repeats and I would be happy to see her wear a tiara or crown with colored jewels.
ReplyDeletePrincess Diana, as Princess of Wales only ever wore the Spencer Tiara or the Cambridge Lover's knot I think.
DeleteTrue, Angie. Diana hadn't access to other tiaras.I keep telling myself to be realistic, Kate will have no choice but to wear the Cambridge Lovers knot. But it would be so fun if she did....the suspense!
DeleteThe South African Banquet tiara could be a good choice.
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to the State Banquet. Wishing for new tiaras but I don’t think it’s likely. The UK is struggling so much at the moment from a financial perspective, I think the P.Wales and the Q.Consort will keep it low key or stick with repeats. I think the Girls of GB & Ireland will be retired for quite a while. Possibly until P.Wales becomes Q.Consort herself.
ReplyDelete