For the first time since she became Queen Consort, Camilla Parker Bowles has donned a tiara.
During a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, Camilla was seen wearing a Belgian Sapphire Tiara; a tiara which was previously owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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Queen Elizabeth last wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara in 2015 for China’s state visit to the UK. The Queen also wore the tiara in 1989, while she was in Singapore.
The Belgian Sapphire Tiara is actually a part of a set that includes the tiara as well as a matching necklace, earrings and bracelet. Together, the set is known as the King George VI Victorian Suite.
In 1947, Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George gave her the tiara, necklace and earrings as a wedding gift. The matching bracelet was added to the suite in the 1960s.
The jewels featured on the tiara, necklace, earrings and bracelet are believed to date back to the mid-1800s.
For the recent state banquet, which was held to welcome Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, to the UK, Camilla wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara’s matching necklace and bracelet but she notably didn’t wear the matching earrings.
Camilla instead opted for slightly more demure sapphire earrings that matched her royal blue gown, which was designed by Bruce Oldfield.
The state banquet was a much smoother affair than Camilla’s last public appearance; when she and her husband, King Chales III had to dodge eggs that were thrown at them by a protester.
Several eggs were hurled at the royal couple while they were at Micklegate Bar in York on Wednesday, November 9.
While some came quite close, none of the eggs actually hit Charles or Camilla.
The protester who threw the eggs reportedly yelled out, “This country was built on the blood of slaves” as he did it.
And according to the Northern Echo, shortly after the protester threw the eggs, he was detained by four police officers.
The King looked quite unfazed by the whole affair but Camilla did look slightly concerned when the crowd started loudly booing at the protester; presumably she initially thought the crowd was booing her and her husband.
Camilla looked more at ease once the crowd started chanting, “God save the Queen” and “hip hip hooray”; which they did as soon as police seized the protester.
