King Charles and Queen Camilla shed their robes and changed into their evening wear last night for a trip to the ballet after the State of Parliament.
The 74-year-old King and 76-year-old Queen visited the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, to watch a performance of Don Quixote.
After the performance, they went backstage to meet the performers and ask them about their grueling routines.
While Camilla shone in a floor-length mauve lace dress, the royal looked elegant in a suit and tie.
Their Royal Highnesses shook hands with the performers and heard about their rehearsal schedules – prompting the King to tell a ballet dancer her schedule was “quite demanding, isn’t it?”
The production of Don Quixote was staged in honor of the schools and groups across the UK that work with the Royal Opera House.
Also in the audience were hundreds of NHS staff and a choral group of Ukrainian singers.
While meeting the cast, the King and Queen were also introduced to the show’s producer Carlos Acosta and Sir Lloyd Dorfman, chairman of the Royal House of Opera.
The trip to the ballet followed a busy day for Charles and Camilla, who performed the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords on Tuesday morning.
In the first King’s Speech for more than 70 years and his first as monarch, Charles addressed MPs and peers.
King Charles and Queen Camilla chatted with the ballet dancers at the performance of Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House
The King chatted with some of the artists after the show and discussed their demanding schedule
The King chatted to the cast of Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House last night
Following the performance, the King and Queen went backstage to chat with the performers
When Their Royal Highnesses met with the cast of the ballet production, they asked how many more performances would take place before the end of the show
The King looked dapper in a suit, tie, pocket square and a poppy on his lapel
King Charles shook hands with the performers, who were wearing their stage costumes
The King and Queen’s visit to the ballet performance followed the State Opening of Parliament earlier in the day
He was joined by Queen Camilla and his sister Princess Anne, 73, who reprized the role of Golden Waiter that she played at the coronation in May.
As he entered the house, the king was accompanied by several honorary pages who helped him arrange his robes while he sat on the throne.
Meanwhile, the Queen looked elegant in her Bruce Oldfield Couture gown, which she paired with her late mother-in-law’s George IV state tiara crown and necklace.
The crown, which Queen Elizabeth also wore at her first State Opening of Parliament, has been passed from monarch to monarch since the coronation of George IV in 1821 and is only worn on official occasions.
It is only worn on official occasions, such as this State Opening of Parliament.
While Camilla paid respect to her mother-in-law, she also paid a subtle tribute to her loved ones with her stunning dress.
Embroidered on the custom-made dress are the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, as well as those of her grandchildren, Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza and Lola.
Two golden terrier puppies were also embroidered on the dress to represent Charles and Camilla’s rescue dogs, Beth and Bluebell.
The Royals rescued the pooches from the Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home in 2017. The two adorable dogs have even made Buckingham Palace their new home.
Camilla’s ivory dress, designed by couturier and his close friend Bruce Oldfield, who also worked closely with Diana during her time as a working royal, was made from peau de soie, a silk fabric.
The dress was decorated with silver embroidery woven by Stephen Walters in Suffolk.
With a color palette of ivory, silver and gold, bracelet-length sleeves, a strong shoulder and a wide V-neck, the dress had Camilla’s signature silhouette, a modest neckline and an extended waist.
Camilla also wore a state gown decorated with the king’s favorite flowers, delphiniums and lily of the valley, a favorite flower of the late Queen Elizabeth II.