The Princess of Wales may have worn two dresses for the coronation – as the new royal portraits show a gown with a different neckline to her stunning ivory silk crepe Alexander McQueen dress she wore to the ceremony on Saturday.
Eagle-eyed royal fans noticed that Kate, 41, wore a scoop neckline during celebrations at Westminster Abbey over the weekend, newly released photos taken on the same day show the king’s daughter-in-law in a V-neck design.
Instagram fan account @middletonmaven said the photos show the mother-of-three wearing “a new Alexander McQueen dress for the official photos,” and other observers chimed in to voice their approval.
“The neckline is different from the dress she wore under her coat,” one agreed. “Did she have two dresses?”
Another noted that the cutout wasn’t the only clue.
Eagle-eyed royal fans noticed Kate, 41, wore a scoop neckline during celebrations at Westminster Abbey over the weekend, newly released photos taken on the same day show the king’s daughter-in-law in a V-neck design (left on Saturday and right in the portraits)
“Yes, the embroidery at the hem of the dress is also different,” they wrote. ‘Both beautiful and the necklace completed the great look.’
However, a closer look at the hemline suggests that the floral patterns along the skirt are strikingly similar, if not identical.
The dress in the portrait also featured beautiful embroidery between the sleeves, reminiscent of a similar floral design.
“I wonder why she had two done,” asked a third.
However, not everyone was convinced that a second dress was a definite possibility – as one wondered if the princess might have worn a cape during the ceremony.
On Saturday, Kate was elegant in Alexander McQueen’s stunning ivory silk-crepe gown, which featured silver bars and thread embroidery with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to represent each of the four nations.
In lieu of a tiara, the royal mother-of-three wore a matching Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece featuring three-dimensional leaf embroidery made of silver bullion, crystals and silver thread.
And in a touching nod to her late mother-in-law, the princess wore a set of Diana’s pearl and diamond earrings for the occasion.
Meanwhile, she also paid tribute to the late Queen by wearing the George VI Festoon Necklace, which was a gift from King George VI to his daughter, then Princess Elizabeth.
In lieu of a tiara, the royal mother-of-three wore a matching Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece featuring three-dimensional leaf embroidery made of silver bullion, crystals and silver thread
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are pictured with members of the working royal family: (left to right) the Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Princess Royal, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, The Prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy, The Duke of Edinburgh
On Saturday, the Princess of Wales wore a high-necked dress to the coronation service
Instagram fan account @middletonmaven said the photos show the mother-of-three wearing “a new Alexander McQueen dress for the official photos,” and other observers chimed in to voice their approval
The princess has long chosen to wear Alexander McQueen for significant moments in her life.
She has worn Alexander McQueen – one of her favorite fashion brands – on numerous occasions, most notably choosing their creative director Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress.
The four flowers of the homelands – English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish shamrock – were embroidered onto the dress.
Kate wore pearl earrings given to Diana before her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981.
The mother-of-three previously wore the jewelry given to William and Harry to the BAFTAs in 2019. They feature a double curve of different diamond cuts with a dangling pearl.
Diana wore the earrings on various occasions, including a 1990 banquet for the Japanese Emperor Akihito – and a 1994 gala at the Palace of Versailles.
Meanwhile, the sparkling diamond festoon necklace belonged to the late Queen and was one of the monarch’s favorites during her lifetime.
The four flowers of the homelands – English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish shamrock – were embroidered onto the dress
It was made from 105 loose diamonds held in reserve at Garrard and kept in pouches marked ‘C’ for crown in case a monarch wished to lengthen a necklace or enhance a tiara.
Queen Mary, the Queen’s grandmother, is said to have used the service regularly.
The resulting three-strand necklace has rows of tiered stones suspended between two diamond triangles.
It was also the Queen’s preferred necklace, worn without a tiara.
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla also paid tribute to loved ones – by having some secret names embroidered onto her coronation gown, including a heartwarming tribute to her rescued dogs.
The Queen looked elegant in her Bruce Oldfield couture gown as she stood next to King Charles in the coronation portraits.
In a touching nod to her late mother-in-law, the princess wore a set of Diana’s pearl and diamond earrings for the occasion.
The late Queen’s much-loved glittering festoon necklace, a gift to royalty from her father, is pictured during a trip to a concert with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy in America in 1983
Camilla’s ivory gown, designed by couturier and 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 adorned with silver embroidery woven by Stephen Walters in Suffolk.
Featuring an ivory, silver and gold color palette, bracelet-length sleeves, a sharp shoulder and a wide V-neckline, the dress was in Camilla’s signature silhouette, with a modest neckline and elongated waist.
The mother-of-two accessorised the dress with matching shoes by British designer Elliot Zed and the same necklace Queen Elizabeth wore to her coronation in 1953.
Eagle-eyed royal fans noticed that Camilla also paid a subtle tribute to her loved ones on her stunning dress.
Camilla’s ivory gown, designed by couturier and 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
She had the names of her children and grandchildren subtly embroidered on the hem of her skirt
Meanwhile, Sophie, 58, donned a royal white floor-length embroidered Suzannah Couture gown with a Jane Taylor headdress and a Royal Victorian Order coat for the historic portrait
She had the names of her children and grandchildren subtly embroidered on the hem of her skirt.
Royal expert Victoria Howard shared close-up photos of the dress on Twitter and discovered that the tailored dress appeared to reveal the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, as well as her grandchildren Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza and Lola.
People also noticed two Gold Terrier puppies embroidered onto the dress to represent Charles and Camilla’s rescue dogs, Beth and Bluebell.
The Royals rescued the puppies from the Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home in 2017. The two adorable dogs have even made Buckingham Palace their new home.
Meanwhile, her grandchildren were honorary pages during the ceremony and her granddaughter was present that day.
Food author Tom Parker Bowles’ son Freddy, 13, was an honorary page during the ceremony.
While Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes, children Louis Lopes, 12, and Gus’ twin brother also had a role to play and were seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation ceremony.
Meanwhile, Sophie, 58, donned a royal white floor-length embroidered Suzannah Couture gown with a Jane Taylor headdress and a Royal Victorian Order coat for the historic portrait.
The images were among the first official photographs of King Charles III, taken on the day of his coronation.
The King and Queen sealed their historic Coronation Day with a double appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to pay tribute to the nation.
Charles and Camilla, in lavish robes and sporting their crowns, returned a wave of cheers from the crowd that filled The Mall after braving downpours to see a colorful ceremonial military procession not seen in 70 years.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined the monarch, as did the Pages of Honor and other members of the royal family – and then the well-wishers were treated to an encore with just the King and Queen .