Is there any pageant of state more chock-a-block with symbolism than a royal coronation? Almost every detail, from the crown itself to the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom” presented to the new monarch, is replete with meaning.
So it really shouldn’t be a surprise that, at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, for the crownings of Charles and Camilla, the clothes of the ceremony’s stars, as well as many of the guests, were equally considered, down to the tiniest detail. Indeed, a scan through the looks was, on one level, like a superfancy fashion Easter egg hunt.
It started with the coronation gown worn by Queen Camilla: a white silk dress by Bruce Oldfield, a British designer who has been a favourite dressmaker not only of the new queen but also of the late Princess Diana (he made her silver-lamé dress for the 1985 premiere of the James Bond film A View to a Kill), making him a sort of diplomatic family bridge.
Camilla’s coronation look was embroidered in silver and gold wildflowers – daisy chains, forget-me-nots and scarlet pimpernels – in reference to the affinity for the British countryside that she and Charles share. The dress also had roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks – meant to represent the four parts of the United Kingdom – on the cuffs of each sleeve.
