Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and her eight-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, stunned viewers on May 6 as they arrived at King Charles III’s Coronation wearing matching floral-inspired crystal headpieces.
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Many royal watchers speculated as to whether Kate Middleton would wear a traditional tiara to the special occasion, as is customary for regal events such as last weekend’s, and if she would borrow one of her predecessor’s precious pieces of headwear for the day.
Instead, the royal mother-daughter duo opted to don the less traditional flower-and leaf-adorned headpieces that were designed by Jess Collett and Alexander McQueen specifically for the coronation.
Princesses Kate and Charlotte shared this adorable look while wearing matching sparkly headpieces at King Charles III’s Coronation.#Coronation pic.twitter.com/7QcQW9GhgC
— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) May 6, 2023
And the intricately embellished crystal headbands have a deeper significance that goes far beyond them just being stunning statement pieces.
In accordance with King Charles III’s love for nature and the environment, the floral-designed headpieces are said to represent the newly-crowned monarch’s commitment to combatting the dangers of climate change. There’s even been much speculation about how the King will tackle this issue, with ABC News predicting that he will be known as Britain’s first “climate king.”
Designer Jess Collett confirmed the headpiece’s nod to King Charles in an Instagram post where she stated how she has a special personal connection to the monarch’s charity, The Prince’s Trust.
“It was 25 years ago that I secured my first loan from the @princestrust to start Jess Collett Milliner,” the designer shared on Coronation Day. “Thank you King Charles and @princestrust for your support ……….still going strong today and loving my trade.”
Further speculation around the silver bullion-fashioned regal headband has pointed to the design being a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. During her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth’s six maids, who followed and helped her into Westminster Abbey, wore visually-similar silver headpieces to those that the two princesses wore this past weekend.
Whether this design choice was a purposeful nod to the late Queen, Kate did honour the monarch through another piece of jewellery she wore at the King Charles III’s Coronation as well.
In addition to the sparkling headpiece, the Princess donned the George VI Festoon Necklace. This sacred three-strand chain, which was commissioned by King George VI in 1950 for his daughter, who was known only as Princess Elizabeth at the time, was one of the Queen’s favourite jewels and she often wore the piece on special occasions. Kate also wore Princess Diana’s diamond and pearl earrings in memory of her late mother-in-law.
Kate is no stranger to royal dressing and understands the sartorial significance that comes with every piece of clothing and jewellery she wears. Tying in years of tradition while incorporating King Charles’s modern environmental values into the design is yet another example of the the Princess of Wales’s commitment to honouring the Royal Family and serving the monarchy, one that been under intense scrutiny in recent years.
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