The Princess of Wales arrived at Westminster Abbey for King Charles’s Coronation donning a white long gown and a formal robe over the top but she did not wear a tiara and opted for a sparkling floral headpiece instead, as some royal experts predicted. The Princess was spotted struggling with her gown before entering the Abbey due to the pouring rain.
Kate was seen holding up her stunning ivory dress with silver embroidery outside Westminster Abbey while trying to protect it from the rain.
The Princess of Wales made sure her Coronation gown, featuring a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock embroidery, didn’t get wet before the religious service.
Surprisingly, she didn’t wear a tiara and donned Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen floral headpiece instead.
Kate also chose some beautiful pieces of jewellery honouring both Princess Diana and the late Queen.
The Princess donned Diana’s pearl and diamond earrings and the late Queen’s George VI Festoon Necklace.
Before the Coronation, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith talked about Kate not wearing a tiara and suggested: “The sight of the Princess of Wales in a floral crown will set a particular tone, showing the King’s reverence for nature and his passion for flowers.
“It seems like an especially egalitarian touch as well. As the wife of the future king, she will be setting an example for the other women in the congregation, who might find it awkward to even think of wearing tiaras,” she told The Times.
Prince George was the page of honour and was seen proudly performing royal duties for his grandfather King Charles.
It is believed Kate opted for a floral headpiece because King Charles wanted to reflect his love and passion for nature at the Coronation.
The official Coronation invite, for instance, was decorated with flower and nature motifs including leaves, birds and insects.
Although she decided to wear a unique floral piece, Princess Kate could have donned one of her three tiaras for King Charles’s Coronation: the Cartier Halo Tiara, the Lotus Floral Tiara or the Lover’s Knot Tiara.
chose the stunning Cartier Halo Tiara for her wedding day which was lent to her by the late Queen.
The Princess of Wales donned the Lotus Floral Tiara for a diplomatic reception in Buckingham Palace last year and she has also worn the Lover’s Knot Tiara on many occasions, which is an “exquisite” piece according to Miranda Holder.
Caroline de Guitaut, deputy surveyor of the King’s Works of Art at the Royal Collection Trust, commented ahead of the Coronation: “For His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation he has wanted very much to re-use things where possible and obviously it’s an incredibly efficient and sustainable thing to do.
“So it’s giving the chairs I suppose a new life in a slightly different guise, but at the same time respecting that they are historic objects, and conserving them for the future.”