Queen Camilla channelled Princess Charlene's rarely-seen wedding dress with rule-breaking gown

Publish date: 2024-06-12

Princess Charlene wore two wedding dresses for her 2011 wedding

Queen Camilla's fashion archives are full of wedding guest outfits, but one in particular bears an uncanny resemblance to a royal wedding dress.

King Charles' wife was all smiles as she sheltered from the rain with a clear umbrella on her way to Lady Charlotte Wellesley's Spanish wedding with Alejandro Santo Domingo in 2016. Dressing for the Granada temperature, which can reach around 24 Celsius in May, Camilla stepped out in a floaty ivory frock featuring a plain bodice, a mini V-neck and cropped sleeves with a ruffle trim. 

After the drop waist, the material gathered in ruffles that fell to the floor, transitioning from bright white to pastel yellow in an ombre effect. 

Royal fans might recognise the frock is reminiscent of Princess Charlene of Monaco's second wedding dress. Back in 2011, she married Prince Albert in two Armani gowns – the first was an off-the-shoulder dress with a five-meter-long train, while the second was a Swarovski-embellished sleeveless dress with a tiered skirt.

Camilla teamed her gown with her classic pearl necklace and kept the rest of her look neutral, with a cream clutch and matching heels. The colour was a surprising choice for a wedding guest dress since white tends to be reserved for the bride.

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While the late Queen Elizabeth II also threw out the rulebook and donned a cream ensemble for her daughter-in-law Camilla's royal wedding with King Charles in 2005, the rebellious act was not nearly as significant since the bride chose an unconventional blue wedding dress by Antonia Robinson and Anna Valentine. However, Lady Charlotte wore a long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder bridal gown in a similar white hue to Camilla's chosen outfit in 2016.

Camilla – who shares Laura and Tom with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowls – has undergone a major style transformation since marrying into the royal family. Tom's wife Sara revealed the media scrutiny hasn't necessarily been easy for her mother-in-law, but she applauded the way she has developed her personal style. 

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Look back through the archives at the royals' most stylish wedding guest outfits

Stylist Sara explained: "I don’t think Camilla gave all that much thought to fashion before she became queen and was thrust centre stage, so what I love most about her style is how she’s getting it right: trusting her instincts and staying true to herself.

"It’s a weird thing suddenly to be held up as a clothes horse in your 70s, but instead of shrinking, she’s embraced the attention and managed the inevitable criticism in her own, inimitable, remarkable way, and she’s just having fun and enjoying her looks. I couldn’t applaud that more."

DON'T MISS: Queen Camilla's sentimental engagement ring from King Charles' family

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