NEED TO KNOW
- Queen Camilla attended a White House state dinner without a tiara or crown, surprising royal watchers.
- Insiders say she was “overruled”, with health concerns a key factor.
- Diplomatic sensitivities around America’s anniversary of its independence also influenced the decision.
- King Charles was reportedly keen for a simpler, more comfortable look on the night.
- Despite accepting the call, Camilla was said to be “dismayed” not to showcase royal tradition.
Queen Camilla looked impossibly regal as she stepped out at a lavish state dinner at the White House, alongside her husband, King Charles, US President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania, on April 28.
Her elegant, floor-length fuchsia gown was offset by a bold amethyst and diamond necklace from one of the oldest, most valuable jewellery sets in the royal collection.
However, it was Camilla’s lack of a tiara or crown that really threw royal watchers for a loop, especially given that the late Queen Elizabeth II wore a significant tiara during her last state visit to America in 2007.
Now, New Idea can reveal that, in fact, Camilla, 78, was effectively “banned” from wearing a headpiece for a number of reasons.
The state dinner was in honour of the 250th anniversary of American independence. According to our palace insider, a diadem “might have been seen as over the top given the occasion and the fact that America is a republic.”
The Queen’s health was also taken into consideration.
“Camilla has osteoporosis, so she can’t wear anything too heavy on her head for too long,” our insider explains.
“She brought several headpieces with her on the trip, but Charles was adamant that she keep the evening as simple and pain-free as possible. It simply wasn’t worth the risk, or headlines, had she needed to remove it during the banquet.”
Nonetheless, our insider shares that Camilla was “dismayed to be without a crown because, if ever there was a moment when she wanted to impress on the world stage, this was it.”
Camilla thought it important to display some royal “pomp and circumstance” at the event, our insider adds.
“But she was overruled. She accepted the decision, but that doesn’t mean she had to like it.”
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