The Royal Family’s annual summer break might be looming, but July is yet another busy month before they enjoy some well-earned time out of the spotlight. On 1st July the final Garden Party of the year was held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland and Princess Anne joined the King and Queen for it.
This wasn’t a surprise to me given her hard-working nature and history of attending this particular Garden Party. What did immediately catch my eye was her electric blue outfit – and just how similar the colour was to Queen Camilla’s.
Standing behind her sister-in-law on the Palace steps whilst the National Anthem played, you can just make out Princess Anne in pictures and her jacket perfectly blended in with Her Majesty’s Fiona Clare dress. In many people’s eyes, this ensemble would be something of a faux pas.
(Image credit: Photo by Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
After all, when many of us are deciding what to wear to a wedding, the races or a special party we often consult other guests to avoid looks that are too similar. At a wedding, the last thing you want to do (other than wear white) is match the bridesmaids’ outfit colour.
Queen Camilla is the most senior woman within the Royal Family and usually stands out at major occasions in a hue that her fellow royals steer clear of. At one of the Buckingham Palace Garden Parties in May, Her Majesty wore a turquoise dress whilst Duchess Sophie wore a green and white floral number and the Princess Royal was in a blue coat and dress with a metallic lilac sheen.
This is why it was so unexpected to see Princess Anne in a royal blue hat and jacket alongside Queen Camilla in Scotland. Speaking previously, the Duchess of Edinburgh explained that the late Queen Elizabeth wore bright colours precisely so she could be immediately noticeable.
(Image credit: Image 1: Photo by Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images // Image 2: Photo by Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen,’” the Duchess said on the Our Queen at Ninety documentary. “Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four… ten to fifteen deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past.”
At the Holyroodhouse Garden Party, Queen Camilla’s hat alone would not have necessarily been enough to distinguish whether you were glimpsing her or Princess Anne from a distance as their headpieces were so similar in tone.
For all anyone knows, Princess Anne deliberately checked with Queen Camilla about her choice of outfit before the party and got the royal seal of approval. If so, this shows how relaxed Her Majesty is about these fashion traditions.
(Image credit: Photo by Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth reportedly used to have a clever way of avoiding coordination at formal occasions, as claimed by Carrie Johnson, the wife of former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Posting on Instagram on the first anniversary of the monarch’s passing, Carrie shared a picture of a note that was allegedly left on her pillow when the couple stayed at Balmoral.
“Ma’am, Her Majesty will be wearing an ice blue cocktail dress for dinner this evening,” the note declared.
It’s a simple but effective method – decide in advance what you’re wearing and let people know so they can ensure their outfit is different. This hack might still be used by Queen Camilla for certain events, but perhaps not ahead of Royal Garden Parties.
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