The Duchess of Cornwall made a dazzling impression on well-wishers gathered outside Buckingham Palace on Tuesday when she arrived for a state dinner wearing a stunning diamond tiara.
Her mother-in-law loaned the Duchess the impressive headpiece in what royal watchers have taken as a clear sign of the growing closeness between Camilla and the Queen. The Durbar tiara, which was previously worn by Queen Mary to mark the coronation of King George V, is made of a circle of brilliant-cut diamonds and this was just the third time it had been worn in public.
Made by Garrards in 1911, it originally featured five emeralds, but Queen Mary chose to have these removed and made into another piece. The glittering tiara was also worn by the Queen Mother when she paid an official visit to South Africa in 1947.
Camilla's attendance at the bash, which was thrown in honour of the King and Queen of Norway, also marked her debut at a royal banquet. And it didn't go unnoticed that the Duchess was seated just one place away from the monarch, in between King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon. The Royal Family's other senior female members, including Princess Anne and the Countess of Wessex, were seated further down the table.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
