King Charles' historic coronation is fast approaching, and the jury's still out as to what senior royal ladies like the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh will wear on the day.
While a number of particulars about the King's coronation remain under wraps, reports suggest that the monarch may well have opted for some less-than traditional details in order to reflect his new reign – with a scaled-back guest list and a shorter ceremony.
In this vein, it is now widely believed that we will see guests, including senior royals like Kate and Sophie, in far less formal attire than seen before at previous coronations – which throughout history have been rooted in the pageantry of traditional dress.
© Universal History ArchiveAt the late Queen Elizabeth's 1953 coronation, the monarch's maids of honour wore elaborate white gowns, made by couturier Norman Hartnell. Close female family members (including Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother) also wore white dresses teamed with the traditional coronation robes, and sparkling headwear in a tiara, coronet or crown.
Royal fashion expert Michael Talboys, who was an assistant designer to Norman Hartnell in the early 1960s, exclusively tells HELLO! that he expects royal women at the coronation to follow tradition and wear their historic ceremonial robes.
Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Gown
© PA ImagesIn 1953, a 25-year-old Queen Elizabeth II slipped into an extravagant white duchesse satin gown embroidered with strings of pearls, sequins and crystals. The Norman Hartnell-designed dress moreover featured embroidered national and Commonwealth floral emblems in gold, silver and pastel-coloured silks.
On top of her sumptuous gown, the late monarch wore a six-and-a-half-metre Robe of Estate - made by royal robe-makers Ede & Ravenscroft. It took a team of 12 seamstresses, using 18 types of gold thread, a whopping 3,500 hours to complete the Queen’s velvet robe.
"The royal ladies will all be in royal attire. If they're a Duchess, they'll be in a Duchess outfit," he says. "At Queen Elizabeth's coronation, all the royal ladies were in full attire – the Queen Mother wore a crown and full robes, Princess Margaret wore her rank as royal princess with a coronet. The Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent... they all wore cream satin gowns with lots of embroidery, by Norman Hartnell."
However, other royal experts believe that all signs point to a less formal dress code for King Charles' coronation – especially since it has now been revealed that there will be a royal reception held on Friday 5 May, for which we may see the senior royal ladies step out in sparkling tiaras.
© PA ImagesHELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent Danielle Stacey comments: "At the late Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation, the royal ladies wore their finest gowns and jewels, but for King Charles' ceremony, I think we will see bespoke day dresses and suits to reflect the modern monarchy.
"While tiaras used to be worn for film premieres and galas, we typically only see the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales wear these spectacular head pieces for evening events such as state banquets or the annual Diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace.
© VICTORIA JONES"Royal fans may get to see a tiara moment at the pre-coronation reception, which is set to take place on Friday 5 May, as confirmed by the Dutch palace. While Buckingham Palace is yet to share more details, the reception is expected to be white-tie and this will be an opportunity for the British and foreign royals to wear evening gowns and jewels."
MORE: When will Princess Charlotte wear her first tiara?
As for the coronets and robes that have traditionally been worn at coronations throughout history, the jury's still out – but since the royal family's historic coronation robes feature ermine fur, it's widely expected that King Charles will go cruelty-free with his choices. The late Queen Elizabeth, after all, went fur-free herself back in 2019.
© Pool/Max MumbyIt wouldn't be surprising to see Princess Kate opt for one of her loyal and favourite designers – such as Alexander McQueen or Catherine Walker – to make her a bespoke outfit for the coronation, teamed with some sentimental jewellery from Princess Diana's collection, perhaps.
The Duchess of Edinburgh may also choose one of her go-to labels in Suzannah, Victoria Beckham or Emilia Wickstead, with all royal ladies expected to wear a formal hat at Westminster Abbey, if tiaras and coronets aren't the order of the day.
© Max Mumby/IndigoRoyal milliner Stephen Jones OBE recently told HELLO! that he expects to see chic headwear at the coronation – even hinting that his services may have been enlisted for the occasion.
"I couldn’t possibly say [if I've designed a hat for the coronation]! There will be hats there because is has been made known that the guests are not wearing long dresses so they won’t be wearing tiaras, they are wearing daywear," he said.
© Samir HusseinAs the sister of the King, Princess Anne would traditionally also be expected to wear a gown and formal robes, though it's now been confirmed that she will be wearing military attire, since she has been granted the role of King Charles' Gold-Stick-In-Waiting.
MORE: Coronation fashion ideas for women: the most stylish red, white & blue dresses
The likes of Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall are also expected to wear similar tailored looks to those we're used to seeing at church services and other formal royal events – Beatrice is partial to Self-Portrait and The Vampire's Wife, while Eugenie loves to wear Erdem and Zara is fond of Australian designer Zimmermann.
There's not long to wait until all is revealed...
