It was a powerful symbolic gesture that summed up why Jordan's young queen has captured the admiration of her people and earned an enthusiastic following beyond the country's borders.
On the tenth anniversary of her husband King Abdullah II's accession to the throne, Queen Rania chose to wear the same outfit she attended his coronation in. In doing so she evoked stirring memories of a historic day that is remembered with pride in the Middle Eastern nation.
It was also a reminder of the skilful way in which the 38-year-old mixes tradition with modern touches - both in her wardrobe and in her approach to monarchy.
The original delicately embroidered affair had been updated with the addition of some chic accessories. In place of the elaborate tiara she wore at the ceremony on June 9, 1999, was a simple diadem, and cinching her still-slender waist was a vintage belt.
Coincidentally the perfect fit of the exquisite robe also served to remind onlookers that Rania – of whom Giorgio Armani once said: "She has the body of a model and holds herself like the queen she is" - has retained her immaculate figure in the intervening years, despite the arrival of four children.
Thousands of Jordanians turned out to greet the royal couple, waving flags and cheering euphorically, as they made their way to the festivities in a stadium in the capital Amman.
Joining their parents were 14-year-old Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, 13, Princess Salma, who's seven and Prince Hashem, four.
Ordinary people marked the occasion with street parties in tents erected across the city's nine districts, featuring folk dances, traditional songs and local delicacies.
One 65-year-old grandmother, who'd waited six hours in the sun to see the royal motorcade, summed up the mood of national celebration and appreciation for the monarch and his wife. Um Sofian, who was accompanied by her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, explained: “I came here today because I love King Abdullah as I loved his father before”.
