Following Queen Elizabeth II‘s death, her oldest son became King Charles III and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, became Camilla, Queen Consort. The new monarch’s bride will continue to uphold many of the late queen’s rules and traditions, but not when it comes to fashion.
Here’s what Queen Elizabeth always did when picking out her clothes that the new queen consort isn’t doing.
Queen Elizabeth II always wore bright colors for a specific reason
Over the years Queen Elizabeth followed her own fashion rule of wearing bright colors to countless public appearances and engagements. Loud colors usually paired with a matching hat became the late monarch’s signature style.
Her daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex revealed why the queen always dressed in such vibrant colors.
“She needs to stand out for people to be able to say ‘I saw the queen’,” Sophie explained in the documentary The Queen at 90. “Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the queen’s hat as she went past.”
Camilla doesn’t follow her mother-in-law’s fashion tradition
So far, Camilla hasn’t followed Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of wearing bright colors. Instead, the queen consort has worn more muted colors by British couture designers such as Bruce Oldfield and Fiona Clare.
Former Vogue editor and personal stylist Ginnie Chadwyck-Healy believes Camilla will be “careful” with all her choices going forward telling Grazia: “Given the breadth of appearances she will need to dress for, she may consider other designers, and in due course may even lean on the experience of [Queen Elizabeth’s dresser] Angela Kelly, but she will undoubtedly continue to support British design in her careful, considered manner.”
Ginnie also said that now is “not the time or role for [Camilla to do] a huge style overhaul.” She added that “at the age of 75, comfort is key” for Camilla so fashion fans should “expect block heel shoes, more flat boots, lightweight top-handle handbags, neat brooches, not too much fuss”.
Camilla often wears 1 color Queen Elizabeth rarely ever wore
There’s one color the new queen consort wears a lot that Queen Elizabeth hardly ever wore and that is beige. According to a previous report in the Daily Mail based on an analysis done by Vogue, Queen Elizabeth’s least favorite color to wear was beige as she only wore it 1% of the time. But beige is a shade the new queen consort is seen in often.
In May 2022, fans gushed over Camilla’s outfit after a photo was shared on Instagram of colorful eggs decorated for the late queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In one snap Camilla is wearing a beige shirt dress with a pronounced collar and applique detail down the front.
Camilla also loves to rock beige heels since they go with just about everything. According to Hello!, she favors a specific brand to ensure that her feet are comfortable and don’t become covered in blisters or bunions. The heels Camilla prefers are by Sole Bliss, which specializes in creating shoes for women with common foot problems. Sole Bliss uses “comfort technology” for support and the footwear is equipped with memory foam cushion contours that prevent the foot from pronating.
