Queen Consort Camilla Sparkles in Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Necklace at State Banquet
Camilla, the Queen Consort dazzled in the spectacular Greville Tiara and a diamond necklace that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II, as she joined King Charles III at a state banquet in Germany on Wednesday night, as reported by Page Six. The event was held on the first night of her three-day trip to the country with King Charles, the first overseas visit of the new reign. The King, 74, and the Queen Consort arrived at Schloss Bellevue in their evening finery. Charles looked sharp in a white tie, while Camilla sparkled in a long sleeve black gown with silver embroidery by Bruce Oldfield.
The sparkling piece that the Queen Consort adorned is known as the City of London Fringe Necklace and has an especially sentimental meaning. It was a wedding gift given to the then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947, per The Court Jeweller. Created in the 19th century, the diamond necklace is actually threaded with silk, according to Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller, making it “a rare example of a fringe that is not convertible to a tiara.” Camilla paired the show-stopping style with equally extravagant diamond earrings and a matching bracelet.
The crowning moment of the look was the diamond diadem, which once belonged to King Charles’s beloved grandmother, the Queen Mother. The Greville Tiara, also known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara, was made by the royal-approved jeweler for Dame Margaret Greville, an early 20th-century society swan and philanthropist who was a close friend of Queen Mary, wife of King George V.
The royal couple was greeted on the steps of the palace by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Frau Elke Budenbender as the Federal Armed forces band played on. Inside, Charles and Camilla were celebrated as the guests of honor, and they greeted guests, including former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Strictly Come Dancing judge, Motsi Mabuse. King Charles and Steinmeier said a few words after the banquet began.
The event is among the highlights of the couple’s whirlwind trip to Germany, the first state visit of their reign, which kicked off in spectacular fashion with a 21-gun salute and a fly-past at Berlin Brandenburg Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
During the dinner, Charles expressed his gratitude saying, “My wife and I have been so deeply touched by the warmth of the welcome that has been extended to us in Germany–just as we have on each of our previous visits to this very special country.” On Thursday, the King received a two-minute standing ovation after delivering a historic speech as the first British monarch to address the German parliament.
Queen Camilla and Frau Büdenbender also visited the Komische Opera in Berlin to learn more about the company's outreach projects and community engagement. While in Brandenburg, King Charles met soldiers from the Corps of Royal Engineers and saw a demonstration of their bridge-building amphibious vehicles.
Germany is currently the couple's only scheduled trip abroad ahead of their May 6 coronation in London. The tour was planned to "celebrate the U.K.'s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture, and values," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said earlier this month.
