Royal Style and Beauty: St Edward's Crown is back in the box, time for more diamonds, glitter and frocks!

[Maireas]

Thanks for the wonderful Coronation thread everyone!
On we go.....

@Papergirl1968 remember when Charles first spoke of a slimmed down monarchy there were far more working royals and others hoping to join in e.g. Beatrice and Eugenie.

Sadly, we have lost Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Princess Alexandra and the Duke of Kent are reaching the point of not being able to carry out duties. That is four less.

Then you take away Andrew and Harry = 6 less, plus there would have been an assumption who ever Harry married would be a working Royal.

To be fair to Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte it’s going to be 15 + years before they would reasonably expected to take on a full workload.

The King, Queen, Princes Anne and the Gloucesters are all in their 70s.
So with Prince William, Catherine , Edward and Sophie you have 9 working royals which is quite a lot less than 15.

And the Waleses have said that they intend to do longer term and more in-depth work with fewer organisations. I genuinely think that either C3 needs to demonstrate that the RF is costing a LOT less, or rope in some younger blood. A slimmed down family that costs the same as ever is going to be a massive PR issue for him eventually.

You'd think a PA would be on hand with one of those little steamers!

They'd need to be careful with that too. At the moment they're riding high and the media love them but it doesn't take much for the tables to turn. If they aren't as visible then it wouldn't take much for the press to create a narrative of them being lazy etc.

I wonder if Beatrice and Eugenie might step in to do some working royal stuff.

I have read and loved the many many versions of this thread for a few years now, none moreso than late on Sunday night (NZ time) while watching the coronation.
What I need to know is, what was the robe that Andrew was wearing? I fully expected him, like Harry, to be relegated to wearing a suit but in he waltzed, all asplendour in some big fancy robe. What was that about?
Loving your amazing info and humour ladies!!

And who knows whether the kids will even be up for this when the time comes? It's not beyond the realms of possibility that they will not want to do all the public speaking, handshaking, cope with the inevitable press intrusion, etc etc that comes with this life. George looks like he's tolerating it all a bit better lately, but for a long time he looked understandably uncomfortable in public. Even yesterday at the scout event, you could see from the footage that the kids were being not so discretely photographed/filmed - although Louis did a pretty good job of barrelling past them with his wheelbarrow clearly not giving a f**k!! Time will tell I suppose...

No. They've lobbied (for themselves and for their dad), not going to happen unless KC and W have a massive change of heart.

Order of the Garter. He was installed - his right to wear it. Harry would have been installed in this order had he remained in the UK.

Well, @Gooseysgirl , he's a small boy. They all look like relaxed and happy children. Who knows what the future will bring.
George stood up to Grandpa though, said he wasn't wearing breeches and tights, so all the pages wore trousers.

That's it @Maireas looking at that picture within a few years a few of the working Royals might not be up to it. I think they thought they'd have Harry and Meghan to do some stuff but that's unlikely. I'd not rule it out.

I’ve read a lot of speculation about Kate’s changing neckline in Twitter, but coming in to say that the most likely explanation is that after the decision was made to wear the chivalric robes Kate had a false dress front stitched into her robe to harmonise the necklines, protect the embroidery of her actual dress, and ensure that the slippery and heavy silk cape did not budge from around her neck. Her raised collar stayed perfectly upright throughout! I am envisaging something like the jumpers with a false shirt collar and row of buttons stitched into the V-neck that M&S sell for men. Though beautiful McQueen tailoring of course!

Bruce Oldfield Said that he made a mantle cape to protect the dress because of the ceremonial garments on top which would have damaged the embroidery.

Was that for Camilla's gown though @justasking111? Kate's was McQueen.

Unpopular opinion but I don't think Kate's necklace quite goes with the neckline of her dress. I feel like the shape doesn't quite work.

Royal Fashion Police on instagram reckon Kate had an additional mantle as well:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAOGkHvweW/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Her dress was the same shape as the black one she wore to the diplomatic reception thing a year or two ago; she had a different necklace on then which I think worked a bit better. Didn’t have the same symbolic value as something that the late queen had owned and worn though, and which was so recognisably hers. (No credit for remembering this, the pic of the black one is part of that Instagram post I just linked to)

Thanks @Spudlet knew she'd worn that before.

I agree i think an overlay was added to support the cape

In that official Coronation portrait I'm not keen on Sophie's dress. The neck is a wee bit too high.

I'm inclined to agree. Beautiful detail, but perhaps if it sat just on/under the collar bone.

Her and Edward are fast becoming my top royals

The way Sophie dresses, I wonder if she looks much leaner in person and the higher necks suit her if you’re standing in front of her and they just don’t photograph to her advantage.

Sophie is very sporty isn’t she? So I can well believe that in person she probably does look great, but (as with so many of us!) if a camera catches her from the wrong angle, it doesn’t help her out.

Also though, there must be a bit of a question of picking the lesser of two evils - a high neckline or an inadvertent cleavage pic. Not an issue confined to Royals - remember Jackie Smith when she was Home Secretary and the furore about her cleavage when caught from the high angle cameras in the House of Commons?

Sophie is very sporty isn’t she? So I can well believe that in person she probably does look great, but (as with so many of us!) if a camera catches her from the wrong angle, it doesn’t help her out.

I agree. I watched the video of her and Edward with the service dogs, and there the camera really did her justice. She looked great, very fit and sporty. Also she and Edward really interacted beautifully with the dogs; you can tell they are dog people.

The mail has caught up on the fact it's a duplicate style.
There is a pick of Kate in the black version on the DM.
Funny thing is the drum major behind her is the one featured on the coronation tailor bbc programme!

The guy in the hat