Hilariously, one of the biggest royal stories of the week was Queen Camilla turning up late to her literary festival event and then staggering around in a bright blue Anna Valentine jumpsuit. Classic Camilla! While the jumpsuit was incredibly unflattering on Camilla, I have to admit something kind of terrible: I sometimes like what Camilla wears. Would I wear her stuff? Probably not, but I like many of her floral “housedresses” and I think Camilla’s stylists really do a good job of trying to find flattering styles for her body. Camilla isn’t some slender fashionista who looks good in all styles, so it is what is. It’s funny to watch the British media try to make Camilla’s housedresses and Gumby jumpsuits into some kind of fashion statement though. From the Telegraph’s piece on Camilla’s “daring enough wardrobe.”
Camilla’s style: It’s been more than a month now since the Coronation and Camilla’s rebranding from Queen Consort to Queen. She’s never been one to attempt fashion plate status, but it’s evident that with the guidance of her long-time dresser Jacqui Meakin, she’s developing a look to suit a new era and her position as the most senior woman in the Royal family.
Camilla doesn’t actually have a huge wardrobe: Prince Harry might have complained about his stepmother turning his old Clarence House bedroom into a dressing room, but Camilla’s wardrobe is nowhere near as vast as that of the late Queen or the Princess of Wales. She repeats often and depends on a small selection of staple accessories. But she has also been shoring up her repertoire recently with some new purchases that crystallise how she’s styling herself as a modern 75-year-old queen.
Camilla’s signature color: Both Camilla and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, have developed a penchant for Me and Em, a label loved by a certain kind of woman who has plenty of money to spend and wants to look au courant without erring into fashion victim territory. Last week, Camilla added yet another new frock from the brand to her collection, wearing a £250 cobalt blue midi dress (fast becoming her signature shade) with the slit neckline that is a running theme in her dresses. “The deeper the better, especially on a fuller bust and far more flattering on her than a round neck. It’s also excellent for all her lovely necklaces,” Fiona Clare, one of her favourite designers, told The Telegraph earlier this year.
Shoulder robing: Camilla added style tweaks that would even make a woman half her age look instantly cooler. When she felt chilly, the Queen draped her trench coat around her shoulders. It’s what fashion editors call shoulder robing and is practised by all the most-photographed influencers and insiders at fashion week. She also carried a handbag by Bottega Veneta, an It label which shows someone on her team is keeping up with what’s in and what’s out.
Camilla’s orthopedic footwear: Not that all her accessories are chosen for their fashion-forward properties. Camilla’s footwear now largely comes from Eliot Zed, a shoemaker specialising in comfort. “She knows what she likes and she’s growing in confidence,” Fiona Clare hinted in April. Expect plenty more moments like that jumpsuit stride from Queen Camilla.
Cobalt blue is becoming Camilla’s signature color, huh? I’ve also noticed that she’s trying to wear that shade of blue a lot, and it’s funny because for the better part of a decade, Kate has also tried to make cobalt blue HER signature color. What’s crazy about that is that shade of blue doesn’t even suit Kate. She looks much better in reds, burgundy and canary yellow. Camilla also looks better in other colors – green suits her, as does anything on the purple/violet scale. Anyway, that jumpsuit looked hideous on Camilla, but I’m fine with her continuing to wear those floral housedresses. Just don’t try to convince me that she’s regal or stylish.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
Britain’s Queen Camilla sits on a bench in London Square Community Garden at Chelsea Flower Show in London, Britain, May 22, 2023,Image: 778307422, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: TOBY MELVILLE / Avalon 
Britain’s Queen Camilla visits Chelsea Flower Show in London, Britain, May 22, 2023,Image: 778307505, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: TOBY MELVILLE / Avalon 
Britain’s Queen Camilla walks at Chelsea Flower Show in London, Britain, May 22, 2023,Image: 778307529, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: TOBY MELVILLE / Avalon
Members of the British Royal family attend the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castlle Featuring: Camilla, Queen Consort Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 09 Apr 2023 Credit: Cover Images 
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort during a visit to Liverpool.The royal couple will meet with key partners involved in both a two-week cultural festival that will run alongside the Eurovision contest, and Eurolearn, a Eurovision-inspired education programme for primary and secondary pupils. Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort Where: Liverpool, United Kingdom When: 26 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort during a visit to Liverpool.The royal couple will meet with key partners involved in both a two-week cultural festival that will run alongside the Eurovision contest, and Eurolearn, a Eurovision-inspired education programme for primary and secondary pupils. Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort Where: Liverpool, United Kingdom When: 26 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
King Charles III and Queen Camilla take a seat on a bench designed by pupils from Belfast’s Blythefield Primary School who have taken part in Historic Royal Palaces’ competition to design Coronation benches at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down during a two day visit to Northern Ireland. Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: Co Down, United Kingdom When: 24 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Queen Camilla samples local drinks and meets artisanal food producers during a visit to Market Theatre Square, Armagh, Co Armagh, as part of a two day visit to Northern Ireland. Featuring: Queen Camilla Where: Armagh, United Kingdom When: 25 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Queen Camilla meets Khadijah Mellah winner of the 2019 Magnolia Cup during a visit to The British Racing School in Newmarket, Suffolk, to mark their 40th anniversary. Over the past four decades it has trained thousands of people and equipped them with the skills to excel in Britain’s second biggest spectator sport, horse racing. Featuring: Queen Camilla Where: Newmarket, United Kingdom When: 01 Jun 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Queen Camilla views a horse called ‘You’re Hired’ in the Best Turned Out section in the main yard during a visit to The British Racing School in Newmarket, Suffolk, to mark their 40th anniversary. Over the past four decades it has trained thousands of people and equipped them with the skills to excel in Britain’s second biggest spectator sport, horse racing. Featuring: Queen Camilla Where: Newmarket, United Kingdom When: 01 Jun 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Reception with authors, actors and lovers of literature attending the inaugural Queen’s Reading Room Literary Festival at Hampton Court Palace. Featuring: Camilla Queen Consort Where: London, United Kingdom When: 11 Jun 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
Reception with authors, actors and lovers of literature attending the inaugural Queen’s Reading Room Literary Festival at Hampton Court Palace. Featuring: Camilla Queen Consort Where: London, United Kingdom When: 11 Jun 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcWphbYF2e9Oeo56fopa9qavQrpyepo%2BYrq61y6WYrJeXqrqjxb6jrKaoo6q2tb%2B%2Boaauq5WZv6a%2F0p6qmJmimqy0u76fmKygmaS7oq7LnmY%3D