Just In: The hidden meanings within Queen Camilla’s 2024 Australian royal tour wardrobe… Read More

Marking their first official visit outside the United Kingdom since their coronation in 2023, King Charles III and Queen Camilla touched down in Australia late last week for their first stop on their Commonwealth tour. With just a few stops on their itinerary for their royal visit to Australia—it had initially included New Zealand, but was scaled back due to the King’s cancer diagnosis—the royals are planned to conclude their tour with a state visit to Samoa, not only to attend the annual Commonwealth Heads ofCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting but also to signify an ongoing commitment to maintaining strong ties with all the nations of the Commonwealth.

Kicking off on October 18, official duties began the second the King and the queen consort hit the tarmac at Sydney Airport, greeted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Briefly stepping out for a stroll at Admiralty House in Kirribilli and for a Sunday service in North Sydney, the royals swiftly made their way to Canberra, where they explored the Australian National Botanic Gardens, visited the Australian War Memorial, and
attended the For Our Country—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial.
As she has done for nearly two decades now, Queen Camilla worked alongside her longtime stylist Jacqui Meakin to carefully curate a wardrobe for this royal tour. And while the queen consort doesn’t seem to be engaging in much fashion diplomacy, as has become customary for many touring royals including Kate, Princess of Wales and Duchess Meghan. Instead, Camilla’s chosen to follow in the late Queen Elizabeth II’s footsteps, paying homage to herBritish is best’ approach to dressing in Norman Hartnell and Angela Kelly.

But that doesn’t mean that Queen Camilla’s royal tour wardrobe wasn’t deeply imbued with meaning. Pairing pieces designed by her go-to designers including Fiona Clare and Anna Valentine made in thoughtful hues with precious accessories that are steeped in royal history and national significance, the queen consort’s looks quietly spoke volumes.

Here, see every look Queen Camilla has worn on her 2024 Commonwealth Tour so far, and the hidden meanings behind them.

For her official arrival in Australia, Queen Camilla wore a vibrant blue dress—a primary colour of the commonwealth and an undeniably regal hue—designed by Fiona Clare which she memorably wore back in June when hosting Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan during their state visit to the United Kingdom. The royal accessorised the dress with Queen Elizabeth II’s Wattle Brooch, a sartorial uniting of British design and Australian symbolism.

First gifted to the late monarch during her own 1954 Commonwealth tour and worn a number of times in the following decades, the brooch—crafted from white and yellow diamonds to resemble the recognisable golden bloom of a wattle—of course represents Australia’s national flower and Queen Camilla’s unwavering commitment to the country.

For her second official day on the royal tour, Queen Camilla alongside King Charles attended a service at North Sydney’s St. Thomas’s Anglican Church, selecting a mint green Anna Valentine dress and coat for the occasion. Associated with new beginnings, freshness and vitality, the look seemed to signify the royal’s intentions for the official trip.

But she still brought an element of her existing self with her, pairing the ensemble with her beloved four-string Edwardian pearl necklace. She also wore a hat by Lock & Co. Hatters, and suede pumps by Eliot Zed.

For her first day in Canberra, which included a visit to the Australian War Memorial and the Australian Parliament House, Queen Camilla wore a white silk crepe dress by Anna Valentine styled with two-toned Chanel pumps. Wearing jewels by Kiki McDonough and Van Cleef & Arpels, the Queen consort also accessorised the look with the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch.

Originally gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, the piece was inherited by her daughter Queen Elizabeth II and quickly became one of her favourites. Eventually given to King Charles III following her passing, Queen Camilla has worn the Scallop-Shell Brooch—sculpted entirely from white diamonds and a singular pearl—a number of times, including this tour to Australia. A generational piece, the Queen consort’s wearing of the jewel symbolises a passing of the torch, taking on the duties of royals before her and carrying them on.

For a ceremonial planting of a eucalyptus tree in the gardens of Government House as well as a visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Queen Camilla fittingly wore a blue and white floral print dress designed by Fiona Clare

Continuing the theme of new beginnings by playing on the symbolism of flora with this intentional design, the queen consort once again paired the look with jewellery from Kiki McDonough and Van Cleef & Arpels and the same two-toned Chanel pumps.