King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted yet another garden party on Wednesday, the second of “garden party season,” which seems to have started earlier this year. The late Queen Elizabeth II actually loved a garden party, and she also loved to ask her grandkids to join her at her parties. Charles… is not like that. Last week’s garden party featured guest appearances by the Gloucesters, the Edinburghs and Princess Anne. This week’s party was just Charles and Camilla with people selected on the theme of “education and skills.”
Fashion notes: Camilla wore a white silk Anna Valentine dress with a Philip Treacy hat, plus she wore QEII’s Jardine Star Brooch. That was one of QEII’s favorite pieces, she brought that one out regularly. As for the hat… I feel like Camilla tries to do those comically Seussian hats, like the ones QEII used to wear. QEII had the whimsy to pull it off – Camilla does not. Meanwhile, Charles wore his pale grey morning suit and a rather charming tie with tiny little cartoon submarines. This is also the first time I’ve taken a really close look at his tie clip, which I imagine was specially made when he became king.
Meanwhile, we’re coming up on the three-year anniversary of QEII’s death, and Charles still hasn’t finished handing things over to the new Prince of Wales. On Friday, Charles and Prince William will attend the Order of the Bath Service at Westminster Abbey. When Charles was Prince of Wales, his mother installed him as Great Master of the Order. Now he will install William the Workshy as Great Master. This year marks the 300th anniversary of the Order of the Bath, and there’s some other housekeeping with the Order… not only is William getting a new title, but they’re also installing five Knights. They’re not saying anything about Camilla or Kate being there?? I would imagine that Camilla will go, she loves sh-t like this. But Kate will probably skip. The Mail is making this father-son appearance all about Prince Harry, btw.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla attending the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070499, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla attending the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070517, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Details on the tie of King Charles III, as he attends the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070641, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Detail of a brooch worn by Queen Camilla, as she attends the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070654, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla attending the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070684, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla meets members of the public at the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070700, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- King Charles III attending the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 14, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 999070740, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
WTF are those pins on her lapel???
The black and white bits? I wondered that too, but I think it’s embroidery. Some of it with a thin cord or piping.
You can see in the close up picture that it’s metal, not embroidery. It looks stupid and interferes with the huge brooch. She is an atrocious dresser and accessorizer. Her and Keen both. Why wear a huge brooch only to distract from it with those weird metal pins. She’s gross (for reasons other than her (lack of) style).
Seriously – her accessorizing is all wrong. What on earth is that odd yellow gold necklace? With those earrings and brooch? Not to mention the metal bits on her lapels …
I do think Charles looks nice here, considering his age and health status.
The tie pin looks like a crown over a horseshoe. Very romantic!
LOL!
It’s a pin with the cipher of his grandfather George VI. It hThe large G and the VI in the inside of the open part of the letter.
I thought that looked like a G! Kind of a sweet sentimental thing to wear; must’ve been his valet’s idea.
This is the healthiest Charles has looked in months. His tie and pin are quirky and fun. Camilla looks refreshed.
The trousers are too long and he should have gotten them adjusted. He must have tailors at his beck and call.
Look at how swollen and red his hands are. That’s not a picture of health.
I didn’t say he was the picture of health. Relative to recent outings, he looks less sickly.
I agree about his hands but that is not a new development, he’s had red painful sausage fingers for decades.
He’s closer to the River Styx than he’s letting on. There’s a reason these garden parties are crammed together in a compressed time period.
I noticed that too. At first I thought maybe it was good retouching but I think her face looks too different. Definitely looks like surgery and not just judicious use of fillers.
Hate her shoes by the way. Cream and black were not the best choice to wear with that outfit and brooch.
And her accessory game is way better than Kate’s.
I like his quirky tie. That’s all I got.
I like it too! I wonder if it’s Hermes.
That or Salvatore Ferragamo.
I like the tie too. Wouldn’t have expected it from him.
Camilla wore her tradition house dress with a different designer. Does she not wear fitted clothes?
She is overweight, i think that something that skims is more flattering, but I think she has the skirts too full, a gentle A line would look better.
I wouldn’t call her overweight, it’s that she is carrying it all around her midsection, which makes it very difficult to have clothes fit well. Ask how I know.
They all look ridiculous and unrelatable.
😂 I couldn’t find anything nice to say. So thank you. Definitely unrelatable.
+1
My thought as well. They are in costumes and the costumes are as useless as they are. The world is burning and they are doing . . . this, and on the public’s dime. Abolish the royalty.
Wonder if W&K are being pushed out of garden parties by C&C or if they are boycotting themselves. Bea and Eugenie are getting pushed out more and more.
Beatrice was just at a charity event for elephants with C&C. It was the one founded by Camilla’s late brother Mark.
JP Caonabo just dubbed them The House of Humdrum, and I think they nailed it.
Too bad these “royals” have no HRHs to sparkle gracefully, or show up filled with happy-husband glow, to provide any glamor, relevancy, or interest. How did that happen? Oh, right…. 🙄
Right? It’s all so blah. Imagine in another universe where the Windsors weren’t awful people and you had William and Kate, Harry and Meghan, maybe a couple of the cousins and their spouses all here. It would have gotten lots of coverage for the family and the Uk. I only know this happened because CB covered it. It’s absolutely grim. Oh well this is what they wanted so I hope they are happy at least.
They will never be happy. Charles and William are always releasing stories grousing about Harry
@Tina — You’re quite right, this is what they wanted, to have all the attention (and more of the money) to themselves. And it is absolutely grim.
They’ve gone from “slimmed down” to positively spectral. Or in Can’ts case, skeletal.
Something about Heaven’s most savage curses come as answers to one’s prayers comes to mind…
I will never get over the fact that this particular monarchy was gifted two beautiful and highly charismatic women, and it bungled both of them to a degree as to be abusive. It’s incredible.
I like the tie. Not the tie pin.
” The Mail is making this father-son appearance all about Prince Harry, btw.” the Mail would, they need the clicks to pay the bills.
All I see is Camilla on a date with Grandpa Munster.
hahahahaha!!
I know this is shallow but her smile has always been an ugly distraction. For decades her teeth were black and yellow. It didn’t seem to bother her. So what’s up ,now, with the white as snow caps and plumped up lips. It doesn’t clean up her ugliness inside.
I grew up with Diana when she was at the top of the world. I adored her looks but the beautiful way she loved and cared for those less fortunate was thrilling and contagious. Diana’s smile was so beautiful just like she was. I miss her so much that if I had the money, I would build a huge monument to her right in the middle of London. Is my hate for the royals overboard? Well, good. I am an American. I hate what’s happening here and fighting it. Also, tell Chuckie to stay away from Canada. They don’t like you. That goes for Willy, too. Harry is my Man. I love Meghan like I did Diana. I had to get this out there. You British people gave us Diana, world’s the most wonderful person. I admire you all for lots of things but Diana (and Harry) are God’s gift to the world. Scrap the leftovers. Gee. It feels so good to speak my mind. Love to you all.
I actually think they both look nice and appropriate for the occasion. I think Camilla can pull of those big hats; i think she looks sillier when she wears the little ones.
Wasn’t camilla installed as something in the order of bath last year? some grand something or other, IDK. so she’ll probably be there.
never mind, i googled it. william was named grand master last year when Camilla was also named Grand Master of the Order of the British empire. so william has already had this role for a year?
oh wait never mind, lol. he was named grand master last year and now he’s being named GREAT master.
I mean I know tradition is important but after a certain point it starts to look ridiculous.
I think the Order of Bath ceremony only happens every few years, maybe every 4? So William could have been named Great Master last year, but won’t receive his chocolate box medal until this year.
Yeah the Big Dumb Hat is traditional Camilla. Her head/hair is too big for anything smaller.
In contrast to the last garden party (shudder) I think Camilla looks smart here except for the jewelry, which doesn’t go with the yoooge diamond brooch at all, and the shoes which belong to an entirely different outfit. She always looks great in white and does look refreshed, too much heavy bronzer but other than that fine. Agree Charles does look much healthier. I would think he has learned not to schedule his weekly treatments too close to events by now…
Since early childhood is Kate’s passion i thought she would be at garden party but apparently not.
She’s gone to Mustique to lick her wounds after her Spring video.
And it’s outside so she can enjoy nature.
You guys, she has to get there early, so she doesn’t miss the moment spring becomes summer. It’s a vital piece of her series.
While it’s been several years since the death of QEII and the elevation of Camilla to Queen, I still find it jarring to see her wearing QEII’s jewelry. It still doesn’t feel “right”.
I agree, especially when she trots out QEII’s favorite pieces.
It really feels intentionally disrespectful — she’s rubbing everyone’s nose in the fact that after everything she “went through to support Charles” she finally WON, she got the Crown and the title and the key to the Vault.
With the dragon’s hoard sitting in that vault, her own stash of ill-gotten swag from unsavory sources, and the billions of pounds they have in the bank, she could drip in jewels never seen on Queen Elizabeth until the Rapture comes. But no.
She is a prize cow, and the only jewelry she should ever wear is a big leather collar with a bell on it.
I agree with you, she should leave the pieces like this for QEII’s grandchildren to borrow, since apparently only one person can wear one particular piece until they die.
It will never be right.
She was never supposed to be Queen.
When Diana wore the state jewellery especially the tiaras, she truly looked like a princess – elegant, regal.
This one? She’s the Temu Queen. The Shein Queen. The Queen, people didn’t want and never wanted.
So every time she wears QE2’s jewellery – it’s a reminder that this person is not supposed to be the Queen. The jewels don’t like her. They don’t reflect her properly, they don’t adorn or complement her. They clash with her.
The shoe doesn’t fit.
All so very well put.
I feel like they must have so much jewelry hoarded away that I’d love to see some older or new pieces from the vault as opposed to ones the Queen used to wear.
Thank you for this comment. I also find it jarring to see her wearing QE’s favorite bits. With the entire Royal jewelry collection at her fingertips I’m surprised that she hasn’t pulled out pieces rarely seen to make them be her own statement. I guess it’s more important to her to continually remind everyone that she can do whatever she wants, and what she wants is to appear more queenly by appropriating a real queen’s possessions.
Charles gifted her items from Alice Keppel collection (he purchased them at auction) Camilla’s great grandmother. I wonder why she does not use them for dressy occasions.
The spoils of Alice’s kingly adultery? The more things change the more they stay the same!
Charles probably thought this was romantic….
She probably has several copies of that outfit to wear. Charles suit needs tailoring.
The tie pin Charles is wearing here is the cypher of his grandfather, George VI. He wears it quite often, though I think his favorite tie pin is the cypher of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. Some photographers have closeup photos where you can read the letters/numbers better.
The Boris one he wore at the previous garden party.
I am a sucker for menswear so I love the tie and striped shirt combo — after I rummage the crown jewels and play with all of the tiaras, I would like to wander to the men’s side and match ties and pocket squares and cufflinks.
Wendy, I’m with you. Can you imagine having the run of those vaults?
I think I’d truly be torn between the urge to play with the stash like I used to in my Grandma’s costume jewelry drawer, and a strong desire to pack at least half of the stuff up and send it back whence it came, with a note reading “Sorry this is so late — we’re colonizers, what can I say?”
👑 💎💎💎 👑
I hope no one tries to shake Charles’ hands. They look painful.
Yeah, chemo wreaks havoc on hands and feet. I’ve had to stop wearing my wedding rings most of the time because it’s caused my hands to hurt, swell up and turn red.
I’m so sorry you’re going through it, Jaded.
It looks like he has a fungal infection his thumb.
I understand them not wanting Kate there b/c she draws attention away from Camilla but also b/c she’s absolutely horrible with the aristo small talk that anyone in her position should be skilled at.
You know who is skilled at it (and also isn’t 400 years old)–Beatrice. Put her in Coach.
Someone else said it so I don’t have to. Housedress. I’m glad Chuck’s pants are voluminous, that’s all I’m going to say. OK, I’ll say more. I’ve been tempted a couple of times. I don’t wish to be indelicate, but doesn’t he have some drawers he can wear to contain things? Sorry, ladies. Is it just me? Serious question. And the brooch is beautiful. When you have something that splendid, that’s all you need. If Kate were there, she would probably hire a wind machine, because you know she likes to show her bum.