Buckingham Palace has provided a significant update following a State Banquet held for Japan's Emperor and Empress, where Queen Camilla became the first to wear King Charles's newly introduced Royal Family Order.
At the banquet on Tuesday evening, Queen Camilla drew considerable attention with her elegant appearance, donning a cream embroidered dress by Fiona Clare and the Burmese ruby and diamond tiara. The tiara, designed by the late Queen Elizabeth II, thoughtfully echoed the colors of the Japanese flag.
This new Royal Family Order continues a longstanding tradition where female royals wear a portrait of the monarch, a custom dating back to King George IV. However, King Charles introduced a notable innovation with his portrait painted by miniaturist Elizabeth Meek on polymin, a synthetic material chosen to reflect his environmental commitment. The portrait is based on a 2023 painting by Hugo Burnand, depicting Charles in the Admiral of the Fleet uniform with the Garter Star and Collar, Thistle Star, and Royal Victorian Order.
Framed in white and yellow gold and encrusted with diamonds from the Royal Collection totaling 10.41 carats, the portrait is suspended from a gold and enamel Tudor Crown and affixed to a pale blue silk bow crafted by Philip Treacy, a favorite designer of Camilla's. King Charles personally selected the color as a tribute to his great-grandfather, King George V.
Queen Camilla made history as the first to wear this honor, positioned above Queen Elizabeth's Family Order on a blue sash. Queen Elizabeth II's Family Order, featuring her portrait with the Order of the Garter ribbon and star, had previously been awarded to Princess Diana, the Queen Mother, the Princess of Wales, and Camilla herself.
