Is the Queen copying Camilla?
There’s an interesting article in the Telegraph by Hannah Betts suggesting that the Queen is using Camilla as a fashion role model.
Although slightly tongue-in-cheek the piece points out the similarity of their attire at last week’s Windsor wedding.
There’s also another dig at Princess Beatrice who is described as living on her own fashion planet.
As I know nothing about fashion, you should read it yourself.
The Hello edition today has a 100 page special on Peter and Autumns wedding. According to the DM the article also contains pictures of Chelsy and Kate during the church service and the reception and even of them dancing. I can now understand why William decided not to go. He has gone to great length to give the relationship a more low key appearance, having their pictures splashed all over Hello wouldn’t have helped in that regard. He surely would have been very uncomfortable being surrounded by 4 Hello photographers and one of their journalists.
By Isana on May 21st, 2008 at 10:39 am
I must make sure to buy it!
By Eliza on May 21st, 2008 at 11:27 am
Please do, Eliza– and give us all the details! Those of us across the pond will not be able to get our own copies.
By Evelyn on May 21st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I wouldn’t wear those hats. Of course I have nowhere to go dressed like that. But somehow they look good on them. I guess that’s part of the charm.
By Marilyn on May 21st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I tried to get Hello! in the shops this morning, Evelyn, but it’s sold out. I was told another batch will be in tomorrow. Meanwhile, OK is in plentiful supply. Just goes to show what sells magazines.
By John on May 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Camilla, if memory serves, is copying the Queen (and Sophie). When the Earl and Countess of Wessex were married, they (like the Phillipes) desired a more simple Royal wedding. As a result, the wearing of hats in Church was banned. Both the Queen and the Queen Mum ignored the ban. The Queen Mum wore a full-fledged hat. The Queen wore a feather headdress. The feather headdress was a big hit with the press as it looked terrific on the Queen. So it came as little surprise when Camilla’s own blessing at St. George’s Chapel rolled around, she too sported one -although with fake feathers made by Phillip Treacy. The Queen wears real ones. It also should be noted that Camilla’s wedding dress on that occasion was a wedding coat very much (in form) like Sohpie, the Countess of Wessex had worn on her own wedding day.
By Mrs. Peperium on May 21st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Is the Queen copying Camilla? this is the most laughable thing I have read in ages. First HM wore a similar outfit to Edward and Sophies Wedding in 1999 Pre Cammy. This whole idea is so absurd considering Cammy never has an original dress idea. She copies looks made popular by HM with the feather fascinators and Sophie Wessex. She wears her jewelry especially her pearls in the style of Diana and in Scotland she dresses to match her husband. Her only original idea is ill fitting undergarments.
By Trudie on May 21st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Evelyn, I will of course but in the meantime check out the DM website, there is an article saying that certain MPs are scandalised that the Queen has been sold to a magazine but in the article they give a flavour of the pics Hello have.
By the way I blame the royal family and/or buckingham palace for the so called sell out. Who did they think was picking up the tab, the Kelly’s couldn’t afford it, neither could the bride or groom and Princess Anne is very pennywise so it behoved them to ask the question much earlier on and if they didn’t approve then the Queen should have paid or prevailed on Anne to pay.
You can’t blame Autumn for doing the best she could.
Also I don’t think that Peter has inherited all this money from the QM either. As I recall, the Queen Mother was seriously in the red when she died and left massive debts so even if she notionally left millions to her great grand children, I doubt they saw a penny.
Apropos the article at hand, John I did try and read the article but couldn’t get into it!
And Marilyn, those head pieces are really for women of a certain age and luckily you haven’t reached that vintage just yet. My mother wore them to all her children’s weddings and she looked great!
By Eliza on May 21st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
How do you know about the undergarments, Trudie?
By John on May 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Well John, you were right all along. The Buckingham Palace response is ridiculous: “We’ve got no comment. You’d have to speak to the couple. None of these arrangements were made by Buckingham Palace or the Queen’s staff.”
As I’ve said, I can’t believe you can have a wedding at the Queen’s favorite home without clearing all the details with her first, but I guess you can!
The fallout from this can’t be good.
By Dan on May 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I really dislike those feathered hats/head-dresses and I was sorry to see the Queen in one. I felt sorry for Camilla on her wedding day - it looked like she had a birds nest on her head. In person it may have looked nice, but on the television screen… yikes.
Fashion question. The bridesmaids were bare shouldered and that surprised me, given how Ministers are always on about proper attire in church. But I think there was one photograph of one of the bridesmaids in the door of the church wearing a shrug or something. Was I imagining things? And, have the rules changed on proper wedding attire on the other side of the pond?
By Laura on May 21st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Eliza, it’s on the front page, a bit down on the left at telegraph.co.uk.
By John on May 21st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Dan, it’s been a very poor show, not least by the couple. The Queen and Duke were not informed, but when they heard about it, the Queen banned Hello! from the Chapel — although the magazine is claiming shots of Kate and Chelsy in the Chapel. Mysterious.
By John on May 21st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Eliza, in a couple of decades they might look good on me, not now!!
By Marilyn on May 21st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
back in the margaret thatcher days as PM i recall reading she showed up at one of their weekly mtgs wearing the exact same dress as the queen - mrs thatcher was horrified and had her office phone the palace the next day apologizing - their response was “the queen does not concern herself with what others are wearing” so i can hardly imagine she’s taking “fashion tips” from anyone…period.. also, whats this about the queen mother being “in the red” - ??
By coni on May 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Coni, the QM had a £4m ($8m) overdraft at Coutts Bank, despite an allowance of £2m a year from the Queen. However, her jewellery and other assets were thought to be worth at least £70m ($140m), so her estate was substantial enough to give Peter Phillips the £6m often quoted.
By John on May 21st, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Very true, John. The greatly loved Queen Mother must have been one of the few Scots who are not frugal. Queen Elizabeth II, who is careful with money, was known to be exasperated by her Mother’s extravagances and expenditures. I must say, however, that the Queen Mother was so wonderful, such an inspiration that she was worth every penny!
By Gigi on May 21st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
thanks john for clearing that up -
By coni on May 21st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I posted this in the wrong place, I think. It should have been posted here I can see now:
I have the internet version of Hello. And I can tell you that there are several photos of Kate there from the wedding, from the chapel and the reception. And she is smiling and laughing and looking really happy. She’s with Chelsy and Harry in almost every photo. They seem to have a very nice time together. Both the girls look really good in their outfits and they are laughing and smiling and talking to each other and to other guests. In one photo they are dancing. Kate really has a wonderful smile and her teeth are so white;) Chelsy is also very pretty in those photos. I must say that after having read so much negative the last couple of days about Kate and how sad she is, it was terribly nice to look at those photos and see “a different story”.
By dagga on May 21st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Trudi, I agree with you about Camilla’s unfortunate habit of not wearing proper foundation garments. Her age and her particular build make it absolutely necessary for her to employ proper foundation garments in order to appear well-groomed. My dear John, we do not expect you or any gentleman to understand the importance of this particular area of fashion.
Nevertheless, it is significant.
By Gigi on May 21st, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I just read that the Hello feature on the Phillips-Kelly wedding is 59 pages pf text and photographs and includes the cover photo! I would say that Hello got full value for the 500,000 pounds they are said to have paid Peter Phillips for the exclusive rights to photograph the wedding. I am so disappointed that none of our dear RA friends has been able to secure a copy of this issue. Please, all RA readers and posters in the UK, post all the details for us the minute any one of you is fortunate enough to pounce upon a copy of this issue of Hello! I just read the article in the Daily Mail (whose new format I find annoying and sophomoric)regarding the Members of Parliament who are outraged about this intrusive publication and their reasons for being worried about the damage it may do to the dignity of the Monarchy. In the article it says that the Queen gave Peter Phillips permission to allow Hello to photograph the wedding and reception. Apparently, if this is true, this is the reason why, when the storm broke in the media, the Queen did not put an end to the clause permitting Hello access to Saint George’s Chapel at Windsor. I wonder if perhaps the full impact of the contract was not explained to the Queen by her grandson, because I can hardly believe that the Queen would have allowed this otherwise. There appears to have been a disconnect somewhere in this fandango.
By Gigi on May 21st, 2008 at 5:09 pm
By Gigi on May 21st, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I just downloaded it. John buy it!! It is well worth it. Chelsy and Kate look amazing. I was surprised how pretty chelsy looked in a longer (than normal ) dress. Amazing pictures Frogmore house is just sooooooo beautiful. I’m not surprised now that I see the venue that Autumn went a little cruise crazy to get it paid for. I would have too!! That is definietely a fairytale wedding venue!!
By Jackie Mccoy on May 21st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
What did you download, Jackie? I have been searching the online version of Hello but can’t find any photos of the wedding or the reception except the ones on the front steps of the chapel and the group shot of the immediate family. I am just dying to see every photograph in this issue of Hello!
By Gigi on May 21st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Gigi my email address is jjonefifty at hotmail.com. Email me and I will email you the article from hello
By Jackie Mccoy on May 21st, 2008 at 5:41 pm
John, Dan, Gigi, Isana, Evelyn etc I would be really interested to hear what your thoughts are about the Hello article once you’ve read it. It really does give an insight into Royalty!!! I’m still a little speechless at how beautiful the venue was. What was also interesting is that Mike Tindall was in one of the official family photograhps which was taken inside. But not Chelsy or Kate. I think Zara could well be next given that he was included in that photograph. Zara seems to have a good sense of humor too. When asked who do you think will catch the bouquet she replied well that depends…. Depends they pushed… well on how far she throws it!
By Jackie Mccoy on May 21st, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Have you guys seen the pictures on William & Harry Unlimited. They are wonderful pictures of them at the wedding and reception. I’m glad to finally see them.
By Claudius on May 21st, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Who got the bouquet?
By Marilyn on May 21st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
… the g/f of an usher.
Did I get it correctly that both Kate and Chelsy sat behind the RF in Church not among the other guests?
By Isana on May 21st, 2008 at 7:39 pm
yes, they sat with the royal family. Although in the last row, it all speak for itself. Harry did a good job entertaining Kate & Chelsy. It seems after the Queen & Duke of Edinburgh departed from the reception, they all let loose on the dance floor. I do bet the Queen and Prince Philip would have out danced them all if they were there. LOL.
By Claudius on May 21st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
It does did you see the pictures of Phillip talking to both Chelsy and Kate, wasn’t that really nice as well as the picture of Kate Chelsy and Harry!!! Kate and Chelsy looked like they had a riot throughout the whole wedding!! Laughing away!
By Jackie Mccoy on May 21st, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Oh and Gigi did you notice that when Autumn was walking down the aisle the bridesmaids were walking behind her? All of the weddings I’ve been to in the states the bridesmaids walk in ahead of the bride. Is this just a Royal tradition or?
By Jackie Mccoy on May 21st, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Ok one last thing and then fingers away from the keyboard. The material that they had on the ground which made them look as if they were dancing on water was beautiful. The picture of Peter and Autumn dancing their first dance was beautiful also! Ok I’m done I will be quiet!!
By Jackie Mccoy on May 21st, 2008 at 9:19 pm
there’s a photo of the rarely photographed Lady Louise Windsor riding in a car to the wedding at Rex features
By Dot on May 21st, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Gigi, my Grandmother lived with us and I remember her shopping for “a new foundation” as she called it. I’m probably one of the few men on RA who know what you and Trudi are talking about. If my memory serves me, some of those foundation garments could probably deflect a bullet better than a Kevlar vest.
By Arthur on May 22nd, 2008 at 9:56 pm
LOL Arthur you are hilarious! Actually, the foundation garments today are less structured than in our Grandmothers’ day, but, through the miracle of lycra, such garments make a tremendous difference in one’s posture and one’s ability to wear clothes to greatest advantage. Further, no well-bred and properly brought up lady of my generation (and Camilla and I are contemporaries) would leave her boudoir without a foundation garment, unless she was headed for the river!
By Gigi on May 23rd, 2008 at 12:59 am
“Oh and Gigi did you notice that when Autumn was walking down the aisle the bridesmaids were walking behind her? All of the weddings I’ve been to in the states the bridesmaids walk in ahead of the bride. Is this just a Royal tradition or?”
In England, the bridesmaids walk behind the bride.
By Rachel on May 23rd, 2008 at 11:54 am
I thought the reason Autumn’s bridesmaids walked behind her was to scoop up any of the $1 million dollars, paid by Hello!, that might have fallen from beneath Autumn’s bridal gown as she walked down the aisle.
By Arthur on May 23rd, 2008 at 10:29 pm