Queen Camilla yesterday sported the same elegant ivory Anna Valentine silk coat and dress that she wore for their civil wedding ceremony – 20 years ago.
The Queen marked her and King Charles’ anniversary by wearing the wedding dress in which she was pictured at Windsor’s Guildhall on April 9, 2005. The white dress was modified for the occasion by its designer Anne Valentine, with additional embroidery by King’s Foundation artisan Beth Somerville.
The couple were snapped outside the Italian Parliament amid their state visit. Speaking to reporters there, Camilla, 77, said: “Who could believe it was 20 years?” When asked what the secret is to a long and healthy marriage, she added: “I don’t know, well, I suppose it’s just sort of friendship, really. Laughing at the same things, getting on with life. I suppose doing this (gesturing to the engagement) takes up most of the time.”
Camilla, Queen Consort, previously rewore the outfit with a different hat and set of shoes for the opening of the Welsh Parliament in June 2007. However, it is understood this was the first time she wore the wedding dress – with the same hat and shoes – since their big day two decades ago.
Charles, 76, looked just as happy on Wednesday to have his wife on his arm. The monarch, who is still undergoing weekly cancer treatment, had met Pope Francis that same day and the head of the Catholic Church congratulated Charles and Camilla on their anniversary.
China is often a traditional gift for a 20th wedding anniversary, symbolising the delicate and enduring nature of a long-lasting marriage. However, the Queen said she and Charles had not had time to exchange gifts or cards amid their busy schedule in Italy.
Camilla, who reportedly met Charles in the early 1970s, continued: “We are going to do that when we get back. We are going to save that. Otherwise you can’t really, you have to rush it. You don’t have time to say anything. No, I think we might dig into our pockets and pull something out at the end of the day.” She added: “Ah yes, well I have got something. Because it’s china.”
When Camilla tied the knot in Windsor, she paired her outfit with a hat, designed by Philip Treacy – made of natural straw, overlaid with ivory French lace and trimmed with a graphic fountain of feathers. The mother of two then wore a separate chiffon dress with a floor-length embroidered pale blue and gold coat for the wedding blessing at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Clarence House said at the time that the design team wanted a “crisp clean look with subtle detailing” for the ceremony.
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