Australian designers take centre stage at Westminster Abbey
Pageantry and high style unite at Westminster Abbey for the crowning of King Charles, while Australian designers impress on the world stage.
The dress code for the coronation, originally laid out as “standard business attire” with the King requesting attendees to “dress down”, was reversed just days ahead of the historical event, allowing guests and members of the world’s royal families to wear ceremonial dress and all their resplendent royal gems.
There was nothing “coronation casual” about the sartorial splendour and pageantry on show at Westminster Abbey for the King’s crowning.
The King kept with centuries-old tradition, wearing two historical crowns, the St Edward’s Crown, made for Charles II in 1661 and used for the moment of crowning. It was also worn by the late Queen for her coronation in 1953. He similarly wore the Imperial State Crown, which was made for King George VI’s coronation in 1937. Other significant historical and symbolic sartorial items of dress included the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the floor-length Imperial Mantle cloak, also worn by the late Queen for her coronation. For the crowning he wore a splendid gold silk robe called the Supertunica.
Queen Camilla wore Queen Mary’s Crown, which was designed by Garrard in 1911. In a statement ahead of the coronation the palace said in the interests of “sustainability and efficiency” Queen Camilla would wear a crown already in existence rather than a newly commissioned one. Her cream coronation gown was made by 72-year-old British couturier Bruce Oldfield, also a favourite designer of the late Princess Diana.
The Prince and Princess of Wales both wore formal robes.
The Prince of Wales sported the ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh Guards, a single-breasted style crafted in Hainsworth scarlet wool doeskin with gold hand-embroidery on the collar, cuffs and back skirts. The emblems of the Welsh Guards include the silver leek, embroidered on to the collar, while the regimental insignia was found on the jacket’s gilt buttons. The Prince wore a badge earned in his time serving with the RAF and several military, symbolic and historically significant medals, sashes and pins.
The Princess of Wales made a significant personal choice for her coronation outfit, opting for Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton, the British fashion designer behind her 2011 wedding dress. Crafted in ivory silk crepe, the dress featured intricate embroidery detail in silver bullion with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs. Further sentiment was imbued with her choice of jewellery, a pair of pearl and diamond earrings that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales, and the George VI Festoon Necklace, which was commissioned by King George VI in 1950 for his daughter Princess Elizabeth. Instead of a tiara she opted for a headpiece designed in a collaboration between British milliner Jess Collett with Alexander McQueen, which featured three-dimensional leaf embroidery.
Prince George, second in line to the throne, travelled to Westminster Abbey with other pages of honour from Buckingham Palace, while Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis accompanied their parents.
Princess Charlotte matched her mother in an ivory silk Alexander McQueen dress and cape with embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to signify the four nations. Echoing the Princess of Wales’s headpiece was Princess Charlotte’s ethereal Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen silver bullion and crystal headband.
Five-year-old Prince Louis, whose attendance was TBC right up until showtime, charmed in an outfit made by Dege and Skinner, which consists of a Hainsworth garter blue doeskin tunic with his collar and cuffs embellished with lace work. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, donned a morning suit rather than his military uniform. His cousin Zara Phillips looked elegant in cornflower blue. Her mother Princess Anne dodged the stress of the dress code entirely by committing to military attire after being granted the role of the King’s Gold-Stick-In-Waiting.
Princess Eugenie kept it classic in navy with a matching hat, while Princess Beatrice opted for a vivid pink with statement sleeves and a gold headband.
As for the Australian contingency, former foreign minister and renowned fashion plate Julie Bishop was one of the first to step into the Abbey and she sported a customised beige, cascading floral adorned Zimmermann two-piece look from resort 2023.
“Julie was introduced to us by a mutual industry friend,” Nicky Zimmermann told The Australian. “We are thrilled that she chose to wear Zimmermann for such a memorable occasion. She’s so stylish and has always been such a great supporter of Australian fashion.” Ms Bishop finished her look with a co-ordinating flower festooned hat by Nerida Winter, jewels from Queensland jeweller Margot McKinney, and a Lady Dior bag and pointed Dior slingbacks.
Speaking exclusively to Vogue, Nerida Winter recalled, “I‘ve known Julie for a long time and knowing the Australian aesthetic and putting her into that realm was really important to me in London. There’s nothing like the way Australians dress, they have such a beautiful simplicity. Between Nicky [Zimmermann], Edwina [McCann, publisher of Vogue Australia] and I, we were able to pare it back and really create a beautiful outfit worth of the world stage.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in a navy suit, while his partner Jodie Haydon chose a fitted blue mid-length dress by sustainable made-to-order Australian label Karen Gee. The matching hat was made with Petersham millinery ribbon and a silk screen print ‘Yingarna’ made by Injalak women on West Arnhem Land.
The vast majority of guests could have been en route to a grand English wedding, thanks to the sea of coat dress and millinery pairings in shades of sorbet with the occasional bolt of a strong primary hue, while for the gents it was a split between top hats and tails, morning suits and three-piece tailoring.
Australian Nick Cave, whose mum was a huge admirer of the Queen, looked every bit the dapper rocker in a three-piece suit worn with Gucci horsebit loafers, his inky hair slicked back. Writing in his newsletter, the Red Hand Files, ahead of the coronation, Cave wrote of once meeting the late Queen,“(she) seemed almost extraterrestrial and was the most charismatic woman I have ever met. Maybe it was the lighting, but she actually glowed”.
There were plenty of other notable stars and political power players in attendance from across the Channel and the Atlantic. Jill Biden arrived in a two-piece Ralph Lauren cornflower suit with matching gloves and a bow headband.
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, who appeared in the October 2022 issue of American Vogue, was chic in a sea foam green dress coat and pearl drop earrings, before Brigitte Macron followed the pastel pact in a dusty pink ensemble.
US singer Katy Perry, who will headline the evening festivities, nodded to the late punk icon Vivienne Westwood with her look and a pearl choker from the British designer. In 2015 Westwood dedicated her autumn/winter menswear show to the now King Charles in tribute to his efforts in sustainability and the environment.
Certain members of the international royal set brought their signature brand of high voltage glamour, including Queen Rania of Jordan, a vision in lemon Tamara Ralph Couture by Australian designer Tamara Ralph, and Queen Letizia of Spain in a candy pink skirt suit with frilled peplum. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway adopted a blush hue, as Charlene, Princess of Monaco, opted for a beige two-piece look.
Tasmanian-born Princess Mary of Denmark, who always delivers in the style stakes, went for a bold, regal purple dress coat by Danish designer Soeren Le Schmidt, worn with a matching headpiece with veil, 18th century turquoise jewels and purple pointed pumps. Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece was similarly resplendent in pastel blue and held a ‘book’ clutch poignantly titled ‘In Search of Lost Time’.