Britain

Open Post – State Opening of Parliament

Released by Buckingham Palace yesterday:

It’s a very different event this year, for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. The Queen is not there. Prince Charles read her speech referring to “Her Majesty’s government”, as it still very much is. On the royal end, the pomp is very much toned down. There are no tiaras and no gowns in evidence. Princes Charles is in uniform, and Prince William is in a morning suit.

The Imperial State Crown was carried in, followed by the two Counsellors of State, Prince Charles and Prince William.

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The Duchess of Cornwall wore a repeated blue suit with white trim, and (alas) the shoes that seem to be her go-to for these blue and white ensembles. It is a very different type of appearance and may be a nod to what we can expect in the future. We saw this coat (with a different hat) during the welcome ceremony for the Dutch State Visit in 2018. She wore her four-strand pearl necklace with the round diamond clasp – her “every day” choice.

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The Duke of Cambridge re-arranged his schedule to be the second counsellor in attendance this morning. He is off to join the Duchess at a memorial in Manchester, to honor the victims of the Ariana Grande concert bombing.

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Please add your comments and photos below! We will be around with official photographs once they are available.