Princess Anne’s Fashion Slip-Up During Scottish Royal Visit Might Have Mortified the Late Queen
On July 1, Princess Anne attended a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Princess Royal drew all eyes when she appeared to twin with her sister-in-law, Camilla, in a striking blue ensemble. While Anne looked undeniably regal, her outfit choice might not have sat well with her late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who was known for wearing bright colors to stand out in crowds but wasn’t fond of junior royals color coordinating with her.
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As reported by Woman & Home, Camilla, who is now the most senior woman in the royal family, is expected to wear standout colors, while junior royals are generally encouraged to avoid matching her. Anne’s rookie mistake, hence, might not have sat well with the late Queen.
Interestingly, in the documentary Our Queen at Ninety, Duchess Sophie once shed light on Queen Elizabeth's penchant for bright colors. She said, "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen.' Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four… ten to fifteen deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past."
While it’s not wrong to assume that Anne must have learnt royal etiquette from her mother, her faux pas appears to have been unintentional. On the other hand, the late Queen had a clever way of avoiding outfit coordination with others at formal events. Carrie Johnson, wife of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, shared an interesting image on Instagram to honor the Queen’s first death anniversary. She posted a sweet photo of a note left on her pillow during the couple's stay at Balmoral. It read, "Ma’am, Her Majesty will be wearing an ice blue cocktail dress for dinner this evening." This note showed that the Queen thoughtfully informed other dignitaries to avoid wearing the same colors as her.
As reported by Hello! magazine, Caroline de Guitaut, the curator at the Royal Collection Trust, also revealed, "The Queen has always been aware that she needs to stand out from the crowd, and it is for this reason that millinery has always played an important role in her wardrobe." Reportedly, one of her most famous quotes always seemed to work in her favor. She once allegedly said, "I have to be seen to be believed," a remark she applied to her iconic looks.
As for Anne’s rookie mishap, her blue hat also looked similar to Camilla’s, making it hard for onlookers to tell them apart from a distance. However, Camilla didn’t seem fazed by the twinning, as she and the Princess Royal were seen happily mingling with attendees and greeting dignitaries and members of the public under umbrellas in the rain. The Queen Consort also paid a sweet tribute to Queen Elizabeth by wearing the Diamond Thistle Brooch, an heirloom that once belonged to her.