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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Kristin Contino

Queen Camilla's VE Day Concert Outfit Was Pulled Straight From Husband King Charles's Closet

Queen Camilla smiling in a blue robe .

Queen Camilla and King Charles capped off four days of celebrations to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on May 8—and Her Majesty brought out all the style stops on Thursday night. The King and Queen were joined by Prince William and Kate Middleton as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at a special VE Day concert, and for the occasion, Queen Camilla stole a piece from her husband's dapper closet.

Many royal women have borrowed from their mom's royal wardrobes (or in Duchess Sophie's case, her daughter's), but on Thursday night, Queen Camilla took inspiration from The King. Her Majesty attended the concert in the same embroidered navy coat that was gifted to The King (then Prince Charles) during a 1998 visit to Saudi Arabia. The intricately detailed piece is called a daqlah and was given to Charles by designer Yahya Al Bishri—who once created a dress for Princess Diana.

This isn't the first time Queen Camilla has borrowed the traditional Saudi robe; she wore the sparkling navy and silver style over a blue evening gown to the Royal Family's 2022 Diplomatic Corps Reception.

For Thursday's VE Day concert, The Queen appeared to wear a flowing jumpsuit underneath, and accessorized with $53,000 Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra diamond earrings.

The Queen borrowed King Charles's traditional Saudi coat for the concert. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Queen Camilla got into the patriotic spirit on May 8. (Image credit: Getty Images)
King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) is pictured during his 1998 visit to Saudi Arabia. (Image credit: yahya1albishri/Instagram)
She wore the same coat with some sapphire and diamond jewels for the 2022 Diplomatic Corps Reception. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Camilla also pinned a Britannia brooch on her coat that she previously wore to a 2024 event. Per Maxwell Stone of Steven Stone Jewelers, "Britannia is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield."

The diamond brooch "appears to be a replica of the cap badge worn by the Royal Norfolk Regiment, of which she’s Colonel in Chief," per Stone, and includes a Union Jack shield made from rubies and sapphires.

"Queen Camilla's decision to wear it at a time of national significance is a poignant reflection of her role as a stabilizing figure within the royal family," the jewelry expert added.

As for King Charles, who wore a blue pinstriped suit for the event, he shared a heartwarming story about his late mother's VE Day celebrations, telling the audience Queen Elizabeth joined a conga line into Buckingham Palace and "sang 'til 2 a.m" to mark the end of World War II.

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