On May 6th, 2023 at Westminster Abbey — King Charles III was made ruler of the Church of England and ascended to the throne. For the ceremony, the Princess of Wales wore a custom ivory silk crepe dress from Alexander McQueen embroidered with the national flora of the United Kingdom: roses for England, thistles for Scotland, daffodils for Wales and shamrocks for Ireland.

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As King Charles is a staunch environmentalist — the princess also wore a headpiece reflecting his values of a strong commitment to conservation and protecting the planet. Kate’s floral headpiece was worn in lieu of a diamond tiara and was constructed of silver leaf embroidery and crystal thread work. The end result was a product of milliner Jess Collett’s imagination — a stunning three-dimensional silver floral crown.

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The princess wore Diana’s pearl and diamond earrings.

Also paying homage to the late Queen, Kate wore King George’s Festoon necklace–which was designed from heirloom jewels from the Crown collection and given to Elizabeth in 1950.

For shoes, she debuted a new pair of pure white pumps — Gianvito Rossi 105 pumps in white silk.

The historic and momentous occasion was a time of celebration and reflection — the Wales family showed great dignity and respect during the proceedings and Kate’s attire reflected the mood of the nation following the passing of Queen Elizabeth and the crowning of King Charles. The Princess of Wales demonstrated her strength and steadfast dedication to serving the sovereign; she wore elegant and symbolic clothing with a nod to the present, past and future.

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