Camilla pays tribute to predecessors during first state visit as Queen Consort
Queen Consort Camilla has paid tribute to the queens who came before her while attending a State Banquet in Berlin to honour her and King Charles III’s state visit to Germany.
Camilla pinned a brooch with a portrait of her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, onto her black evening dress for the occasion on Wednesday (29 March).
On her head, she wore a tiara that once belonged to the Queen Mother. Her dress, which was covered in silver embroidery, was designed by Bruce Oldfield, who is in charge of creating her coronation dress.
The glittering Boucheron tiara was gifted to the Queen Consort by the late Elizabeth. Camilla also wore a fringed necklace from the late Queen’s jewellery collection.
The brooch is the Queen’s Family Order, the sovereign’s highest personal order of merit, and showcases a hand-painted miniature portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth.
It was awarded to Camilla in honour of her 60th birthday in 2007.
On her waist, the Queen Consort also pinned the Grand Cross of the Federal Order of Merit, presented to her by the German head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the Garter Star, Queen Victoria’s Queen Family Order.
The King and Queen Consort are currently on their first state visit since Charles ascended the throne last September.
On Wednesday night they attended the State Banquet at Bellevue Palace, where the new monarch gave his first state banquet speech of his reign.
Steinmeier also presented the King with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany First Class, which he wore during the dinner.
The historic visit saw the royal couple receive an official welcome in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of peace and unity and the first time the location has been used to greet a foreign head of state.
They were welcomed by Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender.
In his speech, Charles highlighted how the UK began its “withdrawal” from the EU via Brexit, but said that despite the fundamental change, the bond between the two countries “will remain firm”.
The King told those gathered: “The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me, too, Mr President, and I am more convinced than ever of its enduring value to us all.
“It means so much to us that my wife and I could come to Germany for this very first overseas tour of my reign.
“I can only assure you, that throughout the time that is granted to me as King, I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us.”
Additional reporting by PA
