Queen Camilla’s Dresser Initially “Ruffled a Few Feathers” Over Denying Other Female Royals the Chance to Wear the Color Blue, Camilla’s Favorite Hue
She has since relaxed the rules a little bit and “slowly released her grip on who can wear the color blue.”
Call it the battle over blue: apparently, as Marie Claire has reported on in the past, every (well, at least many) female senior royal likes wearing the color blue, and, according to Tatler, Queen Camilla’s dresser Jacqui Meakin has “slowly released her grip on who can wear the color blue” at the same time as the Queen, the outlet reports.
Meakin has “relaxed” the rules on who can wear a similar hue to the Queen during royal engagements “after encountering problems with other stylists over the color blue,” the publication reports.
Both the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh are also said to love wearing the shade.
As the most senior woman in the royal family, Camilla is able to choose her outfits before others, The Daily Express reports, and Meakin initially “ruffled a few feathers” at Buckingham Palace being too strict about who else could wear Camilla’s favored blue alongside her.
Now, though, Meakin is “allowing women to wear the color blue at the same time as the Queen—as long as it is a different shade,” Tatler writes.
Meghan Markle gave some insight into royal dressing protocol in her (and Prince Harry’s) 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, when she said that she made the decision to “tone down” the colors in her wardrobe: “Most of the time I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color,” she said. “To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same color as Her Majesty [Queen Elizabeth] if there’s a group event, but then you also shouldn’t be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family.”
She added “I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out there. There was no version of me [that was] joining this family and trying not to do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family.”
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Her late Majesty used to “always wear one color, because she feels that if people are queuing for many hours just to see her, the courtesy she should show them makes it so they can see her,” royal author Sali Hughes told Good Morning America (per OK). “Those in the audience will be able to pick her out and say they saw the Queen.”
She added “Whatever the Queen is going to wear, everyone works around that—not because she rules with an iron fist, but because the monarch has final say,” Hughes said. “She wouldn’t approve their outfits, but they would know what the Queen will wear.”
These days, as protocol continues to adapt after the death of the late Queen in September 2022, Camilla’s “favorite color is blue, and so is Kate’s,” a source said. “Sophie is also quite fond of it.”
After some shakeup, there seems to be a compromise reached that works with all parties as far as the color choice: “In the end, it all became a bit comical, with all the ladies seeing the funny side,” they said.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Show Up Together at the Same Event as Jennifer Lopez
The friendly exes arrived together while J.Lo separately attended the community event.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Lady Kitty Spencer Reveals How Her Cousin Prince William "Inspires" Her
"His efforts have made a significant impact."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
The Best Gifts for Fashion and Beauty Lovers, Straight from an Editor
And they start at only $16.
By Emma Walsh Published
-
Queen Camilla Reportedly Broke Royal Protocol With a Fan During Tour of Australia
The moment occurred when King Charles' wife greeted fans outside a church.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Queen Camilla's Son Reveals How Being in Her Family Was "Incredibly Dangerous" at Times
Tom Parker Bowles shared insights on "the bad days" growing up in the spotlight.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
King Charles Wants Prince William and Prince Harry to "Get Along" Before His 75th Birthday
"He wants to draw a line under their past feuds."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
King Charles Is "Reluctant" to Agree to Queen Camilla's New Rule While "Pausing" Cancer Treatment
"He now eats half an avocado to sustain him."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Diana Allegedly Praised Queen Camilla as "Loyal and Discreet" During Charles Affair
"She was complicated and confusing."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Queen Camilla's Son Addresses Rumors About Her Alleged Smoking and Drinking
"Never drunk a glass of gin in her life."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Queen Camilla's Son Shares a Rare Update on King Charles' Cancer Treatment
Tom Parker Bowles described his mother as "tough" while coping with Charles' diagnosis.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Kate and Prince William "Treated Themselves" to a Weekend Away Without Their Kids
The royals reportedly escaped to "the monarch's private Highland estate" for a few days.
By Amy Mackelden Published