Here are some photos from last night’s state banquet at Windsor Castle. Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Budenbender are spending three days in the UK for a state visit, the first German state visit to the UK in almost three decades. Crazy that the last time the Windsors received a German head of state was in the 1990s. This is the third state visit to be hosted at Windsor Castle this year, and this time, they changed the camera positions so that photographers would get shots of the Christmas tree. Meghan’s impact! (LMAO.)
As you can see, it was not a great night for Kitty, aka the Princess of Wales. Her straight-hair wig almost slid off her head at one point. The Jenny Packham gown was new-to-us, and the only nice thing I can say about it is that I’m grateful she didn’t flag-dress for this state visit. The dress is just hanging on her extremely slender frame. Kate also got to borrow a rarely-seen tiara for the banquet – this is Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara, and I kind of wonder if this piece was in storage because of the name. She also borrowed some diamond earrings from the royal collection.
As for Queen Camilla, she wore a teal Fiona Clare gown which made her look like a discarded sofa from the 1980s. She paired the gown with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which was one of QEII’s favorite pieces and one which she wore often. I always wince when I see Camilla wearing it, honestly. Camilla had the tiara yanked out of an exhibition at The King’s Gallery last month, so people knew that Cam would wear it. I don’t have an ID on Frau Budenbender’s gown, but she was the chicest one at the banquet.
The Windsor men did not have a good night, btw. William looked like he had to be forced at gunpoint to wear that Windsor-uniform dress jacket, and Charles just looks like he feels like ten kinds of hell. Does his back hurt? He’s certainly standing like his back is killing him.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Kensington Palace.
