Queen Camilla ‘really stepped it up’ with Garden Party outfit but broke Queen Elizabeth’s formal style rule

Queen Camilla “really stepped it up” with her Garden Party outfit in Scotland but broke Queen Elizabeth’s formal style rule. 

• Her Majesty chose a black and white outfit for the first Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse since King Charles became monarch.
• Although she departed from Queen Elizabeth’s preferred bright shades, fans were delighted with her bold look.
• This royal news comes as there was a style first for Kate Middleton as she took inspiration from Princess Diana for her first look of Wimbledon 2023. 

There’s nothing like a royal Garden Party to announce that British summertime is truly here and whilst there have been several held at Buckingham Palace so far in 2023, the first in Scotland has now taken place. Royal Week, also known as Holyrood Week, kicked off on July 3rd and King Charles and Queen Camilla are spending the week in Scotland carrying out engagements. As they celebrate Scottish culture, achievements and communities they’ve hosted an annual royal Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

The rainy weather didn’t stop the fun and whilst Princess Anne’s pale gray coat matched the weather, Queen Camilla went for a monochrome look. And she got fans’ seal of approval despite breaking Queen Elizabeth’s personal formal style rule…

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Her Majesty opted to re-wear the eye-catching Philip Treacy black and white hat she wore to Royal Ascot last month and her outfit was similarly black and white. She stepped out in an elegant white coat with her favorite tunic neckline and three quarter length sleeves.

Underneath she wore a floaty black and white dress with a geometric-looking print that fell softly to just below her knees and she added a matching neck scarf for another level of detail. Pinned to the coat was a familiar sight - the late Queen Mother’s thistle brooch - which pays tribute to a national emblem of Scotland.

Queen Camilla finished off her look with cream leather gloves, cream heels and for practical reasons, a large Fulton umbrella. The silver-trimmed one had been her umbrella of choice earlier in the day as well as Queen Camilla brought back this style of umbrella which was Queen Elizabeth’s go-to. And her Garden Party outfit was met with delight from fans, who quickly flooded the Royal Family’s Instagram comments with praise for her style in Scotland. 

“The King and Queen look splendid ❤️ Camilla really stepped it up style wise,” one replied admiringly.

“Queen Camilla looks very elegant. Love the dress”, another said, as someone else wrote, “Not a hat person, but I've gotta say that I love that hat that the Queen is wearing.” 

“The Queen [is[ looking particularly beautiful!” a fourth person declared.

Queen Camilla did, however, choose to go against Queen Elizabeth’s personal style rule for formal occasions which saw her pretty much always wear bright colors or at least strong pastels. She typically wore matching hats for each coat dress or coat and dress combination and more neutral, monochrome looks weren’t generally her go-to for events.

It’s been claimed that she preferred to wear bright colors so that she could be more easily recognized when out and about at engagements. Despite wearing an entirely black and white look, Queen Camilla still made a serious statement with her Garden Party look as she continues to forge her own signature style as Queen.