There are two occasions in which the state trip of the emperors of Japan to the United Kingdom it had to be postponed. First because of the coronavirus, and then because of Charles III’s illness. But this Tuesday Naruhito and Masako finally began their visit to the country with a welcome ceremony that was held at the Horse Guard Parade in London, which was followed by a lunch in Buckingham, the same setting that has decorated tonight to host the gala dinner with which the monarch and Camila have entertained their guests.
An evening in which the jewels of the queen and the empress, both dressed in white, shone like never before. Although before talking about the tiaras we have to stop and look in the new family order that Camila wore. Just over a year after his coronation, Charles III has finally debuted the insignia of this order, which is awarded only to female members of the royal family for their work in favor of the Crown.
The decoration of Charles III presents the portrait of the king, made in oil by Elizabeth Meek based on a photograph by Hugo Burnand taken in 2023. The image is surrounded by diamonds that come from the existing collection of ‘loose stones’ and weigh 10.41 carats. It is accompanied by a green bow. As is tradition, Camila also wore the other family order that she has in her possession, that of Isabel II, with a yellow ribbon.
As for jewelry, The queen has crowned her head with the Burmese ruby tiara which he wore for the first time in November 2023, at the gala dinner with the president of South Korea. It is a piece that has a long history. On the occasion of her wedding to Philip, the then Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, asked Elizabeth II to choose her own gift from Cartier. So the queen went to the store and opted for a tiara and a diamond necklace, representing flowers, for which she was responsible for the nizam.
Isabel II wore that tiara for several years, until in the 1970s she ordered it dismantled and those diamonds were used to create a new tiara with rubies, which crowned Camila’s head on Tuesday night. The new piece was made by Garrard in 1973. The 96 rubies used in the making of the new piece were also a wedding gift, specifically from the people of Burma, hence its name.
In addition to the two family orders and the tiara, Camilla also wore a large diamond necklace dating from the reign of George VI, and the band of the order of the Garter on her white dress, a design of simple lines, with embroidery on the hem and on the sleeves, and a V-neckline.
Now it’s time to talk about Masako, also in white with a short-sleeved dress, made of lace. The empress wore the imperial Chrysanthemum tiara for the first time since her husband’s enthronement in 2019. A jewel reserved exclusively for empresses, which represents chrysanthemums, the symbol of the Japanese monarchy. It was created from brooches that belonged to Empress Teimei.
Masako’s mother-in-law, Empress Emeritus Michiko, wore this tiara on numerous occasions, especially on international visits. However, in 2012 she decided not to wear these types of pieces again, because their weight caused her back and neck pain. So the imperial Chrysanthemum tiara had been stored in the Japanese royal jeweler for about twelve years.
Masako also wore a diamond necklace and the Japanese sash of the Order of the Precious Crown.. As for the men’s decorations, Charles III has named Naruhito a member of the order of the Garter, the most important in the United Kingdom, and Charles has been honored by the Japanese emperor with the collar of the order of the Chrysanthemum.
Carlos and Camila have been accompanied by members of the royal family at this gala dinner, among them Prince William, who attended without his wife, Kate Middleton. The princess continues with treatment for her cancer and has already assured that her appearances would be very measured. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were also present, as were those of Goulcester.
Sophie, like Masako, has debuted a tiara, as she has worn one that she had not worn until now. We talk about the Lotus Flower. It is made with diamonds and has two pearls at the base and a central one at the top. It is said that it was originally a diamond necklace, but the queen mother ordered it to be dismantled and remade into a tiara. She is one of Kate Middleton’s great favorites and now, in her absence, the duchess has decided to wear her. An impressive necklace and large earrings finished decorating Sophie’s look, who wore a green dress from Suzannah.
