Royal Jewels of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Wedding, 20 Years Later

Today, King Charles III and Queen Camilla celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary. In honor of the milestone, I’ve got a closer look today at the jewels worn for the wedding, both by the bride and by the royal relatives in attendance.

King Charles and Queen Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, were married in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor on April 9, 2005. Details of the ceremony had shifted since the engagement announcement in February. They originally planned to have the ceremony held inside Windsor Castle, but an issue with licensing compelled them to move the wedding to the nearby Guildhall. The date was also changed: after the death of Pope John Paul II, his funeral was scheduled for April 8, the original wedding date. The wedding was pushed back by one day to allow Charles to represent Queen Elizabeth II at the funeral.

For the civil wedding ceremony, Camilla wore a cream-colored ensemble by Robinson Valentine with a coordinating hat by Philip Treacy. She accessorized with her favorite diamond and pearl drop earrings, her diamond and pearl Prince of Wales Feather Brooch, and a diamond tennis bracelet. She also wore her diamond engagement ring, an heirloom from the Queen Mother’s collection. The couple exchanged Welsh gold wedding rings made by Wartski.

Afterward, the new Duchess of Cornwall changed into a more formal ensemble for a ceremony blessing their marriage at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Her blue and gold gown was also made by Robinson Valentine, and her striking gold feather headpiece was another Philip Treacy creation. She added a touch of sparkle with another diamond bracelet and a pair of antique diamond floral earrings from her own family collection.

There were plenty more royal jewels in attendance, too. Queen Elizabeth II wore a buttercream coat and dress with a matching hat. She added her usual daytime pearl and diamond earrings and three-row pearl necklace to the outfit, and she picked up the yellow tones in the ensemble by wearing the magnificent Australian Wattle Brooch, which is set with both white and yellow diamonds.

Charles’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, attended both the civil and blessing ceremonies. At St. George’s Chapel, his three siblings, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex (now the Duke of Edinburgh) were all present for the blessing ceremony with their spouses. Princess Anne’s children, Peter and Zara, were there, too, as were Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

There were royal cousins present, too, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Princess Margaret’s children, Lord Linley (now Lord Snowdon) and Lady Sarah were there with their spouses, as were Lord Frederick Windsor, Lady Gabriella Windsor, James and Julia Ogilvy and Lord and Lady Romsey (now Lord and Lady Mountbatten).

There were also foreign royal relatives and friends present, too—but we’ll get to them in a moment. For now, have a look at the jewelry worn by the Duchess of Gloucester: diamond and pearl pieces, including a pair of floral brooches.

Princess Anne also wore a diamond floral brooch. The jewel, which features a single central pearl cluster, has been in her jewelry box for decades.

The Countess of Wessex wore a sentimental brooch for the blessing: a jewel in the shape of interlocking hearts, given to her by Prince Edward as a first wedding anniversary present in the spring of 2000. She also wore the diamond stud portion of her diamond and blue topaz earrings.

Now, back to some of the foreign royals who were in attendance for the ceremony. Just a handful of representatives were on hand for the wedding, most of them either close relatives or friends of the Prince of Wales. Here, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, cousins of Prince Philip, arrive with the Duchess of Gloucester.

Queen Anne-Marie wore diamond and pearl earrings with a coordinating necklace and bracelet for the ceremony, paired with a sapphire and diamond cluster brooch. The jewel has been in her collection since at least the 1980s.

The British and Norwegian royal families are both descendants of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, so Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit represented the Norwegian king at the wedding. With her navy outfit, Mette-Marit wore diamonds, including a beautiful antique brooch.

Also present and wearing significant jewelry was Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, daughter-in-law of the then-Queen Beatrix. She wore diamond and pearl drop earrings, a pearl necklace with a silvery diamond and pearl pendant, and a diamond and pearl brooch for the ceremony.

Charles and Camilla will mark their 20th wedding anniversary today during their state visit to Italy. A quick reminder that I’ll be covering the jewels of that visit early next week after I return from London. Until then, I’ve got plenty of sparkling content scheduled for you to enjoy!