Queen Camilla Just Wore Princess Eugenie’s Wedding Tiara—and I’m Convinced it Was a *Very* Calculated Choice

This struck many as an odd, but also perhaps calculated, choice. Was the tiara—which was originally made by Boucheron for Dame Margaret Helen Greville in 1919, who then left all her jewels to the Queen Mother upon her death—chosen simply because it was the one that coordinated best with Queen Camilla’s dress? Or was it selected to signal support of Princess Eugenie (but also Princess Beatrice) in the wake of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s, scandal-ridden exit from royal life?

I think it’s more likely the latter. After all, since the days of Princess Diana, it’s well-known that the royals use clothing (or, in this case, jewels) to communicate subtle messaging, especially in situations where it may or may not be appropriate for them to speak up.

That brings me back to Eugenie and Beatrice: After Virginia Guiffre’s allegations and her posthumously published memoir, Nobody’s Girl, the last couple of weeks saw their father finally stripped of his royal titles in addition to being booted out of his longtime Windsor residence, Royal Lodge. (The second-born son of Queen Elizabeth II is now, in fact, a commoner.) That’s not all: Their mother, Sarah Ferguson, also lost her Duchess of York title and royal residence. While the palace has confirmed that Beatrice and Eugenie’s titles—and HRH status—remain intact, there’s no doubt it’s been a tumultuous time.

That’s why Camilla’s choice of tiara, with its showstopping 93.7-carat emerald centerpiece, felt bigger than a decision connected to her dress that evening. I read it as an intentional effort to draw a line and communicate a deeper support of the sisters.