Queen Camilla is a controversial royal for many reasons, including the fact that she basically stole her husband, King Charles, from the generally beloved Princess Diana. However, there is one thing that is almost never controversial about the queen, and that’s her fashion sense. She’s always on point, and she knows how to make a killer first impression as soon as she walks into the room!
This is partly due to her keen eye for fashion, of course…more than most royals, Camilla knows what it’s like to put together the perfect outfit. But what really takes things to the next level is that she embeds secret messages into some of her fiercest ‘fits. Once you know the hidden code, you know what the queen is saying without ever opening her mouth!
Care to crack the code? Or maybe you just want to see some of the most stunning fashion in royal history? Either way, keep reading to discover the secret meaning behind Queen Camilla’s most dazzling outfits!
Representing the environment at King Charles’ coronation
After Queen Elizabeth passed away, Charles assumed his rightful place as the King of England. While his official duties began almost right away, he wasn’t officially crowned until many months later, giving the nation time to properly mourn the death of their queen. In order to honor her husband, Camilla really dressed to the nines during his coronation. But what most people don’t realize is that her outfit also honored something else altogether: the environment!
Some of Camilla’s outfit was set in stone…as per royal tradition, she wore the Robe of State and the regal Queen Mary’s crown. But she was allowed to be creative with the gown, and she collaborated with designer Bruce Oldfield to create a bold dress covered with flowers (including forget-me-nots, wildflowers, and scarlet pimpernel). The designer later disclosed that Camilla wanted to honor England’s natural beauty with this gown. Additionally, given how much she has supported her husband’s environmentalist causes, many believe that this dress is sending an additional message about protecting the planet and developing a better connection to the natural world.
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Honoring the troops in the most stylish possible way
If you don’t live in England, you might be surprised at the close-knit relationship between the Royal Family and the country’s military forces. For example, Camilla’s grandfather, Bruce Shand, served with a special military regiment known as the Royal Lancers during World War II. In 2023, Charles made the connection between royals and the military even tighter when he appointed Camilla as Colonel-in-Chief of the Lancers.
When she made an official visit to their regimen in 2024, she wore a very special blue dress with a red collar (one of the Lancers’ colors) and chain mail. Topping it all off, she wore five buttons on her bodice, just as these soldiers wear five buttons on their uniforms. This caused a minor controversy, especially among those who thought Camilla was effectively stealing valor from these valiant soldiers. However, most agreed that this was just her special way of honoring the troops, and that by dressing like these soldiers, the queen was signalling how deeply she supported their cause.
Symbolically supporting Eugenie and Beatrice
Most of us would kill to have the money, power, and influence of Queen Camilla, but that doesn’t mean her job is always easy. She basically has to play den mother to a bunch of royals, some of whom would happily sell each other out at the drop of a hat. And in some cases, she has to reassure some of these royals that they’re not going to get shunned because of the controversial actions of those closest to them.
That’s exactly what happened with Princess Eugenie. She’s the daughter of Prince Andrew, a royal who has been disgraced (losing both his fancy title, the Duke of York, and his swanky royal residence), thanks to his well-known connections to Jeffrey Epstein. This left some asking the obvious question: would Eugenie and Beatrice, his two daughters, get the cold shoulder along with their dad? Interestingly, Camilla seemed to answer that question when she wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara to a Diplomatic Corps reception.
Such an action is significant because this is what Eugenie wore to her own wedding. Many believe that Camilla was sending a simple message to both Eugenie and Beatrice: you’re going to be fine, and the Royal Family won’t try to punish you for the sins of your father!
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Secretly rebelling against the Vatican
Royals like Queen Camilla are used to visitors following special rules and generally abiding by royal protocol. However, the shoe was on the other foot when she and King Charles visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in October 2025. On that occasion, she followed the holy protocols that strictly dictated what she wore: namely, an all-black dress and a matching veil.
Interestingly, she did rebel against the Vatican in one way…with accessories! You see, protocol dictates that women are not supposed to wear much jewelry when meeting with the Pope. Nonetheless, Camilla wore pearl earrings, an elegant pearl necklace, and the Raspberry Pip Brooch, which is worth about $53,000. As it turns out, not even the Pope can keep Camilla from being a modern fashion icon!