Royal Jewels at the Cambridges’ Pre-Wedding Dinner (Part 1)

On April 28, 2011, the night before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s royal wedding in London, the Queen hosted a glittering gala dinner for the wedding guests at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. The event was attended by members of the British royal family and foreign royals. Today, I’ve got a closer look at the gowns and jewels worn by the Windsors for the dinner.

The bride and groom didn’t attend the gala on the night before their wedding, but the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh led a large party of royal family members in attendance.

HM wore a lovely blue and gold gown for the dinner and carried gold accessories.

She added sparkle with a suite of diamond and gold jewelry—earrings, necklace, and bracelet—given to her by King Hassan II of Morocco in the 1980s. We recently discussed the set over here.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended the dinner briefly. (They left early to return to Clarence House to join Prince William and Prince Harry as they prepared for the next day’s wedding.) Camilla wore pieces of jewelry featuring her favorite pearls: pearl drop earrings, her four-stranded pearl choker necklace with the round diamond clasp, and an impressive five-stranded pearl bracelet.

The pearls provided contrast with her tea-length dress of navy blue lace.

Over the years, much has been said about the ensemble worn by the Countess of Wessex for the gala, with people criticizing the fit of her dress and even her suntan. As always (and especially as a reminder to readers and commenters) I’m not interested in talking about the body of the person wearing the clothes and jewels here. But I do think it’s worth mentioning that Sophie suffered an accident only days before the wedding festivities. While out riding at Windsor three days before this dinner, she took a particularly bad fall and was hurried to the hospital. There, she was diagnosed with a broken rib and bruising. I’ve often wondered if the dress was perhaps a last-minute choice, made to accommodate her injuries.

Sophie’s jewelry for the evening, though, was rather spectacular. She borrowed a suite of jewels set with white and yellow diamonds from Collins and Sons.

The earrings and necklace featured a floral theme in their design.

Princess Beatrice of York sparkled in a tulle gown embellished with sequins for the dinner.

As usual, she kept her jewelry fairly minimal: no earrings, a delicate necklace, a ring, and a pair of statement bracelets.

Her sister, Princess Eugenie of York, chose a sculptural gown with an embellishment on one shoulder.

Eugenie accessorized with a pair of cocktail rings. It’s hard to see in these images, but the one she wore on her right hand, designed by Solange Azagury-Partridge, features a Union Jack in its design.

The Princess Royal shimmered in a favorite blue evening gown with silver star designs, beading, and a capelet detail.

She wore pearls, sapphires, and diamonds with the gown, including delicate drop earrings and a spectacular heirloom jewel: Empress Marie Feodorovna’s Sapphire and Pearl Choker Necklace. The pearl choker features an elaborate diamond and sapphire clasp. Queen Mary bought the necklace from the late empress’s estate.

Princess Anne’s daughter-in-law, Autumn Kelly Phillips, attended alongside her then-husband, Peter Phillips. She wore a gown in a shade of cornflower blue.

Autumn accessorized with a delicate suite of diamond and pearl jewelry, plus a chunky statement bracelet.

Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, wore a pair of dazzling modern floral earrings with a chic black gown.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the gala as well. (I believe their children were also in attendance, but I couldn’t secure photographs of them.) Birgitte wore a black and white printed gown with a matching jacket.

She accented her gown with a green embroidered clutch bag. The color was also picked up in her jewelry. She wore pieces from the emerald and pearl suite that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Alice, as well as a pair of pearl bracelets.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent were in attendance, too. Katharine wore a purple gown with silver accents and accessories.

She added jewelry set with diamonds, pearls, and amethysts, including a striking amethyst cross necklace and an amethyst-tipped bangle bracelet. (That’s her elder son, the Earl of St. Andrews, behind her.)

The Countess of St. Andrews wore classic jewels, including a pendant and a pearl bracelet. She’s pictured here with her younger daughter, Lady Amelia Windsor.

Her elder daughter, Lady Marina Windsor, was also present. She wore a striking pair of floral statement earrings.

Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy was at the party too, wearing a gown with a beaded top and a dramatic skirt.

Like the Duchess of Gloucester, Alexandra accessorized with pearls and emeralds, including her gorgeous pearl choker necklace with the diamond and emerald clasp. (She’s carrying a party hat with a Union Jack design—guests left the party with these hats and miniature flags.)

Alexandra was accompanied by her son, James Ogilvy, and his wife, Julia.

Julia wore a fascinating cross pendant with her dark gown. The cross looks to me like it might be from the medievalist revival movement that was part of the Victorian era.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and their children rounded out the Kent family members at the gala dinner. Marie-Christine wore a gown in shades of chocolate and bronze.

She accessorized with diamond and topaz jewelry, including an eye catching brooch with a pearl pendant. She jewels have been in her collection for some time, and she sometimes wears the brooch as the centerpiece of a large statement necklace.

Their daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, wore earrings with a floral or butterfly design.

And their daughter-in-law, Lady Frederick Windsor (better known to television and film audiences as Sophie Winkleman), wore a pair of very long diamond earrings with her ensemble.

One more member of the Queen’s extended family was present for the party. The gala was planned by Lady Elizabeth Anson. Her mother, Anne Bowes-Lyon, was a first cousin of the Queen. Anne was also linked to European royalty via her second husband, Prince George Valdemar of Denmark. (He was a member of the Danish royal family, as well as a nephew of Crown Princess Martha of Norway and Queen Astrid of Belgium.) Lady Elizabeth wore diamonds and emeralds for this royal gala evening.