Vive la reine!
Published article here -
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12542323/ALICE-HARE-fashion-verdict-Queen-Brigitte-Macron-state-banquette-Versailles.html
Coco Chanel and the Duke of Westminster. Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. And now, there's a new Anglo-French power duo in town. In Paris, to be precise. Qui ça? Camilla et Brigitte, bien sûr.
When King Charles arrived for a state visit to France yesterday, all eyes weren't on the King nor French president Emmanuel Macron – it was their wives in the spotlight.
In a charming homage to her host country at the state banquet, Queen Camilla, 76, didn't opt for a design by one of her favoured London couture houses.
Instead, she wore the fashion house most synonymous with France – Dior And Camilla's cape dress gets my vote as her most chic look – ever. Mon dieu, what a statement!
My guess is the pair spoke in advance and coordinated near-identical blue hues as a show of union.
Notably Camilla did wear something British and one-colour when she arrived earlier – a pink coat dress by Fiona Clare; First Lady Brigitte Macron, 70, wore a Louis Vuitton suit.
But at the Palace of Versailles, the pair coordinated, although their dresses were different enough not to amount to a full twinning effect.
Much like Brigitte's sheer sleeve on her long Louis Vuitton dress with bejewelled collar, Camilla's cape allowed a flattering flash of flesh without revealing too much.
And the cape's trailing tails provided the drama befitting a new monarch.
The lack of embellishment made for an ideal canvas for the Royal Collection's most dazzling jewels – the sapphire necklace, bracelet and earrings given to the late Queen by her father George VI as her wedding present.
Among the celebrity guests, Mick Jagger's partner Melanie Hamrick chose London designer Jenny Packham; actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, Saint Laurent.
The latter's choice was natural – she is the face of its new campaign, after all.
Her dress was another lesson in the art of revealing the perfect amount of skin – chic tights counterbalancing the short hemline.
Even the home of republicanism can't resist putting on a fashion show when the royals are in town. Vive le roi – or last night, la reine.