The ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day were never going to be a fashion parade. And yet the female protagonists leading the tributes faced the challenge of dressing appropriately and respectfully for the occasion.
In the end, they all had the same thought. The Queen, Brigitte Macron and Akshata Murty each attended the Normandy event wearing white, a universal signifier of peace that also moves beyond the deep solemnity of black to reflect hope – all attributes which organisers of the remembrance event will no doubt have wanted to communicate.
If the choice to synchronise in white looked cleverly planned then this was denied by all parties. Royal sources simply described the outfits matching as “a happy coincidence”.
It certainly made for a strikingly serene image as Camilla – wearing a sweeping coat dress by British designer Anna Valentine and a hat by Philip Treacy – was joined by Mrs Macron, in a shorter, more fitted coat probably by Louis Vuitton, as they laid wreaths together at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer on Thursday morning. Both women also wore white court shoes.
At the same event, Mrs Murty, accompanying her husband Rishi Sunak, wore an elegant pencil skirt and fitted peplum top in navy-spotted cream bouclé by Shropshire-based designer Claire Mischevani. The outfit made a cleverly understated nod to 1940s fashion.
“White is reflective,” says Jules Standish, a colour consultant and author of How Not to Wear Black, of the women’s matching style choices. “There is a joy and optimism that white projects and it brings a sense of calm to the occasion.”
The Queen’s ensemble also included a diamond and pearl shell brooch which previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, a poignant nod to a figure who played a pivotal role in keeping up public morale in Britain during the Second World War.
Before Thursday’s harmony in white came a similarly matchy-matchy coincidence on Wednesday. At the UK’s national commemorative event in Portsmouth on the eve of the anniversary, the Queen and Mrs Murty sat a seat apart both wearing delicate blush pink, a similarly serene and hopeful shade. This was also entirely unplanned, according to sources.
The Prime Minister’s wife wore a nipped-waist jacket and dress by relatively affordable London label Aligne – her jacket is available to buy for £165. The Queen, meanwhile, chose a pink look by Fiona Clare, one of her most trusted couturiers – which was already in her wardrobe. Notably, the outfit was first seen during the King and Queen’s state visit to France last September so it could be seen to underline the links between the two nations as both marked the D-Day anniversary.
“At such an emotionally charged event, pink is a wonderful choice to wear, as it is the colour of compassion,” comments Standish. “Both women were visibly moved during the D-Day commemoration and pink highlights their caring nature. Dressing in block colours is very much how Queen Elizabeth liked to appear at ceremonies. This pale shade is not one that steals the limelight, but allows these women to be visible in a gentle, soft way.”
Pictures show Mrs Murty and the Queen sharing a laugh as the Queen arrived – perhaps about their coordinating outfits.
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