Queen Camilla Has a Glittering Tiara Moment At The Palace

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Queen Camilla just had another sparkling tiara moment.



The Queen, 76, wore a glittering tiara for the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night. The annual white-tie gathering sees members of the royal family welcome hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps to the royal residence in London.



Queen Camilla joined King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton at the palace event.



According to the Royal Collection Trust, it's one of the largest gatherings at Buckingham Palace — reaching 1,000 guests. "The invitation list is coordinated by the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps and invitations are sent to all the ambassadors and high commissioners at the foreign missions in London, as well as past Prime Ministers, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and other public figures," they explained.



Queen Camilla accessorized her white gown with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. She made her debut in the headpiece less than two months ago, when she and King Charles visited Mansion House to take part in longstanding traditions marking a new monarch's first visit to the City of London.



The tiara is closely associated with the late Queen Elizabeth, who wore the accessory numerous times throughout her 70 years on the throne, including in depictions of her on some British and Commonwealth banknotes and coins.


According to the Royal Collection Trust, the tiara was a wedding present from the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" to the Duchess of York, later Queen Mary, in 1893. The Court Jeweller adds that Lady Eva Greville led the campaign to raise money for the piece, which was purchased from Garrard. The fundraising effort was so successful that the extra money went to the wives and children of sailors who died in the collision of the battleship HMS Victoria.



Queen Camilla completed her ensemble with other special jewels: the Queen Mother’s diamond brooch and Queen Elizabeth's diamond bracelet. She also wore the sash of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Family Order featuring Queen Elizabeth (one for King Charles has yet to make its debut).



Princess Kate also wore a tiara for the event, sporting her go-to headpiece for such occasions: Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara.


Queen Camilla's tiara moment is her second in two weeks. On Nov. 21, she helped host the President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeo and First Lady Kim Keon Hee for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. For that event, Camilla sported the Burmese Ruby tiara for the first time, a headpiece worn by Queen Elizabeth on several occasions during her reign. Queen Camilla also accessorized with the late Queen Elizabeth's ruby and diamond necklace and earrings from her private collection, complementing her red velvet dress by Fiona Clare.



Lauren Kiehna, founder of The Court Jeweller, told PEOPLE: "Camilla's choice of two ruby pieces from the royal vaults was a fitting one, given that red is one of South Korea's national colors. She linked together jewels from two reigns, wearing a rare tiara commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II with a necklace designed more than a century earlier by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. Her ensemble is a royal history lesson in jewelry form!"



Last year's reception for the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace marked a royal milestone for Queen Camilla: the first time the event was held since the death of Queen Elizabeth. Camilla opted to wear the Belgian Sapphire Tiara for the event along with its coordinating necklace and bracelet — another set straight from Queen Elizabeth's jewelry box. It was actually her second time wearing the head-topper, as she chose it as her first tiara moment as Queen a few weeks earlier.



While Queen Camilla has worn many tiaras over the years, she recently had her debut in a historic diadem at the State Opening of Parliament last month. The Diamond Diadem (also known as the George IV State Diadem) was made for the coronation of King George IV in 1820 — and it's what the monarch wore (along with a large purple velvet cap) on his way to Westminster Abbey for his crowning ceremony. Since King George IV, the Diamond Diadem has been worn by every British queen, whether they reigned or were consorts: Queen Adelaide, Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and Queen Elizabeth.



The accessory was closely associated with Queen Elizabeth, King Charles' mother who died in Sept. 2022. She wore the Diamond Diadem for the first time in public at her first State Opening of Parliament in 1952 (before she was formally crowned at her coronation). At her coronation in June 1953, Queen Elizabeth wore the headpiece on her way to Westminster Abbey for the crowning ceremony.


Queen Camilla has been by King Charles' side for prominent royal events since she acceded the throne in Sept. 2022.



"She is the yin to his yang," a close palace insider told PEOPLE of the couple's relationship. "She is the type to say, 'It'll all be fine; let's crack on and get on with things.' "