There was an anxious moment when the Duchess of Cambridge appeared in her immaculately fitting, vermillion red Alexander McQueen dress and James Lock hat, tilted at what is emerging as the Duchess's favourite angle (who knew you could have a signature incline?). She looked stunning...and bright. Too bright? Would she outshine the woman's whose day this undoubtedly was? Was this Kate's first faux pas?
But at 2.10 Her Majesty appeared and the nation breathed once more. Wearing her signature - coat and dress -the Queen shimmered in ivory boucle against those lowering skies. The gold and silver embroidered spots and Swarovski crystals may not have dazzled in the shafts of sun that were meant to be bouncing off the rippling Thames as intended, but Her Majesty certainly wasn't going to be outshone by anyone, even if, for a few more worrying seconds, the Royal Handbag appeared to be rashly gaping open.
All the fashion action from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
For weeks there had been speculation about what colour Her Majesty would wear. She doesn't often sport red these days, and in any case it would have clashed catastrophically with those velvet thrones (shades of the Beckhams there in a rare mis-step). She wore royal Blue yesterday to the Derby, so that was out. Options were narrowing. In the end there could only be one.
It's not just that ivory is quintessentially, understatedly luxurious (all that dry cleaning), but it's extremely flattering without being mother-of-the-bride. It also brought to mind her coronation day, when she pledged herself to life-long service of her kingdom.
In pictures: 60 years of the Queen's fashion hits
Once we saw the Queen was in white, we knew there was method in Kate's scarlet. It would only be a matter of time before someone - the Princess Royal, Katharine Jenkins - turned up in blue.
Sure enough, the uncharacteristically elusive Princess Beatrice donned a dress that was silver and navy, with a complementary coat from Marni. They weren't taking chances with their hats this time either.
With the Duchess of Cornwall wearing an elegant cream coat and dress by Anna Valentine and Philip Treacy hat, this promised to be the most meticulous colour-co-ordinated Royal photograph ever.
However, sprucely turned out the other royals looked, sartorially, as in every way, it was The Queen's day. Karl Lagerfeld tweeted that "It is hard to imagine a different outfit that the Queen could have sported better". But we didn't need him to tell us that. This is one octogenarian who is a past master at dressing for dodgy weather: after all it rained on her Coronation.
In the end, she didn't need one of her beloved colour-co-ordinated transparent brollies (£16 from Fultons), but she clearly wasn't taking any chances. The matching coat and dress, designed by Angela Kelly, the Queen's Senior Dresser, were made in a cosy wool. Kelly, who began her career as a housekeeper to a diplomat, likes to sew tiny lead weights from Peter Jones into the regal hems to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions on gusty days. Her Majesty will have been thankful them yesterday - as she will have been grateful to Barbara Stoddart, the 71 year old who stitches many of the Queen's outfits.
It wasn't all pragmatism. That single organza frill on her coat was purely decorative, as were the dashing feathers on that hat, hand dyed in the sinks at Buckingham Palace by Angela Kelly's redoubtable team.
But function is never far away in our monarch's choices. That brim was broad enough to keep the worst of any downpour at bay, but not melodramatically wide - she is scrupulous about not concealing her face from her subjects. The shoes, designed by David Hyatt, with the customary 2 ¼ inch heel is the perfect height for elevation and comfort.
So the sun didn't shine on the 60th anniversary of her reign. But those chilly blasts at least meant that none of the younger royals turned up in inappropriately skimpy cocktail wear. And it wouldn't have been nearly so gloriously, charmingly British if it had been a blazing hot day would it?
Via: Queen's Diamond Jubilee: Her Majesty outshines them all
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