The coronation of Britain's King Charles III was without doubt a spectacular event, but some invitees looked more the part than others - Euronews Culture takes a look
ADVERTISEMENTWhile all eyes were firmly on Charles III and Camilla at the coronation of Britian's new king and queen, it's little surprise that some of the guests at the royal event of the year drew some attention. Among more than 2,200 invitees, Euronews Culture has picked a few of the best dressed - and some that very much missed the mark...
Best dressed
Many coronation viewers probably didn’t realise Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt would even play a role, but she was one of the most commented on aspects of the whole affair - and not least for her impressive outfit.
In her role as Lord President of the Council, she was the first ever woman responsible for carrying out the ancient custom of bestowing King Charles with the 'Jewelled Sword of Offering'. Mordaunt wore a dress and cape designed by Safiyaa and a chunky headband from Jane Taylor, all embroidered by Hand and Lock with the golden fern motif of the Privy Council.
Kate, Princess of Wales and her eight-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales both wore beautifully embroidered Alexander McQueen outfits, featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs, emblems signifying the four nations of the United Kingdom. Both also wore headpieces - rather than tiaras, paying heed to Charles’ wishes - crafted by milliner Jess Collett in conjunction with Alexander McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton.
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s second cousin Lady Helen Taylor wowed in a Dior ensemble, inspired by the French fashion house’s famed ‘new look’.
Lady Sarah Chatto, the only daughter of the late Princess Margaret and the cousin of King Charles III, wore an elegant cream ensemble and accessorised with a triple strand pearl necklace - a royal signature.
Finnegan Biden, granddaughter of the US president Joe, wore a yellow silk crepe dress and cape from American designer Markarian Sommer seamed with a matching headband, as she accompanied her grandmother Jill to the event. Together, the pair looked rather like the Ukrainian flag although it's unclear whether this was an intentional choice.
Among the best dressed royals was Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who wore a bespoke dress from, appropriately, Dutch designer Jan Taminiau.
Pavlos, the Crown Prince of Greece became head of the Greek royal family following his father's death in January this year and lead the best dressed men at Charles' coronation in his smart three piece suit and medals.
Queen Letizia of Spain, accompanied her dashing husband King Felipe VI, wearing a ‘barbie-core’ pink suit and matching ‘Scala Insignia’ clutch, designed especially for her by Carolina Herrera's Creative Director, Wes Gordon.
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan looked elegant in a version of her country's national costume, wearing a beautiful printed lavender two piece.
Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall stood out in a bright blue coat dress by Laura Green, teamed with coordinating hat and shoes. Charles’ niece also wore a diamond brooch which had been a gift from the King to Princess Anne on her wedding day.
Representing British fashion, British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful wore a bespoke morning suit by Savile Row tailors Huntsman, looking dapper in a pale blue waistcoat, navy spotted tie, black overcoat and grey striped trousers.
Worst dressed
While most guests looked good - or at least appropriate - U.S. pop star Katy Perry, who will be performing at Sunday’s coronation concert, demonstrated what happens when an American tries a little too hard to fit in at a very British event. Her lilac outfit complete with opera gloves and giant hat stood out for the wrong reasons - but her Vivienne Westwood necklace was a nice nod to British design.
Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie were among the worst dressed on the day, with the former British Prime Minister looking scruffy, as always. Carrie’s attempts to look smart looked too 1980s and she wore too many shades of blue in one outfit - a style fail for both members of this political couple.
By a country kilometre, the worst dressed at the coronation was Conservative MP Therese Coffey. Her Union Jack print scarf was the cherry on top of a truly terrible outfit, flying the flag far too literally.
With her red hat, white jacket, navy dress and black bag and shoes, some commentators suggested she looked like a mascot for the UK - but not one anyone would choose.
