Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Charles of Wales at Buckingham Palace for a reception marking the 50th anniversary of Prince Charles’ Investiture as Prince of Wales.
The reception, that was hosted by the Queen, was also attended by Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Royal Anne and Duke and Duchess of Sussex along with the leading figures in Welsh and UK public life, as well as representatives from The Prince of Wales’s many Welsh charities and patronages, including The Prince’s Trust Cymru, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales.
The investiture of the Prince of Wales is the ceremony marking formal acknowledgement of a newly-created Prince of Wales. The title is traditionally given to the eldest son of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. During the investiture ceremony, the Prince is presented and invested with the ensigns of his rank and dignity, similar to a coronation. An investiture is purely ceremonial, as the title is created via letters patent.
Prince Charles has created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester by Letters Patent on July 26, 1958, but the investiture ceremony was held on July 01, 1969 at Caernarfon Castle in Wales. Prince Charles is the longest-serving Prince of Wales in British history.
Before the investiture The Prince had spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, learning to speak Welsh and after being Invested he embarked on a tour of Wales. At the ceremony, Prince Charles then took an oath:
“I, Charles, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship and faith and truth I will bear unto thee to live and die against all manner of folks.”
Buckingham Palace has said that this special reception will mark The Prince of Wales’s fifty years of service to Wales, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and will be an opportunity to celebrate a range of Welsh charities, organisations and businesses. The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a speech to mark the Anniversary.
The Investiture Regalia worn by The Prince of Wales in 1969 was on display, including the Investiture Coronet, Sword, Ring and Rod, as well as the Letters Patent for the creation of Charles, Duke of Cornwall as Prince of Wales in 1958. Daily Mail reported an interesting story behind the gold coronet designed by celebrated goldsmith Louis Osman,
The orb in its centre is actually made from a ping pong ball. Now, for the first time, David Mason, a 74-year-old retired chemical research manager from Warwickshire who made the striking gold circlet, tells the true story of the so-called ‘imposter coronet’ – including how the original design was smashed with just days to go, forcing him to drive with a hastily made replacement in the back of his unguarded Mini van. He also reveals Charles had no idea he was being honoured with a gold-covered table tennis ball on his head at the time – and probably still doesn’t today.
The reception culminated with a musical performance in the Ballroom by students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, of which The Prince of Wales is Patron. The performance included a new piece written for the anniversary by Welsh composer Paul Mealor, inspired by the legend of the Lady of Llyn y Fan, a mountain lake near The Prince of Wales’s Welsh home, Llwynywermod in Carmarthenshire.
Today Duchess chose a very understated but elegant look. She was wearing a Victorian ice blue midi dress. It has similarities with Duchess’ Beulah London Sabitri Dress and Alexander McQueen Dusty Pink Dress that Catherine wore at Pippa’s wedding in May 2017. Rebecca English on Twitter informed that the Dress is designed by a private dressmaker.
Today’s dress has a high neckline with frayed detailing, a row of a button at the front of the bodice, slightly puffed shoulders and cuffs and a pleated skirt.
Duchess paired her look with blush suede pumps. MiddletonMaven on Twitter suggested that Duchess might be wearing Emmy London’s Blush Rebecca Pumps. I received confirmation from the label regarding it. The £425 pumps are described as, “A stylish pointed court shoe in soft nude blush suede. This style is perfect for creating a chic, effortless look. With a super straight heel that is flattering to your foot and leg, this new addition to the Emmy London collection is great for your workwear wardrobe but also looks fantastic paired with jeans. The blush kid suede is sublimely soft and is a great neutral tone to pair with a variety of colours”.
Catherine was carrying her Alexander McQueen Pale Blue Clutch that she carried at the Trooping the Colour in June 2018 and at the Centenary of RAF in July 2018.
Duchess finished her look of the day with UFO Diamond and Aquamarine Drop Earrings that she had since the early days of her wedding.
