When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, Britain and many parts of the world mourned the monarch who had reigned for the longest period of any other sovereign in British history.
In the days that followed, the new King Charles announced that he and his family would begin observing a period of “royal mourning,” a period that lasted up to seven days after the Queen’s state funeral.
Although the parameters of royal mourning were not published, a clear and visible sign that it was being observed from the public’s point of view was that the women of the family wore black as a mark of respect.
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During the ten days of national mourning (the time between the Queen’s death and her state funeral) and the remaining seven days afterwards, members of the royal family such as Kate Middleton, the newly appointed Princess of Wales, Meghan Markle and the new Queen Camilla . they became identifiable symbols of dignity and duty during key events.
here, Newsweek see how the royal ladies of the House of Windsor dressed during the period of mourning through a series of powerful images captured at the time.
Floral tributes at Windsor Castle, September 10
Kate and Meghan’s first public appearance following news of the Queen’s death was to view floral tributes, alongside their husbands, outside the gates of Windsor Castle.
For their first appearance together since Prince Harry and Meghan stepped down from their working roles in the royal family and moved to the United States in 2020, both Meghan and Kate appeared in simple black halterneck, below-the-knee dresses. long skirts
Meghan’s dress was clean and simple, and Kate’s was adorned only with a thin black velvet belt. No details have been released about the designers of the royal family’s mourning clothes, but Kate’s dress is believed to have been made by designer Jenny Packham.
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Lying in state, September 14
After the Queen’s death at her Scottish home at Balmoral Castle, her body lay in state in the capital Edinburgh before making her final journey to London. After resting at Buckingham Palace overnight, the Queen’s body was taken to Westminster Hall, where she lay in state for four days to allow members of the public to pay their respects.
On the journey from the palace to Westminster, members of the royal family marched along the processional route behind the coffin, this was marked with a short service at Westminster Hall attended by all senior members of the royal family.
For the occasion Meghan, Kate, Camilla and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, among others, sported their black ensembles with matching hats.
Meghan and Kate opted for structured veiled coats and hats, a nod to the tradition of royal mourning dress.
With their ensembles, the sisters-in-law wore jewelry with links to the late queen. Kate wore earrings and a brooch made of diamonds and pearls lent to her by the Queen. Meghan wore the diamond and pearl earrings the monarch gave her on their first solo engagement together in 2018.
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Royal visit to Wales, 16 September
With Elizabeth’s death, her son Charles became King Charles III and, incidentally, his wife assumed the lofty title of queen consort that had been approved in February by her mother-in-law.
The new Queen Camilla has accompanied her husband to a number of events throughout the mourning period, including his membership council and tours of the nations that make up the United Kingdom, as well as lying-in-state ceremonies and funerals.
During her first visit to Wales as King and Queen, Camilla wore a striking black suit with carved buttons and a wide-brimmed black hat. In honor of the nation, Camilla also wore a small brooch in the shape of a leek, the national heraldic symbol of Wales.
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Meeting of Military Personnel, September 16
Three days before the Queen’s state funeral, which drew hundreds of foreign heads of state and government officials to London, William and Kate visited the military who were drafted in to help organize crowds and take part in the ceremonial act.
For this military engagement, Kate wore a simple custom black wrap dress designed to echo the uniforms of the armed forces that were first worn on Remembrance Sunday 2019.
The princess wore it with a little black felt hat and earrings that the queen used to wear.
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State Funeral, September 19, 2022
The eyes of the world watched as Britain launched an unparalleled ceremonial farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, September 19, which began with a state funeral in London and closed with a private family service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, more late that night
The ladies of the House of Windsor attended the event wearing variations of black day dresses with matching hats. Princess Charlotte, 7, was a prominent figure, paying her respects to her great-grandmother alongside older brother Prince George, 9.
For the historic day, Meghan wore a black day dress with a dramatic built-in cape by British designer Stella McCartney and a black hat.
Kate wore one of her signature coat dresses, elegantly tailored with crossed lapels, accessorized with a picture hat with a tie-net veil covering her face. She also wore three heirloom pieces of the late Queen’s: a pearl choker necklace with a diamond clasp, a diamond and pearl bracelet and diamond and pearl earrings.
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