At Sandringham on Chrismas Day, the two most senior women of the royal household – the Princess of Wales and the Queen – dressed in step with one another, notes the Telegraph’s Stephen Doig, who considers the real focus of the parade. It’s been a year of seismic upheaval for the royal family; in February, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. Just a month later, the Princess of Wales made the decision to go public with the news she was receiving preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
The late Queen’s famous annus horribilis of 1992 seems trifling in comparison with the trials of the past year. Which is why the show of unity and coherence at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate this Christmas morning was so telling, and a visual show of strength in the dress code and correlation between the two most senior women of the royal household. The Princess of Wales has been gradually phasing back into public life since autumn – this week, she appeared in a televised carol service filmed earlier this month wearing a striking crimson coat with black bow , and her outfit choice on Christmas Day was one of consistency and the power of sticking to a style formula that’s familiar.
The Princess of Wales’ coat came courtesy of Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, a designer and house she has a rich history with..