Comparisons are odious. And almost always unnecessary. But the short time between the State visit of the President of Germany to Spain and the one he is currently on in the United Kingdom makes it almost inevitable to scrutinize the similarities and differences between the display of pomp by the Windsors and the Bourbons. Just a few days ago, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, dined at the magnificent Royal Palace in Madrid, last night they were the guests of honor at the state banquet hosted by King Charles III.
But undoubtedly, among all the attendees, the daughter-in-law of the monarch stood out, Kate, the Princess of Wales. For the occasion, she surprised everyone with a tiara that no one expected to see her wear while her husband, Prince William, remains the Heir: the Oriental diadem of Indian rubies, a formidable piece from the Windsor jeweler dating back to 1853.
It was one of the many gifts given by Prince Albert, of German origin, to his wife, Queen Victoria of England, crafted by the London jeweler Garrard & Co., inspired by Mongolian arches surrounding lotus flowers, and made of gold, opals, and 2,600 diamonds. As a curiosity about this fabulous tiara, it is worth noting that the daughter-in-law who also became Empress of India, Queen Consort Alexandra - born a princess of Denmark - wife of Edward VII, replaced the opals, considered bad luck, with rubies from a necklace gifted to Queen Victoria by the ruler of Nepal in 1873. And, in the process, the size of the tiara was reduced, from 17 to the 11 arches it has today.
The tiara in question is a rarely seen piece at events of the British royal family, as Queen Elizabeth II barely wore it during her 70 years as Head of State. And it is clear that Kate was eager to impress and leave the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara in the vault for one night, which is the one the Consort Heir usually wears at State banquets. It was Diana, Princess of Wales' favorite, and Kate debuted it in 2015, still as the Duchess of Cambridge. But the truth is that it was getting tiresome to always see her with the same piece.
The Princess of Wales wore for the banquet with Steinmeier a long mermaid-cut dress by Jenny Packham in Berlin blue, a clear nod to the German president. And she paired the superb royal tiara with earrings belonging to the late Queen Elizabeth II. On the other hand, Queen Camilla opted for the Queen Mary tiara created by Garrard in 1893.
The gala dinner took place in St George's Hall, one of the most impressive rooms at Windsor Castle. It is tradition for the royal family to alternate between this fortress and Buckingham Palace to entertain the heads of state on State visits. The area had to be rebuilt after the 1992 fire, the "annus horribilis" for the royal family, in the words of Queen Elizabeth II. The gigantic hall has a ceiling adorned with the coats of arms of all the Knights of the Garter since its foundation in 1348, from which the former Prince Andrew has formally been excluded, the king's disgraced brother.
The guests enjoyed to start smoked trout with prawns, quail eggs, and seafood sauce; and for the main course, Windsor partridge breasts wrapped in puff pastry, accompanied by confit cabbage and a rich port sauce. The dessert featured blackberry, vanilla, and raspberry, and a chocolate-flavored cocktail with cherry brandy was also served, with notes reminiscent of Black Forest cake.
Attending the dinner from the royal family were Charles III and Camilla, as hosts, along with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke of Gloucester. Among the famous guests were footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger, artist Motsi Mabuse, illustrator Axel Scheffler, composer Hans Zimmer, and the internationally renowned model Claudia Schiffer.
Wednesday's banquet was the second State banquet attended by Princess Kate after the year and a half she spent almost absent from institutional life due to cancer treatment. Her stellar reappearance at these festivities took place during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in early July.
Lastly, it should be noted that Steinmeier's trip to London is in reciprocity for Charles III's visit to Berlin in March 2023, where he made his first State visit as sovereign. Fate had it that his baptism in high-level diplomacy would take place precisely in Germany, the last country that in 2015 had hosted his mother on a State visit before her advanced age prevented her from continuing with an international agenda.