With lashings of mascara,Macron exudes the glamour of Jane Fonda,while Camilla’s red carpet style is more Dame Judi Dench with Helen Mirren’s hair.
On this occasion,with Macron assisting her cape for the cameras,Camilla was the stand-out.
At the beginning of the French visit,Camilla appeared to be copying Queen Elizabeth’s playbook,in a pink coat dress by Fiona Clare and matching hat by milliner Philip Treacy,who created her gold feathered wedding headpiece in 2005.
After taking in Macron’s blow-dry and Saint Laurent suit,Camilla ditched the hats for the rest of the visit,enhancing her appeal. Rather than looking like an escapee from the Melbourne Cup Birdcage,the Queen appeared more relaxed,especially during an impromptu game of table tennis with Macron.
The Queen’s cream and black Chanel shoes and quilted Chanel handbag,with a white dress,were a handicap to any attempts at sporting form but were style winners.
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Unlike Charles’s first wife Princess Diana,Camilla has no aversion to Chanel shoes.
During a styling session with Australian designer Jayson Brunsdon in 1996,Diana refused to wear Chanel shoes because of the interlocking Cs,which could represent Charles and Camilla.
While Camilla’s wardrobe now exudes confidence,it doesn’t distract from the events she attends.
Chanel accessories were appropriate for a visit to le 19M on the outskirts of the 19th arrondissement of Paris. The building houses the Métiers d’Art Fellowship Program,which is a partnership with Chanel and the King’s charityThe Prince’s Foundation.
“It is a residential 24-week intensive embroidery programme designed to challenge and develop creative practice with a focus on developing and refining traditional skills,” Buckingham Palace said. “Teaching is delivered by artisans and highly skilled tutors,with mentorship and guidance by Creative Directors from Maisons d’Art such as Lesage,Atelier Montex and Lemarié.”
Alongside Charles,Camilla observed the work of textile designers and students reinvigorating the French ateliers revived by Chanel.
By her last day in Paris,the Queen had graduated from her own three-day intensive course of Queen Dressing 101. When Camilla farewelled the Macron’s in a green print dress her head remained bare,her grip remained firm on her Chanel handbag and her smile was genuine.
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