• Lady Susan, the discreet and confident lady-in-waiting of the British court

  • Lady Di's style: from candor to revenge

On that day, Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip of Edinburgh, were

in Kenya

on an official tour of various Commonwealth countries, a custom that has continued ever since.

In fact, this year the Dukes of Cambridge and the Counts of Wessex, Eduardo and Sophie have made one to the Caribbean.

The trip went smoothly.

The queen was then 25 years old and she was staying, together with her husband, in

a wooden house built on the top of a tree.

It was in that cabin where she received the sad news of the death of her father and where she knew, therefore, that from that moment the Crown was in her hands.

In Kenya without a black dress

As soon as the news was known, preparations began for the return to London from the African country.

But there was a difficult impediment to solve: in the suitcase of the future sovereign

there was no black dress

with which to arrive in England.

That is why, when the plane that was transporting the couple landed on the island, Isabel

had to wait

until they brought her a black outfit with which to go down the stairs and present herself to her people.

And she so she did it.

protocol change

But such a thing has never happened again nor will it happen again in the British royal family, because this anecdotal event caused an unbreakable rule to be established among the Windsors:

whenever they travel they must carry at least one black garment with them.

The queen's death has not surprised any of her closest family members far from the United Kingdom, who have traveled to Balmoral Castle, Elizabeth's Scottish residence where she has died.

camilla and kate

Camilla Parker-Bowles, second wife of Prince Charles, will become

queen consort

at the express wish of the queen, and surely she is prepared for mourning.

Kate Middleton at the funeral of Philip of Edinburgh.Getty

The same will happen with the one who, in her day, is also called to become queen of England, Kate Middleton.

The wife of Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge was

one of the most elegant

at Philip of Edinburgh's funeral, held on April 17, 2021.

Wearing a midi-length black dress signed by

Roland Mouret

and a multi-strand pearl necklace, as well as a black headdress, Kate gave a lesson in style and poise on this occasion.

Tribute at Westminster

The same thing happened on March 29 at Westminster Abbey, when a mass was celebrated for the queen's husband, which was attended by a good representation of European crowned heads,

including the Kings of Spain.

On that occasion, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a

black dress with mini white polka dots with

a turn-up skirt, a waist marked with a belt of the same fabric, long sleeves and a funnel neck, combined with a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a white bow.

The Duchess of Cambridge and her daughter Charlotte at the mass celebrated in London by Philip of Edinburgh.Getty

Queen Letizia, wearing a bottle green coat and matching headdress, matched the color with several of those attending the tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.

A 70-year reign that began with a nonexistent but necessary

black dress ,

and that will predictably end with another, this time worn by Camilla Parker-Bowles.

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Know more

  • Elizabeth II of England