The words "Buckingham Palace garden party" might conjure up images of flowers blooming from towering hats and dresses adorned with blossoms and botanical prints. In reality, the setting's dress code isn't quite so over-the-top. Just see Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who showed their subtle interpretations of garden party attire for an outdoor event thrown by Prince William on Tuesday, May 21.
To greet more than 8,000 guests on the damp Buckingham Palace lawn, the princesses joined Prince William (who was filling in for King Charles II, the usual host) in structured dresses that could coordinate with a light spring bouquet. Princess Beatrice appeared first in a fuchsia long-sleeve gown by Beluah London (a royal-favorite designer). Her piece featured a ruffled bodice closure with tiny pearl buttons and small ruffles along the cuffs of her sleeves. To let her dress's color pop, she kept her accessories neutral: skin-tone Jennifer Chamandi heels, a beige Emily London headband, and a cream Anya Hindmarch clutch completed her outfit.
Princess Eugenie's styling, meanwhile, felt like a royal interpretation of quiet luxury with a nod to white flower petals thrown in. She dressed in a free-flowing Ulla Johnson dress that featured a cascading ruffle detail along one side, like a flower unfurling. Metallic silver pumps by Valentino—a runway shoe trend that's surging across fashion capitals—and a pale pink beaded headband tied the outfit together.
Zara Tindall, the princess' cousin, also joined in on the rainy day event. She went for traditional royal styling, in a structured Laura Green London shirtdress with slight puff sleeves and a row of peony-pink buttons. (The piece is not available to shop in the United States.) She gave a lesson in color coordination while she was at it, matching a pink Rosa Boater hat and suede heels to the dainty closures on her dress.
Don't expect to see the royal siblings (or their cousins) on the official event circuit too often in the weeks ahead. Hello reports that Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice's "current plan" isn't to fill in for Princess Kate while she undergoes cancer treatment.
“Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their cousins were at the garden party to support the Prince of Wales because the princess is continuing her recovery, but they are not taking on official roles,” Hello royals editor Emily Nash said. “They’ve attended royal engagements in the past, sometimes ‘in attendance’ with the late Queen, for example, so they might appear at other events over the summer as members of the King’s family.”
In the interim, royal watchers will take all the spring outfit inspiration they can get from the duo.
