Princess Anne wears a 57-year-old coat for the Nigeria state banquet
The coat in 1969 vs 2026; the collar has since been replaced with a more simple version
If ever there was a good excuse to invest in a new outfit, a state banquet is up there with the best of them. However for Princess Anne, for whom such occasions are as familiar as supermarket trips are for the rest of us, it’s simply an opportunity to delve into her clothing archive.
She did just that on Wednesday evening at the state banquet marking the Nigeria state visit, wearing a formal white coat which she was first photographed in 57 years ago when she was 18 years old to attend the Run Wild, Run Free premiere in London.
It’s an impressive move on two counts. Firstly that, at 75, she can still fit into an item created when she was a teenager. And secondly that she has kept the coat for such a long time.
Princess Anne wore the original coat at the Run Wild, Run Free premiere in London, 1969 - Keystone-France
Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence at the state banquet - Aaron Chown
The white design appeared to have been slightly tweaked since its first outing. The geometric circular detailing which can be seen in 1969 remains intact on the sleeves, however the collar has been replaced with a more simple version. The distinctive trim and textured material is also the same.
With her practical style mindset, the Princess Royal likely tasked a dressmaker with updating the old piece rather than wasting material on an entirely new commission. It’s a familiar move from Anne who is always more likely to wear something “old” than “new”, no matter what the occasion. She has previously worn a 36-year-old coat on Christmas Day and a 27-year-old dress to a wedding.
For the Princess of Wales, who will one day become Queen, clothing choices speak volumes in an entirely different way and she has chosen to deploy the diplomatic flattery which fashion can convey. She did this powerfully on Wednesday, flexing two takes on the approach.
The Prince and Princess of Wales during the state banquet for Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and first lady Remi Tinubu - Aaron Chown/PA
If her grey coatdress by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker earlier in the day was a clever talking-point decision, rather than an obvious nod to Nigeria (you needed to know the backstory), then Wednesday evening’s state banquet gown – an Andrew Gn design in a deep shade of green to match the Nigerian flag – was the in-your-face diplomatic moment.
Knowing that images of her first tiara outing of 2026 would beam around the world in an instant, the Princess saved her famous flag dressing move – one she has deployed many times before – for the pinnacle of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and first lady Remi Tinubu’s UK visit.
The Prince and Princess of Wales as the evening’s formal celebrations get under way - Henry NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
The Princess selected the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot tiara for the fourteenth time, making it by far her most-worn tiara. Designed by Garrard in 1913, the spectacular diamond and pearl creation was worn by Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana before Catherine began wearing it in 2015.
“The Lover’s Knot Tiara helpfully places Catherine in an immediate royal history context, given its roots with Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth II,” says Lauren Kiehna, the royal jewellery expert behind The Court Jeweller website. “The fact that it was worn for so many years by her mother-in-law, Diana, is also surely an important touchpoint for both Catherine and William, who posted that sentimental picture to celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday.”
The Princess of Wales and Princess Diana wearing the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot tiara - (Aaron Chown/PA) (Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Beyond the diplomatic gesture of wearing green for the Nigeria visit, Gn’s flowy chiffon gown seemed to encapsulate the Princess’s “nature era”, which has been the cornerstone of her public messaging since her return to work following cancer treatment. Often, Catherine chooses strictly tailored silhouettes for these engagements, but Wednesday evening’s had a more laid-back and ethereal feel which was enhanced by her hair being worn in long, loose waves.
The Princess previously wore an emerald coatdress by Gn for King Charles’s first Trooping the Colour parade in 2023. At the time, it was thought he had been selected as a nod to the forthcoming Earthshot Prize ceremony in Singapore, where he was born and brought up.
Catherine finished her look with a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings, heirloom royal pieces which she has been wearing since 2015. “The sapphire and diamond earrings are gorgeous pieces from the Queen Mother’s jewellery box, and they co-ordinate beautifully with the deep blue colour of Catherine’s Royal Victorian Order sash,” notes Kiehna.
The Queen was elegant in an embroidered gown by her most-trusted dress designer Fiona Clare. She wore Queen Elizabeth II’s sapphire and diamond tiara with her own serpent necklace. “I suspect that Queen Camilla loves the Belgian Sapphire Tiara because it was made for a modern wearer,” says Kiehna. “The nineteenth-century necklace was converted to a tiara for Queen Elizabeth II in the 1960s, and it sits beautifully on contemporary hairstyles.”
The Queen wore an embroidered gown by Fiona Clare – seen here arriving alongside King Charles, Nigerian president Bola Tinubu and first lady Remi Tinubu - Aaron Chown/via REUTERS
The Queen wore Elizabeth II’s sapphire and diamond tiara with her own serpent necklace - Aaron Chown/PA
Earlier on Wednesday, Catherine greeted president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and first lady Remi Tinubu in a grey tailored coat with white buttons and piping by Tolu Coker, a British-Nigerian designer.
Coker is the designer who opened London Fashion Week in February with the King sitting front row – notably on the same day that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by police. This look, by the 29-year-old Central St Martins graduate, is more than a diplomatic choice. She comes with some serious design cred, having worked at Celine and JW Anderson before founding her own label. She’s won a slew of new talent awards and in January 2024 appeared on the cover of British Vogue.
The Princess and Prince of Wales greeted the Nigerian president and first lady on their Windsor state visit earlier in the day - Yui Mok/PA Wire
King Charles sits on the front row of Coker’s show during London Fashion Week in February 2026 - Richard Pohle/WPA Pool/Getty
Coker is a thoughtful choice because her work is layered with meaning. “Like many young designers, she sees fashion partly as a cultural essay, but never gets bogged down in subtext and theory,” The Telegraph’s head of fashion, Lisa Armstrong, wrote last month. “These are clothes that celebrate dressing up in the two countries that shaped her.”
The Princess completed the outfit with a bespoke “cocktail hat” by Jane Taylor – one of her go-to milliners – and Collingwood pearl drop earrings, which she wore for her 40th birthday portraits and which once belonged to Princess Diana.
Catherine wore Collingwood pearl drop earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana - Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty
Queen Camilla was also on hand to welcome the visiting dignitaries, looking very spring-ready in a cherry blossom pink wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare and a beret-style hat by Philip Treacy. She also reached for the heirloom jewellery, pinning a pair of diamond Cartier flower clips that had previously belonged to the late Queen to her lapels.
First lady Tinubu, who is also a politician, represented Nigeria in a deep green dress, embroidered with floral details. The shade was a nod, most likely, to the country’s flag. On her head, she wore a mustard-hued gele, with a matching wrap across her shoulders.
Queen Camilla wore Cartier flower clips previously belonging to Queen Elizabeth II on her lapels - Hannah McKay/WPA Pool/Getty
Mrs Tinubu would likely appreciate the message and propriety in the Princess’s outfit. In 2024, she sparked controversy when her remarks about modest dressing were misinterpreted as a criticism of the Duchess of Sussex’s wardrobe on her visit to Nigeria that year.
“We have to salvage our children,” she said at the time. “You know we see the way they dress, they keep forgetting that Nigeria, we are beautiful. The moment you can see what they showcase on the stage, I said, we are fashionable! We see what is going on. We are not having the Met Gala… We don’t accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful.”
Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles - and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.
