Queen Camilla and Sophie Attend Rifles Awards Dinner

London - Queen Camilla and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, attended the Biennial RIFLES Awards Dinner on November 27 at the Guildhall, highlighting their official military affiliations through elegant attire and symbolic accessories. The event honored members of The Rifles regiment, with Camilla serving as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles and Royal Colonel of the 4th Battalion The Ranger Regiment, and Sophie as Royal Colonel of the 5th Battalion. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Royal Colonels of the 6th and 7th Battalions respectively, also joined the occasion.

Both royal women opted for velvet gowns in rich jewel tones, underscoring a coordinated theme of regal sophistication. Camilla wore a striking red velvet gown by Fiona Clare, paired with a shimmering embroidered shawl. She accessorized with ruby-colored drop earrings, believed to have been a gift from a Middle East trip, and a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet. Most notably, she donned her serpent necklace, a cherished family heirloom featuring a coiled snake design encrusted with diamonds and ruby-set eyes. The piece, valued at around 400,000 pounds, was inherited from her grandmother, Sonia Rosemary Keppel. Maxwell Stone, a...