Queen Camilla sparkles in the Queen Mother's art deco bracelets at the Oman state banquet

It was a night of tiara triumphs as King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted a state banquet in honour of the Sultan of Oman.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester all donned their white tie finery for the evening at Windsor Castle on Tuesday night.

The dress code called for tiaras – and the royal women did not disappoint. The Princess of Wales sparkled in her favourite Lover's Knot Tiara, Princess Anne returned once again to the Princess Andrew Meander, and the Duchess of Gloucester dazzled in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara. The Queen, meanwhile, paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in the Girls of Britain and Ireland Tiara, arguably the most famous piece in Her Late Majesty's collection.

But the adornments did not stop there. Queen Camilla added amethyst earrings that belonged to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent. Around her neck was a show-stopping amethyst necklace that has not previously been seen, although it is possible it was crafted using gems from the royal collection.

On Her Majesty's wrists were two more impressive heirloom jewels, namely two Art Deco Cartier bracelets that previously belonged to the Queen Mother. The bracelets are from a set of five different bracelets. Two are entirely encrusted in diamonds and the other three feature diamonds alongside a different precious stone: sapphires, emeralds and rubies.

The bracelets were acquired in the 1920s by the Queen Mother when she was Duchess of York. She enjoyed wearing all five bracelets together, notes royal jewellery authority The Court Jeweller, particularly in the early years following her wedding to the Duke of York (later King George VI) in 1923. The bracelets could also be fashioned as a tiara: worn as three strands stacked one on top of the other.

The Art Deco bracelets later passed from the Queen Mother to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, who wore the bracelets as individual pieces on a number of occasions. One of her final outings in the jewels was to the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019.

In the years since Her Majesty's death, they have become a regular fixture of Queen Camilla's wardrobe. The Queen often chooses the gems that best match the colour of her outfit for a cohesive look.

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The emerald bracelet, for example, proved the perfect choice when she was draped in a rich green dress for a reception celebrating Shakespeare at Buckingham Palace in 2024. Wearing red for the Qatar state banquet later that year, the ruby bracelet was the finishing touch. And for a Highgrove House event in 2025, the Queen accessorised her sapphire blue dress with actual sapphires.

This thematic dressing followed through to the state banquet in Washington D.C. in March 2026, where the diamond and ruby piece was the final glittering addition to her pink ensemble.

The Sultan of Oman was met in London by Prince William on Tuesday morning before the pair travelled together to Windsor, where the majority of the royal engagements will take place. The Sultanate of Oman owns a number of London residences, including Nuffield Lodge, 35 Upper Brook Street, and the embassy at 167 Queen’s Gate.

The Sultan made his way to the Royal Dais on Dachet Road in Windsor, where he was officially welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla as the sound of a Royal Salute was fired from the Home Park and the Tower of London. The trio then joined the Prince and Princess of Wales for a carriage procession to Windsor Castle – as has become tradition in recent state visits.

State visits are traditionally hosted at Buckingham Palace, but it remains under renovation.

Upon arrival in the Quadrangle of the Castle, the royals were greeted with a Royal Salute by a Guard of Honour while the regimental band played the Omani and British National Anthems. The Sultan and King Charles inspected the Guard before all five royals viewed a military parade. This will be followed by a lunch in the State Dining Room, with other members of the royal family, and a special exhibition of Oman-related items in the Green Drawing Room.

The highpoint of the state visit, however, is the state banquet. King Charles III and Queen Camilla were supported by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, as they welcomed the Sultan and some 150 esteemed guests to St George's Hall, Windsor Castle.