Royal Ladies Debut New Partnership at Commonwealth Leaders Reception

The new Queen Consort and Princess of Wales made their first public appearance together as they joined the Royal Family to host Commonwealth leaders at a reception at Buckingham Palace on Saturday, September 17.

The event served as a precursor to the upcoming Reception of the Century, which will bring together 500 world leaders, presidents, and royals at Buckingham Palace to honor the late Queen ahead of her historic state funeral on Monday.

Princess Catherine was seen engaging in deep conversation with Camilla, the Queen Consort.

The gathering was attended by the Governors-General of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

The Commonwealth, an organization of 56 countries that evolved out of the British Empire after World War II, mattered greatly to the late Queen, who cultivated friendly ties with member states and their neighbors during her reign.

As the head of the Commonwealth, the Queen made numerous visits to member states.

Following the Queen's passing, the Baton passes to her son King Charles, as she had hoped and as was agreed by Commonwealth leaders in 2018.

Both the Queen Consort and the Princess wore meaningful jewelry during the lunch.

Catherine wore her hair down and was pictured smiling at Camilla, who held a drink with a slice of lemon in it.

Camilla was dressed in black and accessorized her wrist with four gold bracelets, one of which was adorned with multiple royal blue four-leaf clovers.

The four-leaf clover is known for symbolizing good luck and prosperity, and Camilla's choice in jewelry appeared to be a hopeful nod to the future, as several countries, including Barbados, have severed ties with the monarchy in the wake of the Queen's death.

All royal ladies are expected to wear either a hat or fascinator as they attend the Queen's funeral on Monday, September 19, to pay their respects to the late monarch and honor the long-standing tradition.

Queen Consort Camilla and Princess Catherine, along with all other royal women, will wear black dresses and black tights with a traditional hat and lace black veil in some form.

The black lace veil, known as the Morning Veil, signifies that the wearer is grieving and also allows the person more privacy when wearing it.

The Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, may be wearing her military uniform, as all working members of the royal family are required to at state occasions since the 19th century.

The royal family is preparing for the late Majesty's state funeral on Monday, September 19, and all eyes are on the senior royals as they meet members of the public and state officials while the nation mourns the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III and Prince William surprised mourners queuing to see the Queen laying in state earlier this afternoon, September 17, and shook hands with many who had come to pay their respects.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also took a trip to Sandringham last week to view the sea of floral tributes left for Her Majesty.

During the reception, the Princess, who was wearing a long three-strand pearl necklace and matching bracelet, placed her hand on the arm of Saint Lucia Governor-General Cyril Aromelchiades Charles as they spoke.

Camilla was also seen wearing her signature four-strand pearl necklace paired with matching pearl earrings during the historic accession council ceremony last week, where her husband formally became king.

The elegant pearls have reportedly been part of the Queen Consort's collection for many years and have become her go-to for big events and special occasions.

All eyes will be on the royal ladies on Monday as they pay their final respects to the late Queen and honor her legacy.