Why Kate Middleton, Melania Trump, Queen Elizabeth And Camilla All Wore This At Banquet

It appeared that a dress code seemed to be on call for the state dinner honoring President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK. However, the fact that the female heads of state in attendance all wore white for the event may have just been a happy coincidence.

It’s been noted that at the event, Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and First Lady Melania Trump all stunned in floor-length white gowns at the event. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, arrived later, also stunning in a white Alexander McQueen gown made of Taffeta. She accented her gown with a blue sash dignifying her recent honor becoming a member of the Royal Victorian Order.

However, British bridal designer says that the decision for all of the women to wear white wasn’t an official one, and was likely just a coincidence because white is a traditional shade for women to wear to state banquets.

“I agree it would appear as if there was an agreement that all the royal women would wear white and Melania was advised to do the same, but I really think it is a coincidence,” designer Caroline Castiliano told Marie Claire. “The royals often wear white to the state banquets and I wonder if this is partly to show off their sashes.”

By comparison, former First Lady Michelle Obama also wore white during a UK state banquet in 2011, and while the shade is often synonymous with the women’s suffrage movement in the early 1900s, the royal family was not likely making a political statement with their choices since they try to remain neutral on all political issues.

Of course, the idea of all the women wearing white could have easily been taken in a negative direction, as Camilla, in particular, has faced criticism in the past when she wore a similar color as the Queen at an event.

Back in March, the Duchess of Cornwall was heavily criticized for wearing a shade that looked like it matched the Queen’s own purple outfit during Commonwealth Day Services, and was criticized for appearing “desperate” to be Queen by copying her mother-in-law.