Saturday, November 28 2009

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THEN AND NOW: This composite photo shows Her Majesty (right) with the tiara during her banquet at President's House in Trinidad and the same tiara on ...

THEY were diamonds fit for a queen then and are diamonds fit for a queen now. Queen Elizabeth II dusted off her wedding day tiara for a state visit to Trinidad and Tobago. The monarch, accompanied by Prince Philip, wore the tiara for a state banquet given by President George Maxwell Richards on Thursday.

And the recycled George III tiara she first wore so proudly in 1947 was not her only nod to credit crunch couture. Often during state visits, the Queen will honour the host country through her wardrobe.

However, on Thursday she went one step further than wearing a national colour – by donning wildlife instead. The Queen thrilled the 300 guests with a hand-beaded ball gown elaborately decorated with the national birds of both islands. A brightly hued scarlet ibis and cocrico had been stitched into the white fabric, along with the Caribbean archipelago’s ruby-coloured national flower, the chaconia.