Queen Camilla breaks her golden rule with surprising new look


King Charles' wife looked stylish as she made an appearance at the Badminton Horse Trials, breaking from the norm with her outfit


Queen Camilla smiling and wearing a furry hat © Getty Images
Laura Sutcliffe
Laura SutcliffeFashion and Beauty News Editor
Updated: 2 minutes ago
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Fresh from her stylish visit to the US, where she donned a myriad of fabulous ensembles, including an outfit by Dior, Queen Camilla was pictured at the Badminton Horse Trials on Friday, sporting a sleek black suit jacket and matching tailored trousers.

King Charles' wife, who is Patron of the British Equestrian Federation, shocked onlookers with her attire. The mother-of-two famously dons dresses for most formal occasions, so to see her in something more corporate was a distinct change. 

Queen Camilla during a medal presentation on day two of the Badminton Horse Trials 2026© PA Images via Getty Images
Queen Camilla wowed in a suit at the Badminton Horse Trials 2026

The last time she attended this same event in 2024, she wore a checked blue dress by Samantha Sung and camel pointed-toe shoes. 

Queen Camilla carried her navy Chanel bag© PA Images via Getty Images
Queen Camilla carried her navy Chanel bag

On Friday, the blonde royal still accessorised to perfection by carrying her fabulous quilted blue Chanel bag and added platform trainers in the same hue, and topped her look off with a fail-safe, classic item of a sleek white shirt. 

Queen Camilla has always worn dresses to this event in the past© PA Images via Getty Images
Queen Camilla has always worn dresses to this event in the past

Camilla wearing trousers

We last saw Camilla wearing a pair of trousers in February, during London Fashion Week. The royal met with Dame Anna Wintour at Clarence House to mark the occasion and to discuss the Queen's Reading Room. 

Anna Wintour and Queen Camilla attend a literary engagement at New York Public Library on day three of the State Visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States of America, on April 29, 2026 in New York, New York. © Getty Images
Anna Wintour and Queen Camilla pose in New York last month

It must have been rather nerve-racking being photographed alongside the inspiration behind The Devil Wears Prada herself, but Camilla made a sartorial statement in an elegantly cut black silk coat dress and a pair of skinny jeans with boots.

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Anna was so enamoured with the Queen that she even took off her sunglasses - her trademark accessory that has made her a pop culture phenomenon. 

Royal photographer Chris Jackson, who photographed the pair, said of the picture: "Both ladies are passionate about reading and literature - the iconic sunglasses were never far away, and she certainly doesn’t take them off for anyone!" 

Dame Anna on Queen Camilla

The Global Editorial Director of Vogue and the Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast is a big fan of Camilla's style. 

Anna Wintour and Queen Camilla at a literary engagement at the New York Public Library on April 29, 2026© HELLO!
Anna remaked that Camilla "looked marvellous" when she met her in 2002

In her editor's note for Vogue in 2002, she mused on a previous meeting with the royal, penning: "Camilla Parker Bowles was seated at my table. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She looked marvellous, and I thought, 'What a difference being in love makes.’ Glamour, a matter of self-belief and the alignment of certain mysterious stars, is an angel that practically any woman can summon," she revealed.

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