Over the summer, Keke Palmer went to Las Vegas with some girlfriends and they caught Usher’s show. Usher brought Keke on stage and serenaded her and it was a really cute video. The video went viral, as did Darius Jackson’s reaction to it. Darius was, at the time, Keke’s boyfriend/partner. They welcomed their son earlier this year and Darius and Keke lived together, but let’s be clear: Keke was paying all the bills and Keke is extremely famous. The first time I even paid attention to Darius was when he basically went on a misogynistic rant about Keke wearing a “revealing” dress to Usher’s show. Black Twitter read Darius for filth, and for a few months, everyone crossed their fingers that Keke had dumped Darius. It went back and forth – some weeks, it seemed like they were together, some weeks it looked like she dumped him. They finally seemed done by the start of autumn.

Most women assumed that Darius was emotionally abusive towards Keke (because he was doing that openly online). Turns out, it was much, much worse. Darius was physically abusing her, breaking into her home and terrorizing her. Keke filed for a protective order and some screenshots were released from the security cameras she had installed in her home.

Keke Palmer is requesting sole custody of her 8-month-old son Leodis, whom she shares with Darius Jackson after alleging the child’s father has been physically abusive on multiple occasions. On Thursday, the Nope actress, 30, filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order in Los Angeles, according to documents reviewed by PEOPLE.

In the California Superior Court filing, Palmer alleges that on Sunday, “Darius trespassed into my home without my knowledge or consent, threatened me, then physically attacked me — lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch, and stealing my phone when I told him I was going to call the police.”

She also includes screenshots of what appears to be security footage of a man striking a woman over a sofa. Palmer alleges that Jackson, 30, has abused her multiple times over a 2-year period.

Another incident was allegedly recorded on “home security footage [from] February 13, 2022 when Darius body slammed me onto the stairs by my neck.”

In the declaration, Palmer alleges there were “many instances of physical violence, including striking and grabbing me around the neck, descriptions of Darius destroying my personal property, including diaries and prescription eyeglasses, throwing my belongings into the street, throwing my car keys to prevent me from driving away, hitting my in front of our son, spewing profanities about me to our son, threatening to kill himself with a gun if I left him, harassment, and other physical and emotional abuse.”

Palmer went on to state that during the incident on Sunday, Jackson came to her home to take Leodis to a football game, but the 8-month-old was not home because he’d gone with Palmer’s sister to visit family. After a verbal disagreement, Jackson allegedly “knocked me backwards over the couch, stole my phone out of my hands, and then ran out of the house.” Palmer maintains that the entire incident was “captured by my home security camera, which will be played for the Court at the time of the hearing.” She said she followed him outside to retrieve her phone and “he nearly hit me with his car.”

Palmer’s filing states that on or around April 21, 2022, the former couple went out to eat at a restaurant in Santa Barbara when Jackson allegedly became upset after accusing Palmer of flirting with a woman, causing the parents to head back to their hotel early. “Darius grabbed my prescription eyeglasses away from me, threw them on the ground and stomped on them. He then opened my bag, threw all of my belongings onto the pavement in the rain, and threw my car keys across the parking lot before he got into his own car and drove off,” the document reads.

She alleges that he would also “love bomb” her. “The abuse during our relationship was not just physical, but emotional and manipulative,” the filing for the restraining order reads. “Darius would ‘love bomb’ me and make me feel like I was the most important woman in the world, only to get extremely distant and cold over a perceived insult to him. If we were at a party or event, and I spoke with one person too long or looked at someone a “certain way”, he would storm off in a rage – telling me I was ‘slut’ and a ‘whore,’ accuse me of cheating on him, and that I did not love him. Darius had a way of gaslighting me to make me feel like I was doing something wrong even though I wasn’t.”

[From People]

I believe her and I feel so sorry for her. Darius Jackson is a complete POS, a violent abuser and dumb as hell. My guess is that Keke didn’t have security cameras in her house originally, that she had them installed at some point when she broke up with him. It’s heartbreaking to think that Keke had them installed because she knew that Darius would continue to terrorize her and menace her after their split. Darius clearly didn’t know about the physical evidence she compiled either, because before Darius and his sister knew about the video footage, they were on social media, calling Keke a liar. They apparently deleted all of that stuff last night, but Darius left one tweet up which reads like a threat, like he’s going to kidnap their son to “punish” Keke. I hope this f–ker goes to prison.

pic.twitter.com/pIKFXngOdj

— v (@ViralContentz) November 10, 2023

I love you, son. See you soon. pic.twitter.com/uRe6N1RYqL

— Darius. (@dvulton) November 10, 2023

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Cover Images.

It’s so funny to watch Kensington Palace try to go another keen blitz, where they’re briefing to their favorite outlets all about Prince William and Kate’s big, major, significant plans to be keen. There is never any pot of gold at the end of this keen rainbow, but I do enjoy watching KP staff try. If anything, William and Kate are doing less now that they have the Wales titles, and yet they need more staff and more hype to tread water and be completely unimaginative. Well, Victoria Ward at the Telegraph was tasked with writing yet another “no really, William and Kate are on the forefront of changing the monarchy” piece. The fact that the Caribbean Flop Tour is cited as the start of all of this “change” is amazing, as is the fact that the Telegraph used some of the worst photos from last year’s disastrous tour (so I’ll do the same!). Some highlights:

Will & Kate will not do traditional royal events: Rather than the traditional “away days” that for decades have involved members of the Royal family sweeping into towns and villages across the UK, greeting crowds and unveiling plaques before leaving, they instead launched a fundraising drive during a visit to Scarborough to galvanise long-term support for young residents’ mental health. It was a pilot project but one that has since been repeated in towns and cities across the UK and will continue to be rolled out.

Will & Kate have been working on these changes for years! Yet this was no knee jerk, last-minute change in tack; William and Catherine had been working up to this change in approach for years. Both laser-focused and determined to use their roles to instigate change, they recognise that today, we live in a different world to that of their predecessors. Their attitude is no comment on the approach taken by William’s grandmother, the late Queen, who successfully navigated 70 years on the throne by saying very little, acknowledging that she simply had to be seen. They understand, aides say, that times have changed. The public wants more from its figureheads-from the Royal family – and they believe they have more to give. They want to be more relatable. They want to use their time to create something more tangible, something that will actually change society for the better.

William is not like his father!! Of course, William’s approach is not wholly unique. His father spent decades as Prince of Wales campaigning on issues such as the environment, and continues to strive for change as King. But whereas Charles has often been criticised for his approach, his son and heir is savvy enough to know that times are changing.

The Caribbean Flop Tour haunts them: We only need to look back to the couple’s ill-fated Caribbean tour of March 2022 to see the origins of this approach. As William reacted to criticism that the tour, with its colonial overtones, was “tone deaf” and “out of touch”, he acknowledged that the royal world was shifting on its axis. With several Commonwealth realms demanding independence and slavery reparations, he made it clear he believed his family’s fabled “never complain, never explain” mantra was outdated. Aides said then that he had thought deeply about what kind of King he wanted to be when the time came, what needed to change and how certain protocols must evolve. That tour, he admitted, “brought into even sharper focus” questions about the past and the future and they are questions that William has mulled over ever since. He is keen to have his own voice.

The Kensington Palace CEO: Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September, his new model has been slowly unveiled. The Prince and Princess are recruiting a new chief executive that will answer directly to them, rather than their private secretaries. The message was clear. Kensington Palace was, if not reinventing the wheel, then certainly shaking things up.

No abrupt changes: The shift in tone is being introduced slowly and carefully. The couple cautioned their staff against abrupt change. They are determined to be perceived as authentic voices within the small number of key spaces in which they work; the early years, the environment, mental health and homelessness. These themes are the focus of long-term projects that will last years, if not decades, each rooted in their Royal Foundation. The Prince and Princess are absolutely hell bent on doing this their own way. And they have never felt more ambitious.

[From The Telegraph]

Kensington Palace sources insist that if everyone could go back in time, the Duchess of Sussex would have put William and Kate on the cover of the British Vogue “Forces for Change” issue she guest-edited. We are told that William and Kate came up with the word “change” themselves, that it is wholly their own initiative to say “change” endlessly, and that they needed a year and a half to mull over questions of whether the British commonwealth was ready for the British royals to stop with their colonialist and racist nonsense. William has insisted to sources that he must be referred to as handsome, single, and a change-making heartthrob who has his own voice and is keen to be a global statesman. Seriously though, I love how stupid this is.

Photos courtesy of Instar.

Pixar films have the reputation of being gut-punching tearjerkers so I generally avoid them. That being said, I’ve seen Inside Out a few times and I cry every time. It’s a really beautiful movie about growing up and being a kid and trying to figure out your own sh-t. The first film featured voice work from Amy Poehler (Joy), Mindy Kaling (Disgust), Bill Hader (Fear), Phyllis Smith (Sadness) and Lewis Black (Anger). The trailer for the sequel was just released this week:

It’s basically like… okay, this girl has to navigate puberty now, with some new emotions and anxiety. It should be great and moving. We’ve known for more than a year that Mindy and Bill Hader were not returning for Inside Out 2, but until this week, I had not heard why that was. Mindy especially was so proud of Inside Out and she was so moved by the story. So what happened? Pixar only offered Hader and Kaling 2% of what they offered Amy Poehler.

If you watched the trailer for Inside Out 2 released on Thursday and wondered why the voices of Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader were nowhere to be heard — here’s the answer. A report from Puck News published in 2022 revealed that Kaling and Hader, who played Disgust and Fear in the first film, were offered just 2% of Amy Poehler’s salary for voicing Joy.

“Star Amy Poehler is making $5 million (plus additional fees and bonuses), but Disney originally offered the other main voice cast just $100,000 (with no bonuses) to return, an insult that was politely declined,” the outlet explained.

Disney reportedly tried to up their initial offer after it was declined but Hader and Kaling still said no. As for Fear and Disgust? Tony Hale stepped in to replace Hader, and Liza Lapira will be taking over Kaling’s role.

Kaling confirmed that she would not be reprising her role in the film while speaking to TheWrap in January. “I had a great time working on Inside Out and am sure Inside Out 2 will be great,” the actress said. But I’m not working on it.”

[From The Messenger]

This really should have made more news at the time because WTF??? I get that you can make a solid argument that Amy is the “star” with her voice work as Joy, but the first film was truly an ensemble and it’s insane that Pixar thought they could get away with making such a low-ball offer to Hader and Kaling. If it had just been Kaling, I would say racism was at play (and maybe it is), but they treated a white guy like sh-t too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue this year seems to have a theme: remember when you loved all these guys ten, twenty or thirty years ago? Patrick Dempsey as the SMA in the year of our lord Beyonce 2023 is quite a choice. But I’m not beefing with People about their inclusion of Kevin Bacon on their SMA list. Kevin Bacon has been awesome for a very long time and he’s still a very handsome man. He minds his business, he stays married to Kyra Sedgwick and they raised two kids, both of whom are in their 30s now. Kevin’s People interview is so charming – he mostly talks about food and their life out in the country, in Connecticut.

Kevin no longer eats bacon: “I no longer eat goat and I no longer eat pig, because I have goats and I have pigs. My wife [actress Kyra Sedgwick] is like, ‘We can’t get any more animals, because you’re going to stop eating everything.”

They raise animals & he has a garden: The couple has a farm in Connecticut where the aforementioned goats and pigs reside (as well as 3 alpacas and 3 miniature horses that are not part of the food chain). ”I love animals, they are a joy to be around, and they’re very, very calming for me. But we also really love to go into the garden and get fresh herbs or tomatoes or basil or peppers or zucchini. Taking something hot off the vine that feels warm and smells like it’s been created by all these natural forces of the sun and air and water and earth and dirt, and then putting it back into your body to sustain yourself…it’s a great lesson in terms of just how important it is to do our best to try to protect this boat that we’re all riding in.”

His cooking when he was a struggling actor in New York: “I would take anything that I had and put it into a pan and just fry it up, and then eat it with a fork out of the pan, because it would also cut down on the minimum amount of dishes for me to have to clean.”

He prefers to cook rather than eating out: “I feel like if you’re always eating out or you’re always getting something to go, then you’re always giving your power over to the people that are going to prepare the food for you. I can’t do that my whole life. I need to have a little bit more control over what I’m putting in my body.”

He doesn’t follow recipes: “I rarely follow a recipe. I love recipes because I learn something new, I get inspired by something. I like that stuff, but I generally adjust it.” Despite his freewheeling cooking style, Bacon is pretty strict when it comes to cleaning up. “I clean up as I go along. My wife does not. I clean up as she goes along. I want to sit down and know that the cleanup is not going to be longer than the dinner.”

[From People]

The secret to Kyra and Kevin’s success is, I think, that they both think they lucked out when they found each other. He’s always sounded like the more organized one, and I’ve seen Kyra’s interviews where she seems ditzy as hell. Anyway, I love them both and I appreciate that Kevin likes to mix it up in the kitchen. I bet he cooks for Kyra all the time. Now, I love some takeout, but I respect the fact that Kevin is all about farm-to-table.

Bacon did a cooking video for People too, where he makes some very strange “pancakes,” only they’re more like…I don’t even know, a hokey banana-and-egg concoction. The real star of this video is Kevin’s hair. He truly is blessed in the hair department – if he got plugs, I can’t tell. It looks like his real hair, maybe with some dye. His kitchen is fab too.

Strike over! @sagaftra pic.twitter.com/BshR7GIwGZ

— Kevin Bacon (@kevinbacon) November 10, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Nicole Kidman wore Coperni to the CMA Awards, but look at Keith’s SHOES! [JustJared]
More photos from last night’s CMA Awards. [Hollywood Life]
Quinta Brunson looked cute-but-unamused at the Glamour event. [GFY]
Who was the best-dressed lady at this week’s CFDAs? [RCFA]
That interview between Jeezy & Nia Long has caused a lot of conversations. [LaineyGossip]
Matt Bomer should model more often. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Moms for Liberty are Nazi a–holes. [Pajiba]
The Mean Girls tagline is so bad. [Buzzfeed]
Nikki Haley’s weird/crazy messaging on abortion rights. [Jezebel]
Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” is about Barbra Streisand? [Seriously OMG]

Here are more photos of the Princess of Wales at her event on Wednesday in Norfolk. She made her first-ever appearance as Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards. She’s truly Colonel Keen! Initially, the only photos I saw of Kate were from the waist up, so I thought the Dragoon Guards had provided her with a full camouflage uniform. Perhaps they did and she refused to wear the pants, or maybe she was told that the photos would only be from the waist up, I have no idea. But your girl was riding shotgun in an armored tank while wearing jeggings. Surely some kind of war crime as well as a crime against fashion. Some of those men seemed aghast too – their honorary colonel rolled up in jeggings and was like “let’s ride in a tank, boys!”

While I give Kate a hard time because she deserves it, I will say this – she seemed happy and somewhat engaged at this event. She’s noticeably happier doing solo events and she’s happier around men. While it’s clear that the Windsors don’t care either way, it would have been so easy for Kate to actually create a base of public support for herself by doing more of these kinds of events. Oh well.

Remember how we heard that Kate gave a promotion to a pony? We now know the name of the pony and we have a photo of the pony. The bay Welsh mountain pony’s name is Trooper “Longface” Emrys Jones. Kate promoted Longface from lance-corporal to corporal. Longface seemed proud. Kate’s extensions were trying to escape though.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Kate has been Princess of Wales for fourteen months, and in that time, it feels like she’s been backsliding significantly. Her hair is a mess, her Meghan cosplay is all over the place, and she disappears for weeks and months at a time and then, when she comes back to work, she looks exhausted. I genuinely believe that she’s been shuffled off to Adelaide Cottage with the children and a strict budget, while William lives large in Duchy money. I think that would explain Kate’s increasingly janky and obvious wigs and hairpieces too – she doesn’t have the money to maintain her hair like she used to. But, according to Us Weekly’s cover story, all of this has been part of some larger strategy, a Project Keen, if you will. Some highlights from Us Weekly:

Kate has become much more “strategic” about modernizing her image. “Kate feels the spotlight more than ever since the queen’s passing,” says the source. “She’s in a new phase of her life, and she wants her image and actions to reflect that. Kate used to portray the perfect, feminine wife, mother and caregiver. Now she wants to be seen as a powerful and kind humanitarian leader. Kate wants to be seen as a leader.”

An image overhaul. “Kate spoke with her team and people she works with, including stylists,” says the source, explaining that they wanted to focus on Kate’s relatability and play up her ability to connect with people. Her style transformation is a significant component of the plan. She’s begun to replace frilly dresses with power suits and more casual looks. “Kate wants people to see her as a strong leader, someone who’s capable of taking the title of queen into a new generation. She’s been wearing pants, more casual shirts and less high-priced clothing, and she’s ditching the long dresses and heels [in favor of] more accessible pieces.”

Worried about The Crown: The source says Kate’s moves have been partly motivated by the upcoming final season of The Crown, part two of which, premiering December 14, will cover her early romance with William, which began while they were students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She believes she’ll be portrayed as a “very privileged, lovesick young woman” in the hit Netflix series and is eager to get a jump on any negative press that might come as a result. She no longer wants to be seen as William’s dutiful wife but as the accomplished woman she’s become. “Kate’s switching up her style in an effort to win people over,” says the source, “and also to get ahead of the beating she feels her image will take when The Crown’s new season debuts.”

Aftermath of the Sussexit: Rehabbing the entire family’s image has been top of mind for Kate, especially in the aftermath of “Megxit,” Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s contentious departure from the U.K. in 2020. The couple accused the palace of racism (which William himself denied) and bullying (which the palace denied). Says the source: “After Meghan and Harry’s attacks on their family, Kate’s had to work hard to show the public that they still want a royal family.”

PDA with William: “William and Kate were told they can be more affectionate in public if the mood strikes them,” says the first source, noting that’s why they’ve been kissing, holding hands and even touching each other’s bums — tastefully! — while out and about. At the end of the day, they do it all for the crown. “After the queen’s passing, Kate and William started [channeling] their grief from losing her into honoring her legacy. They’re ready to blaze a new trail.”

[From Us Weekly]

Every time Kate gropes William’s ass in public, she’s doing it for king and country, people. Every time he tries to dodge her classless, tacky attempts to grope him, she’s thinking about the crown. Speaking of, it’s an interesting new thread to consider, that Kate is worried about how she’ll be portrayed in The Crown. I don’t think she has anything to worry about – Peter Morgan has never suggested that he will tell the true story of how Kate stalked William for years and attempted to throw herself in his path. Nor will The Crown show how Kate and her mother basically honey-trapped the heir, who was too stupid to figure out that he was marrying into a family of grifters. Anyway, Kate couldn’t “lead” her way out of a wet paper bag and the Kensington Palace gopher does not count as a style advisor. Something is happening here but it’s not an image overhaul for Kate.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Cover Images.

As we discussed, there’s a rumor going around the Spanish tabloids that Prince Frederik, the crown prince of Denmark, cheated on his wife Mary. The reason the Spanish outlets broke the story is because Fred apparently flew to Madrid in late October and that’s where this very alleged affair took place. The thing that struck me about People’s reporting was that Frederik’s trip to Spain was unannounced, and basically no one knew he even went to Spain before Hola (and other outlets) published the photos. According to Spanish journalists, Fred’s trip was “secret.” Not only that, but the Spanish media now has a more detailed timeline:

The Spanish magazine which published photos of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova together in Madrid has revealed what it claims is a timeline of their night out.

As Genoveva, 47, strenuously denies ‘malicious’ rumours she and the heir to the Danish throne, 55, are romantically involved, Lecturas has claimed the royal father-of-four visited the socialite’s apartment on October 25 after attending a Picasso exhibition together. The magazine alleges the Crown Prince, who has been married to Princess Mary of Denmark since 2004, dined with mother-of-one Genoveva at El Corral de la Moreria that evening, with the pair leaving the restaurant at 1am.

The magazine published photos of Crown Prince Frederik which it claims show him leaving Genoveva’s apartment. In the photos, he is alone and wheeling a hand-luggage-sized suitcase along the street. The timeline comes as the editor of Lecturas, Luis Pliego, claimed on Spanish TV station Telecinco, that Frederik ‘came in secret’ to Madrid.

Now Lecturas has reported more details of Crown Prince Frederik and Genoveva’s evening out in Madrid. The magazine claims that, following their visit to a Pablo Picasso exhibition at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, the pair strolled around El Retiro Park in the centre of Madrid on the afternoon of 25 October. Following the walk, at around 7pm, Lecturas claims both Frederik and Genoveva went to her apartment building separately, and both re-emerged at around 9pm, two hours later, both having changed their clothes into evening wear.

In photos obtained by the publication, Genoveva has ditched her chic camel coat with a tie belt in favour of a white shirt, black wide-leg trousers and a black jacket worn on her shoulders. Meanwhile Frederik appears to have changed from a navy jacket and brown trousers into a white shirt and dark trousers with a smart dark jacket. Again, they are reported to have emerged from the building separately, but got into the same white car.

The magazine claims the pair watched a flamenco performance at a Spanish restaurant, El Corral de la Moreria, which finished at midnight. It also claims they remained at their table, which had been flanked by two of the Danish Prince’s bodyguards, while other customers left, waiters finished up their shifts and the lights were being switched off. Lecturas claims the pair did not emerge from the restaurant until 1am, when they walked out onto the street and got in a car. In a ‘gesture of courtesy’, Lecturas reports Crown Prince Frederik opened the car door for his dinner companion.

Next day, the magazine claims the heir to the Danish throne was taken to the airport via car where he flew home to Denmark.

[From The Daily Mail]

Yeah, while I gave him the benefit of the doubt at first, it looks like the Spanish media has this story locked down. Even if Fred could argue that the photos and eyewitness accounts are not definitive proof of a sexual affair, the evidence they’ve compiled is completely damning. What is a married man – a crown prince of Denmark!! – doing in Madrid, carrying on this way with a socialite, going to her apartment to change, going out for a romantic late-night dinner and seemingly spending the night in her apartment? Come on.

¡EXCLUSIVA! Genoveva Casanova y Federico de Dinamarca, juntos. La portada del año solo y en exclusiva en Lecturas. Las fotografías de las que todo el mundo habla #ExclusivaLecturas pic.twitter.com/R97KOHB7fp

— Lecturas (@Lecturas) November 7, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Andy Cohen says he’s not retiring anytime soon, he’ll stay at Bravo until “they kick him out.” Which will hopefully be soon. [Just Jared]
An update to the saga of Shereen Wu, AI & Michael Costello. [LaineyGossip]
Pajiba has a politics-coverage substack! [Pajiba]
Billy Porter brings the shiny stuff! [Go Fug Yourself]
More about the great news for Virginia! [Jezebel]
Mariah Carey loves Britney Spears. [OMG Blog]
Savannah Chrisley’s new boyfriend has an interesting past. [Starcasm]
Jason Momoa is selling underwear! [Seriously OMG]
Hailey Bieber is also selling underwear! [Hollywood Life]
Meet Instagram hottie Edson Juarez.[Socialite Life]
Gifts to give people who say they don’t want anything. [Buzzfeed]

I still can’t get over the visuals from yesterday’s big State Opening of Parliament. The whole thing was ROUGH! King Charles and Queen Camilla looked completely ancient and both of them seemed physically and metaphorically weighed down by all of that finery and stolen loot. The fact that Republic managed to pull off another big “Not My King” demonstration along the king and queen’s route to Parliament was amazing too. Anyway, did anyone else think it was weird that Camilla decided to rewear her coronation gown? While Charles, for his first state opening as monarch, was supposed to wear the cape and crown, Camilla was not required to wear her exact coronation finery as consort. So why did she? The Telegraph tried to explain:

What does one wear for the State Opening of Parliament? That’s an easy question to answer for King Charles (ceremonial regalia) and for members of the House of Lords (Parliamentary robes). For Queen Camilla the solution was not so obvious, but she neatly resolved the issue by arriving at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday in the same dress she wore for the Coronation in May. With it, she wore George IV’s State Diadem – a crown originally designed for the sovereign in 1820, and later worn by Queen Victoria, all subsequent Queens Consort, and by the late Queen Elizabeth II in her profile on stamps and coins.

The gown was created for the Queen by Bruce Oldfield for the Coronation. The couturier has been a trusted go-to for Camilla, 76, for the past decade, alongside her other favoured designers, Fiona Clare and Anna Valentine. The gown was not designed to be worn over and over again, Oldfield told The Telegraph following the event. “We were just thinking about the Coronation and about what it signified generally. I didn’t really think about the longevity or the amount of wear the dress is going to get. Any garment like this can’t be worn too many times anyway – the fabric and all the embroidery is quite fragile, it doesn’t stand up to many outings.”

Historical artefact it may be, but it’s a move that reflects Their Majesties’ values. The King was championing sustainability long before it became mainstream. Meanwhile, at the very moment he was delivering his speech to Parliament, the Prince of Wales was in Singapore announcing the winners of his Earthshot Prize awards. For the current generation of Royals, the future of our planet is a priority.

The rewearing of a lavish couture gown isn’t exactly going to move the needle on climate change, but it is a gesture that represents some awareness of sustainability – some solace, perhaps, given that the King was obliged to reference the Government’s controversial climate climbdown in his speech.

“I think the way we are at the moment, the state of the economy and the way people are feeling in general, nobody wants to be profligate in a moment like this,” Oldfield says. “Everybody wants to be seen as somebody who thinks about such things.”

[From The Telegraph]

It sounds like Oldfield is actually kind of upset that Camilla chose to repeat this gown. Perhaps he believes that a “historical” piece like this should have gone straight into a museum, or handled with kid gloves in some palace archive. He’s kind of right? Her coronation gown should be in storage or on exhibit (behind glass) in the palace or Windsor Castle. It’s bizarre that she chose to rewear it and, not only that, rewear it so poorly. It was wrinkled and it looked like it had not been stored properly in the months following the coronation. Please don’t argue that the coronation gown was her only appropriate gown for this event either – she’s attended tons of white-tie and black-tie dinners. She has plenty of white and cream gowns in her archives. It’s ridiculous that she chose her coronation look as some kind of pseudo-sustainable stunt.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.