Wait - did the Queen really just shade Donald Trump?
Twitter seems to think so
Twitter seems to think so
In case you missed it (you definitely haven't), Donald Trump has been in the UK on an official state tour. While his visit only lasted three days - he's leaving for Ireland today - it didn't happen without controversy.
Before he had even touched down on British soil, he'd already tweeted that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was a 'stone cold loser'. His stay was met with criticism from many public and political figures, and there were protests in central London.
His itinerary included meeting with various members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II herself, who hosted a glamorous banquet for the President of the United States on Monday.
It was a lavish affair, and everybody in attendance followed a strict (and fancy) dress code. Kate Middleton even wore this for the first time, as well as the Cambridge Lovers’ Knot Tiara which belonged to Princess Diana.
But it is the Queen's tiara choice that has people talking.
She wore the Burmese Ruby Tiara, complete with 96 sparkling rubies. So why do people think that she was shading Trump?
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According to the Royal Exhibitions website, the stones are believed to protect the wearer from 'evil' and 'illness'.
It reads: 'The number of stones represent the number of diseases that the Burmese people believe can afflict the human body.
'They credit the ruby with prophylactic properties guarding the wearer not only against illness, but also against evil.'
The Queen remains publicly indifferent when it comes to politics, but Twitter was quick to question whether the move was a subtle dig at the President or just a coincidence.
'The Queen of England wore a crown with jewels known to ward off evil, gave a rare book to a President who has said he doesn't read, and said they couldn't stay at Buckingham Palace because EVERY bedroom was under renovation. She's my new spirit animal,' one person tweeted.
It's not the first time that the Queen's sartorial choices have been considered politically significant. Following the Brexit referendum, she opened parliament with a speech about the UK's decision to leave the EU wearing a blue hat adorned with flowers.
When Trump visited the UK last year, the Queen also chose to wear three brooches - one from former President of the United States, Barack Obama, one which her mother wore to her father's state funeral and one gifted from Canada.
But some believe that the Queen would never disrespect Trump with her jewels, noting that she may have opted for the ruby tiara to compliment her white dress and the blue in her order - uniting the colours of both the British and American flags.
Royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter, wrote on Twitter: 'The purpose of a state visit is to make the guest feel as welcome as possible.
'It’s about reaffirming relationships and it is the Queen’s constitutional duty to lead the visit regardless of how controversial the figure might be.'
So is there anything to it, really?
We'll leave it up to you to decide.
Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.
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