King Charles and Queen Camilla ditched their robes and donned their evening wear last night for a trip to the ballet after the State Opening of Parliament.
The King, 74, and Queen, 76, visited the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, Londonto watch a performance of Don Quixote.
After the performance, they walked backstage to meet the cast and ask them about their grueling routines.
While Camilla dazzled in a mauve floor-length lace dress, the king looked sharp in a suit and tie.
Their Royal Highnesses shook hands with cast members and heard about their rehearsal schedules – prompting the King to tell a ballet dancer that her schedule was “quite demanding, isn’t it?”
The production of Don Quixote was created to celebrate the schools and groups in Britain who work with the Royal Opera House.
Also in the audience were hundreds of NHS workers and a choral group of Ukrainian singers.
While meeting cast members, the King and Queen were also introduced to the show’s producer Carlos Acosta and Sir Lloyd Dorfman, Chairman of the Royal House of Opera.
The trip to the ballet followed a busy day for Charles and Camilla, who performed the State Opening of Parliament at the House of Lords on Tuesday morning.
Charles addressed MPs and peers in the first King’s Speech for more than 70 years and his first as monarch.
King Charles and Queen Camilla chatted with the ballet dancers in the production of Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House
The King had a chat with some of the artists after the show and discussed their demanding schedules
The King chatted with members of the cast of Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House last night
After the performance, the King and Queen went backstage to chat with the cast members
When Their Royal Highnesses met the cast of the ballet production, they asked how many more performances remained before the run ended.
The king looked sharp in a suit and tie with a pocket square and a poppy on his lapel
King Charles shook hands with the cast members who were dressed in their stage costumes
The King and Queen’s visit to the ballet production followed the state opening of Parliament earlier in the day
He was joined by Queen Camilla and his sister Princess Anne, 73, who reprized her role as Gold Stick-in-waiting, which she performed at the coronation in May.
As he walked into the House, the King was flanked by several Pages of Honor who helped arrange his robes as he sat on the throne.
In the meantime, The Queen looked elegant in her Bruce Oldfield couture gown, which she paired with her late mother-in-law’s George IV State Diadem crown and necklace.
The crown, which Queen Elizabeth also wore at her first state opening of Parliament, has been worn passed from monarch to monarch since the coronation of George IV in 1821 and is only worn on official occasions.
It is only worn on official occasions, such as the state opening of parliament.
While paying respects to her mother-in-law, Camilla also paid subtle tribute to her loved ones in her statement dress.
The custom-made dress has the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, and those of her grandchildren, Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza and Lola, embroidered on it.
There were also two gold terrier puppies embroidered on the dress, representing Charles and Camilla’s rescue dogs Beth and Bluebell.
The royals rescued the puppies from Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home in 2017. The two adorable dogs have even made Buckingham Palace their new home.
Camilla’s ivory dress, designed by Couturier and close friend Bruce Oldfield, who also worked closely with Diana during her time as a working Royal, was made from Peau de Soie, a silk fabric.
The dress was embellished with silver embroidery woven by Stephen Walters in Suffolk.
Featuring an ivory, silver and gold color palette, bracelet-length sleeves, a strong shoulder and a wide V-neckline, the dress featured Camilla’s signature silhouette, a modest neckline and an elongated waist.
Camilla also wore a state dress, decorated with the king’s favorite flowers, delphiniums and lilies of the valley, a favorite flower of the late Queen Elizabeth II.