Tiara Watch: The Girls on Parade

Yesterday, the Queen and her family welcomed Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait for a state visit to the United Kingdom. Pomp and circumstance and jewels, that's what we're here for!

The welcoming ceremony featured the Queen in one of my favorite brooches, the Williamson Diamond, plus a kicky little hat that falls somewhere between Queen Margrethe and Queen Mary's ghost. Bonus points for the dapper Duke and his top hat (the Prince of Wales sported one too).

And then it was time for the state banquet. This one was at Windsor Castle instead of Buckingham Palace. There's no way around it: this is one dead impressive venue.

Click above for an article and video from the BBC.

And the Queen was bedecked in dead impressive diamonds, including an outing for my favorite tiara, the Girls! Yay! (As always, see the Jewel Vault for the full diamond scoop.)

Another Yay!: we got to see Camilla in the riband of the Royal Victorian Order for the very first time! I do so love a sash. It's just that extra regal touch one's outfit needs. Ribands for everyone! She sported her regular Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara (a.k.a. the Greville Tiara) on top - and I must confess, I had hoped we might see something different since she's all official and sash-ed up now. Perhaps the Delhi Durbar again, or the Teck Crescent, since that's apparently on loan to her. But, no. That'll teach me to get my hopes up with these Brits.

Also in attendance were the left side of the Countess of Wessex's face and the Princess Royal's hair. Sophie's wearing, what, maybe the Five Aquamarine again? I don't see the tell-tale signs of cat ears that usually marks an outing of her wedding tiara, but this is a wonky angle. And I'm thinking that's either the Aquamarine Pineflower or the Meander for Anne. Those Windsors, they build the guessing game right in.

P.S.: This replaces Wedding Wednesday for the day.

Photos: Getty Images