Tatty Devine receive MBEs at Buckingham Palace
Charlotte Prichard, 10 June 2013
On Friday, Rosie and Harriet headed to Buckingham Palace in their finest Tatty Devine pieces to receive MBEs for Services to the Fashion Industry. Rosie and Harriet said, "Receiving our MBEs today is undoubtedly the proudest achievement of our careers to date. We've always been driven to create new, original and exciting jewellery, so to be formally recognised in this way is just incredible."
As Union flags flapped along the Mall and curious tourists gathered outside the Palace, we joined the queue of elaborately dressed guests. We spotted these Royal Guards in their classic uniforms patiently guarding the Palace:
The ceremony, known as the Investiture, was held in the largest room in Buckingham Palace: the magnificent Ballroom. Big enough to hold 84 double decker buses, it's elaborately furnished with red banquettes and gilt chandeliers. Our favourite fact? It was Queen Victoria's venue of choice when hosting parties for up to 2,000 people. Sadly, we had to relinquish our phones and cameras upon entry so we couldn't capture any sneak peeks. Well, it just wouldn't do for one to live tweet the ceremony...
The Prince of Wales conducted the Investiture, entering the ballroom on the stroke of eleven accompanied by two Gurkha guards. It was an honour to see so many people receive their awards, especially Olympic cycling gold medallist Laura Trott OBE and Paralympic gold winner Sophie Christiansen OBE. Rosie and Harriet were the only two guests to be receiving MBEs for Services to Fashion and we waited with bated breath for their names to be read out by the Lord Chamberlain.
Harriet says, "It felt really normal chatting to Prince Charles, like I'd known him for ages. He asked, "How long have you been going?" and I said, "14 years, Your Highness." He said, "Well, it's obviously working! Are you wearing anything you've designed?" So I just pointed to my Dinosaur GIANT Necklace. I had our classic design made in yellow perspex especially for the ceremony, so it's a true one-off." The Prince was clearly in a cheeky mood, joking with Rosie: "So you've worked together for 14 years. Do you two still get on?" The answer was a definite "Yes!"
Not only did the girls meet the Prince of Wales, they also became firm friends with this rather grand Yeoman of the Guard. He made the ultimate grand exit in a horse drawn carriage back to the Tower of London:
How amazing is the detailing of his uniform? We love the intricate stitching and rosette buckle on his shoes:
The MBE duties began with a flurry of official portraits and photo shoots for the Telegraph and Vogue:
Rosie and Harriet headed outside for a photo shoot against the iconic backdrop of Buckingham Palace:
Rosie and Harriet joined our Covent Garden customers and team for a glass of fizz and to show off their MBE medals, before hopping into a cab and heading over to our Brick Lane store for the last stop of their tour:
Thank you for your support over the years. We can't wait to see what the future holds for Tatty Devine!
Fallen in love with Rosie and Harriet's MBE day outfits? Find out what they wore to the palace in our latest blog.
