Why Queen Camilla's St. Patrick's Day Outfit Was Scrapped at Christmas with the Royals

Camilla wore an emerald green coat by Bruce Oldfield during her visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland

Queen Camilla's St. Patrick's Day outfit was originally meant for another royal engagement.

On Thursday, Camilla, 76, wore an emerald green coat by Bruce Oldfield, 73, featuring dark green velvet patches during her visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The royal accessorized the outfit with a turquoise and diamond shamrock brooch given to her by the late Queen Elizabeth, who is thought to have received it as a wedding gift back in 1947.

While speaking to The Telegraph, Oldfield revealed the coat was meant for another occasion at first. “This outfit was originally intended for Christmas Day, but it was a bit too dressy for that family gathering so it came out for the St Patrick’s visit instead,” the British fashion designer said.

Oldfield described the patches as “a stylized modern interpretation of a classic Rococo leaf motif that I offered Her Majesty in a variety of placements. I’m pleased she wore it.”

Related: All About Queen Camilla's Children and Grandchildren

For the Christmas Day 2023 service, Queen Camilla ended up wearing a blue silk paisley dress under a camel cashmere coat by Anna Valentine and a beret by Philip Treacy.

After the Queen wore the green coat to check out some of Belfast's artisan and family-run food shops on Thursday, her charity The Queen’s Reading Room then hosted the event "Northern Ireland: Poets and Their Place" on World Poetry Day.

For the event, held at Hillsborough Castle, the royal swapped the coat for a green Anna Valentine dress that she teamed with an emerald brooch given to her by King Charles, 75. Politicians including First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, and Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, were in attendance.

Jules Standish, one of the U.K.'s leading colour experts, had some thoughts on Camilla's outfits on Thursday. “Aside from the obvious Irish green connection and her alignment to the Irish people, I would say that green is giving Camilla strength in her role as she is carrying out her commitments alone,” the author said, per The Telegraph.

“It is a supportive colour, helping her to stay feeling calm and balanced. It’s a colour that projects an image of friendliness and approachability, and a sense that she is truly coming from the heart. It could also echo Charles' love of the environment and nature,” Standish added.

Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla Attend First Royal Ascot of Reign — and Bring Her Family!

Designer Oldfield is a favorite of Camilla's, with him designing her coronation dress for the May 6, 2023 ceremony. Oldfield was also one of Princess Diana's preferred designers and was behind several of her iconic dresses in the 1980s.

Queen Camilla's coronation gown featured ivory, silver, and gold colors, and had an embroidered underskirt with bracelet-length sleeves. It was cut with Peau de Soie, a silk fabric, and was designed to complement both of the robes she wore during the service.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The embellishments on the gown featured abstract garlands of wildflowers representing Queen Camilla and King Charles' love of nature and the British countryside. Flower emblems of the four nations of the U.K. — a rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock — were also featured on the underskirt and cuffs of each sleeve.

After the coronation, Oldfield told The Telegraph of dressing Camilla, “I design in quite a classical way. I design to flatter the body."

“The great thing about this particular commission was that we do have a great knowledge of her figure and her body. And also I can tell when she doesn’t like something,” he added.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.