The Queen's Regalia — What Does It All Mean?

At assorted state occasions honoring other countries, the queen will wear the sash from the highest honor that has been bestowed to her from that country — and she has a truckload of them. So when she hosted Nelson Mandela in 1996, she wore the Order of Good Hope — the highest honor bestowed upon her by South Africa. Comprising the green and gold sash and worn with the gold star, it was awarded to her the previous year by Mandela himself for promoting good relations with his country.