We have seen Kate Middleton in a full gala ensemble twice this year, first in July with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, and two months later alongside the Trumps. However, it has been two years since she last wore a floor-length gown for a gala outside the palace, meaning not for a banquet or an official reception. She saved that moment for the latest event in which she previously offered this more festive image, the Royal Variety Performance in 2023.
Kate Middleton returns to the Royal Variety Performance:
By late Wednesday afternoon, the doors of the monumental Victorian Royal Albert Hall opened for the 2025 Royal Variety Performance, the annual charity spectacular that brings together artists from across the performing arts.
© Samir HusseinAmong the members of the British Royal Family attending was the Princess of Wales, who appeared in her most striking look, featuring a long gown without the need for a tiara, an adornment not required for this event, which raises funds to support veteran performers and those facing financial or health difficulties.
© Samir HusseinFor her return to the Royal Variety Performance, Kate dazzled in an elegant, sophisticated green velvet gown featuring an original V-neckline, dramatic draping that covered her shoulders, a fitted silhouette, and a mermaid skirt.
© Chris JacksonThe design, by Talbot Runhof, and festive in spirit thanks to both its fabric and its color, was elevated with historic jewels. She brought back Queen Mary’s Art Deco Diamond Bar bracelet, created by Garrard & Company in 1932 and originally conceived as a choker. She also wore Queen Elizabeth II’s chandelier diamond earrings.
© Karwai TangThese Cartier earrings, from the personal collection of the late mother of King Charles III, were a wedding gift to the monarch. (Margaret Greville had previously bequeathed them to the Queen Mother in 1942.) The earrings feature multi-tiered diamonds, floral motifs, a fan-shaped upper section, and articulated diamond drops below.
© Samir HusseinThe Princess of Wales has worn them many times. She completed her look with her Jenny Packham “Casa” clutch and the green velvet BB pumps by Manolo Blahnik, which she has owned since 2020.
Kate Middleton’s royal variety performance looks:
Over the past 11 years, Kate Middleton has shown a clear stylistic evolution through her Royal Variety looks, beginning with her debut in 2014. One element has remained consistent, and this has been her floor-length gowns paired with statement earrings.
2014
For her 2014 debut (while pregnant with Princess Charlotte), Kate wore a black lace gown with sheer sleeves and a scalloped round neckline, the “Zarita” by Diane von Fürstenberg. She paired it with her “Lola” earrings by Kiki McDonough (topaz, white gold, and diamonds), a black Magid clutch, and Jimmy Choo’s “Cosmic” pumps.
© Samir Hussein2017
Three years passed before her next appearance. Pregnant with Prince Louis, she chose a striking icy-blue gown in 2017, very Frozen-inspired, with crystal embroidery over sheer tulle. The Jenny Packham design, with a sweetheart neckline, was styled with the brand’s “Casa” clutch, Oscar de la Renta’s platinum lamé “Cabrina” pumps, and Queen Elizabeth II’s chandelier earrings.
© Karwai Tang2019
In 2019, she returned in a black lace gown over a nude lining, with a pronounced sweetheart neckline and open back, by Alexander McQueen. Accessories included Jimmy Choo’s “Celeste” clutch, the brand’s velvet “Romy 100” heels, and her crystal-and-pearl “Floral Hoop Drop” earrings by Erdem.
© Samir Hussein2021
Two years later, in 2021, Kate glowed in an emerald-green, Asian-inspired gown by Jenny Packham, the “Tenille,” with a round neckline and long sleeves. She wore her fan-shaped Zenyu earrings by Missoma, a colour-matched clutch, and Emmy London’s green suede “Rebecca” pumps.
© Max Mumby/Indigo2023
Her most recent appearance before this year was in 2023, when the Princess of Wales stunned in a blue gown with a cape and crystal-embroidered neckline by Safiyaa. She paired the dress with matching suede heels by Gianvito Rossi, the Jenny Packham “Casa” clutch, and pearl-and-crystal earrings from J. Crew (from 2018).
© Karwai Tang
