Kate Middleton and Prince William of England were tasked with welcoming German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender at Heathrow Airport.
The couple arrived ahead of a carriage procession at Windsor Castle, a special event also attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla. But one of the most anticipated moments was the State Banquet held that evening.
The Princess of Wales stunned in a sparkling blue dress with a cape, and debuted a tiara she had never worn before. Although Kate Middleton usually favors the Lover’s Knot tiara, Princess Diana’s favorite, this time she chose the Indian Circlet, or Indian Ruby Tiara.
Originally designed for Queen Victoria in the 1850s by Prince Albert, it is a crown relic, meaning Elizabeth technically inherited the right to wear it in 1952 upon becoming queen. However, it was one of the Queen Mother’s favorites, and she kept it until her death fifty years later.
Elizabeth II wore it in public only once, at a banquet in Malta in 2005, making it the last tiara she debuted during her Platinum Jubilee reign.
As with the two previous gala dinners, the Princess of Wales chose to wear the tiara over her loose hair.
This choice often sparks debate, as many believe leaving the hair down breaks protocol. Regarding the dress, she once again relied on one of her favorite silhouettes. Caped designs have frequently marked the wardrobe of the wife of Prince William, and tonight was no exception.
The Princess chose a blue dress, fully adorned with sparkling embellishments from top to bottom, that draped gracefully over her figure. In July, Kate and Prince William attended another gala dinner during the State Visit of French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron.
It was the first state visit of this kind under King Charles III’s reign. On that day, the Princess of Wales wore a tiara for the first time since December 5, 2023, when she attended the Diplomatic Corps Reception at Buckingham Palace.
She dazzled in a red cape gown by Sarah Burton for Givenchy, paired with the Lover’s Knot tiara, Diana’s longtime favorite. The piece was a wedding gift to Prince William’s mother from Queen Elizabeth II in 1981. The tiara features 19 diamond arches adorned with 39 pearls and was commissioned by Queen Mary in 1913 from Garrard.
After her death, the jewel was kept in storage until the then-Duchess of Cambridge revived it for a State Banquet in 2015. But this was not her only gala dinner of the year. On September 17, they dined with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at a State Banquet during their London visit.
Kate opted for a bridal-inspired look, a trend previously seen on Queen Letizia and Princess Charlene of Monaco, wearing an ivory dress overlaid with a lace coat richly embroidered with floral motifs, designed by British designer Phillipa Lepley. For her main jewel, the Princess once again wore the Lover’s Knot tiara.
She also wore oval cluster diamond earrings with a central section of graduated diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s collection, as well as several honors, including the Royal Victorian Order.