Kate Middleton looked sensational in a pink gown and the Lover’s Knot Tiara at the Diplomatic Reception on Tuesday evening (6th December 2023).
Looking every inch the Princess for the second time in two weeks, Kate dazzled in sequins and historic royal jewels as she mingled at the prestigious annual event.
The British Royal Family host the Diplomatic Reception in the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace every year. This is King Charles’s second time hosting the event following his accession last September.
The grand affair is a key fixture in the royal calendar. Over 500 members of the Diplomatic Corps, including ambassadors, high commissioners, and prominent figures from various countries, gather at the reception.
The Princess chatting with some of the guests:
According to The Royal Collection Trust, the Diplomatic Reception is the largest annual reception held at Buckingham Palace, “with a guest list numbering around 1,000”.
The invitation list is coordinated by the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps and invitations are sent to all the ambassadors and high commissioners at the foreign missions in London, as well as past Prime Ministers, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and other public figures.
Royal Collection Trust
Let’s shift focus to Kate’s look now. The ensemble will feel familiar to many!
Kate Middleton’s Diplomatic Reception Gown & Jewels:
The Princess of Wales chose a soft pink gown and glittering jewels for the Diplomatic Reception.
Does her look feel familiar? That’s because she wore the entire ensemble at the Jordanian Royal Wedding back in June! Everything from top-to-toe: gown, shoes, tiara, jewels and handbag. Pictured below:
The Princess wears the ‘Georgia‘ gown by Jenny Packham. The full-length frock features a fitted silhouette that gracefully contours the body, and is awash with sparkling rose gold sequins and crystal embellishments at the neck and waist.
The dusky pink gown features a round neckline and long sleeves. The dress flares ever so slightly below the hips and cascades into a short train at the back.
Kate owns the Georgia gown in green too. Below, the Princess wearing the gown at the 2021 Royal Variety Performance:
Do you have a black-tie event in your calendar? Looking for a similar gown? You’ll be pleased to know that you can buy Kate’s exact dress in rose pink. It also comes in glittering gold.
Jenny Packham is a renowned British fashion designer celebrated for her bridal and ready-to-wear collections, which exude a romantic, feminine aesthetic with a contemporary edge. Known for her attention to detail and love of luxurious fabrics, Packham’s designs are often adorned with intricate beading and embellishments, making them favourites on the red carpet and within royal circles. Jenny Packham has become a go-to for women seeking out elegant, modern and exquisitely crafted garments for their most memorable occasions.
Kate complemented her rose pink gown with the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara—an impressive jewel replete with royal history and significance.
The tiara features large teardrop shaped pearls surrounded by a myriad of brilliant-cut diamonds. Tied bows—known as “lover’s knots” feature above each pearl drop. Isn’t it stunning?
The tiara is famously linked to Diana, Princess of Wales, who wore it countless times while married to Prince Charles. Kate started wearing the Lover’s Knot Tiara in 2015 and it quickly became her go-to for state occasions. This is the 11th time she’s worn the dazzling pearl and diamond jewel in public to date.
Did you know, the tiara started life with an additional row of pearls set on top of the diamond arches? Queen Mary—who commissioned the piece in 1913/1914—decided to remove them at some point. Below, a painting of Queen Mary wearing the Lover’s Knot Tiara in its original form:
Kate accessorised her pink gown with a pair of chandelier earrings by Cartier. The earrings feature a variety of diamonds cuts, including round, baguette, trapeze and emerald, which lead down to substantial pear shaped-drops.
Margaret Greville commissioned the Art Deco style earrings in 1929. She left them to Queen Elizabeth—the Queen Mother—following her death in 1942. The Queen Mother gifted the earrings to her daughter, the-then Princess Elizabeth, as a wedding present in 1947.
They were loaned to Kate earlier this year (this is only the second time she’s worn them in public to date. They made their debut on the Princess at the Jordan Wedding Banquet earlier this year.)
The Princess of Wales carried a soft pink clutch to the Diplomatic Reception. It’s the “Raso Minaudiere” by Prada. Kate’s had it in her handbag collection since at least 2011. This appearance marks the sixth time she has carried it in public to date.
Crafted from soft pink satin, the sleek rounded, rectangular bag features a small gold-tone clasp on top. Prada’s distinctive logo sits on the bag’s surface.
Prada no longer stock this clutch. Nor do they sell anything similar in their current season collection unfortunately.
The Princess has a small collection of Prada shoes and accessories in her closet. We’ve also spotted her in one dress from the iconic Italian luxury fashion house to date.
Mario Prada founded his eponymous label in Milan in 1913. Today, it’s renowned for its minimalist yet sophisticated aesthetic. The brand, under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada since 1978, has become a symbol of modern luxury, blending traditional craftsmanship with innovative design.
Let’s move on to at Kate’s Art Deco brooch. For the second year running, she used the jewel to pin her Royal Victorian Order sash to her gown.
The brooch features an intricate geometric open-work design set throughout with diamonds. The centre of the brooch comprises of a central, round brilliant-cut diamond and a baguette-cut diamond at the top and bottom, all mounted in platinum.
The Internet Archive shows the brooch listed on Bentley and Skinner’s website as of January 2022. The price is listed at £14,500. The Archive took a cache of the page in June. At this point the listing had been removed and marked as ‘sold’. So we know the brooch sold somewhere between January and June of 2022.
Some speculate that King Charles purchased the brooch for Kate as a 40th birthday gift. (The Princess turned 40 in January last year). We know he’s familiar with the company! He’s awarded them with a Royal Warrant and he’s purchased items from the shop for his wife Camilla and other daughter-in-law Meghan in the past. So it’s a solid theory!
The Princess debuted the stunning brooch at last year’s National Service of Remembrance.
Let’s discuss Kate’s shoes now. You can just about make out the contrast between the taupe and silver sections on the Princess’s elevated foot below. That tells us she’s wearing her Gianvito Rossi ‘Rania 105′ pumps in ‘silver’.
The pointed-toe pumps are skilfully handcrafted in Italy using see-through organza silk, and accented with suede trims. Each pair is intricately adorned with a staggering 4,500 dazzling crystals. This is the sixth time we’ve spotted the Princess wearing the sparkling shoes since their debut in The Bahamas last spring.
As you’d expect, the 4,500 crystals come at a cost. The Rania 105 pumps retail for £2,170 / $2,695 at GianvitoRossi.com.
Longterm readers will know that the Princess is a huge fan of Gianvito Rossi’s shoes. We’ve spotted her wearing 18 pairs of heels, one pair of sandals and three pairs of boots by the Italian designer to date.
Gianvito Rossi, the son of the renowned shoe designer Sergio Rossi, launched his brand in Milan in 2006. His collection quickly gained acclaim for its focus on quality, contemporary vision, and a ‘less-is-more’ aesthetic. The brand is a quintessence of Italian craftsmanship, known for its feminine, sophisticated, and modern styles.
Let’s finish by having a look at the Princess’s insignia:
The blue sash, Maltese cross and star badge (left) all signify that Kate is a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Queen Victoria established the Royal Victorian Order in 1896 to recognise personal service to the monarch. The ruling monarch alone decides on admission. The late Queen Elizabeth admitted Kate to the order in 2019.
The yellow ribbon (right) is the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II. The late monarch bestowed this honour upon Kate in 2017.
As several people pointed out on Twitter, Kate’s yellow ribbon appears shorter this evening. (Left, a prior reception. Right, tonight).
It looks like the Princess pinned the ‘tail’ of the order up behind the top ‘bow’ section. What do you think?
You’ll notice the absence of King Charles’s Royal Order. According to The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor, the King has decided on a portrait, but has not yet created the order. Maybe we’ll see it next year? Once it’s ready, the Princess will wear both orders together.
What did you think to the re-wear? Do you wish you’d seen a new look?
Related:
I do wish we’d seen a new dress! It does really seem that she’s trying hard to take the focus off her fashion (or maybe off her self completely due to recent events). I also miss her more affordable styles (for those of us without a Princess budget). Her McQueen suits are lovely.
I like seeing her gowns getting a repeat appearance since the couple have advocated for sustainable fashion.
I agree with you, I miss seeing Kate wearing casual fashion I can afford. Usually, by this time of year I have purchased a puffer jacket, pair of jeans, boots, sweater/jumper or something Catherine has worn that I can afford. I guess I’m saving money, but I kind of miss the fun of purchasing an item I like and can afford.
I just wore my Barbour navy longshore puffer yesterday. Funny, I looked nothing like Kate.
Absolutely stunning, not a hair out place nor a diamond. Catherine is every inch a queen in waiting for her hard work on helping children and the way she and William are raising their children as well.
Princess Catherine always looks amazing it can’t be easy being a Royal, Wife, and a Mum to three children.All in full glare of the media spotlight . I don’t know how she does it balancing these three competing roles she always looks like she having a nice time, fully engaged and looking absolutely stunning. Well done !!! You should be proud of yourself we are certainly proud of you !!
I love this gown. I love those shoes too, even though I would never wear a heel that high. The diamonds are gorgeous, too.
The gown is tremendous
Love seeing her repeat her clothing…be it dazzling gowns or dress or everyday wear . She’s made a wonderful wife to William and the rest of the royal family…mature and confident!
I definitely think re-wearing the same look to two very high profile events six months apart shows how confident she is, and how routine all of this is to her now! I love it.
The show stopper to me with this outfit are the earrings. I think this dress and all her Jenny Packhams look like they were designed for her and I think it’s so incredible on her it was completely worth the re-wear. Plus when she does a re-wear it allows her diamonds to really steal the show. I wonder why she doesn’t wear diamond earrings more often but I suppose that helps her achieve a down to earth persona. And of course those shoes are any closet’s dream. Stunning outfit head to toe. Also shame they don’t make that Prada clutch anymore. I appreciate the simplicity of that piece.
This gown was absolutely worth the re-wear. I’d be happy to see it again, even. It’s stunning.
Love the re-wear. Sure the Diplomats didn’t mind! They weren’t all at the Jordanian wedding, and they are probably too busy to peruse what she’s wearing all the time. Jenny Packham really suits her figure. It also makes life kinder on the rest of us, who have to re-wear multiple times things of far lesser cost! Also love that blue suit. In the Aura-Soma(R) healing bottles, any form of pink over any form of blue and visa versa is the sign of a “Star-child”. Well, she combined those colours in one day, and she sure is a Star. And she and Prince William are just so brave and dedicated, standing up and going on, no matter what is thrown at the poor King. My hat over my heart, to both of them. To all of them, actually.