The Princess of Wales welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK this morning, marking the start of a three-day state visit.
The Princess—a total pro at diplomatic dressing—mixed French and British designers for the official greet at RAF Northolt.
Opting for a tulle skirt and tailored jacket by Dior in a soft ballerina pink hue, Kate’s look was a clear nod to French elegance. Her pearl jewellery and a bow-topped hat finished the look with a feminine flourish. Click to skip down to outfit details.
The French president is visiting the United Kingdom with his wife for three days. It’s the first formal French presidential visit since 2008, and a significant moment in post‑Brexit diplomacy.
Following the airport welcome, the royals and their guests travelled to Windsor for the official ceremonial welcome.
The pageantry began with a carriage procession through the historic town, where crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
The King and Macron sat alongside one another in the 1902 State Landau. They were followed by Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron in a separate carriage.
William and Kate followed next, riding in the Ascot Landau with French ministers, Sébastien Lecornu and Rachida Dati.
As the dignitaries arrived at Windsor Castle, the band played La Marseillaise (the National Anthem of France), followed by God Save the King (the British National Anthem).
A ceremonial welcome followed, which included a royal salute and inspection of the Guard of Honour, formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
The King and President Macron walked the line, flanked by rows of scarlet tunics and bearskin hats.
Afterwards, the royal party and the visiting dignitaries moved inside the Castle for a private lunch hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A viewing of royal artefacts relating to Anglo-French history also took place.
The day will conclude with a state banquet this evening at Windsor Castle. The black-tie dinner is expected to feature toasts, speeches, and a guest list of notable figures from British and French public life.
It’s been confirmed that the Princess will be there this evening, so we’re guaranteed a tiara moment!
For now, let’s take a look at Kate’s gorgeous pink outfit piece by piece.
Kate’s outfit:
In royal dressing, nothing is accidental. Kate chose a French label on purpose, to honour her guests.
The Princess wore Dior’a 30 Montaigne Bar Jacket, a single-breasted jacket that features notch lapels and slit pockets positioned to highlight the waist.
The iconic piece was first created by christon dior in 1947 and was reimagined by Maria Grazia Chiru.
It’s made from a lightweight blend of silk and wool, and lined with silk too. It’s beautifully constructed, which makes it so flattering.
Each jacket is made in either France or Italy.
At the time of writing, the jacket is available on the company’s website for £3,400. The pink version isn’t listed, but you can buy it in white, purple, black or plum.
While the jacket is gorgeous, it’s the skirt that captured my attention. It’s also by Dior, of course. The ‘Tulle Pleated Midi’. Thank you to PrincessWCloset for sharing this picture with me:
According to Modesens, the skirt was available from 24s.com for $3300. The colour is listed as ‘4220 Rose’.
The garment is cut with an a-line silhouette and falls to mid-calf, giving it a very elegant line. It features a double layer of tulle/netting, and the top layer has a visible diamond mesh pattern.
According to this eBay listing, the skirt is lined with silk. You can see it’s finished with a neat waistband and a concealed zip.
Off the top of my head, this marks the first time Kate’s worn Christian Dior, a brand that’s part of the French powerhouse LVMH (which stands for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy…)
The conglomerate also owns Tiffany’s, Sephora, Celine, Loewe, Bylgari, Fendi… I could go on….
Let’s move on to Kate’s pearl jewellery now. I’ll start with the earrings:
The drop earrings feature a brilliant-cut round diamond at the top with a smaller diamond connector beneath. Underneath, a large, luminous pearl hangs from a diamond-encrusted cap.
These elegant pearl earrings originally belonged to Princess Diana. They were sent as a wedding present by the London-based jeweller Collingwood in 1981, and as such, they’re referred to as the ‘Collingwood Pearl Drops’. They quickly became one of Diana’s most-worn pieces. Kate has sported them frequently since 2017. She often wears them to formal and state occasions—more than 20 to date, by my last count.
I think Kate’s necklace is another inherited heirloom. I suspect it’s one of Queen Elizabeth’s three-stranded pearl necklaces.
I’m confidently going to say it’s not the same one she wore in 2022, at the governor-general luncheon on the eve of the late monarch’s funeral. (At the time, the palace confirmed that was Queen Elizabeth’s necklace). Today’s looks much shorter.
As The Court Jeweller notes, Queen Elizabeth had many multi-strand pearl necklaces in her collection. I suspect Kate selected a shorter one this time, which worked with the neckline of her blazer.
I’m going to look at Kate’s hat now. It was made by Jess Collett in collaboration with Samantha Cameron’s label, Cefinn (Samantha Cameron is the wife of a former British Prime Minister). Two British brands.
The Princess wears a bespoke version of the ‘Rita’ style, a modern take on the classic boater. It’s shown below in black polybraid straw with a structured ivory ribbon trim and finished with a spotted veil. Kate’s had the piece made without the veil and dyed in a neutral-pink hue to match her outfit.
The original black and white hat is available for £995 on Jess Collett’s website. Two other variations are also available for the same price, a scarlet red hat without the veil trimmed with a rose, and a woven hemp straw version with a green pinokpok bow and spotted veil. I adore the latter!
Need a hat for a special occasion? Each piece is made to order and will ship in 7-10 days. If you have any special requests (different colour, different trim), the designer will work to accommodate this. Just get in touch via their website. (Unrelated, I also love that you can hire hats from Jess Collett’s previous collections).
If Jess Collett’s name feels familiar but you can’t quite recall where you’ve heard it before, let me take you back to 2023! The milliner worked with the Alexander McQueen team to create the silver headpiece that the Princess wore at King Charles’s Coronation. Unless I’m mistaken, this is the first time we’ve seen the Princess wear another piece from the milliner.
Kate brought back her Mulberry Bayswater clutch in ‘Buttercream suede’ today (shown below in leather). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this is the first time we’ve seen it since 2019.
The Princess owns the bag in two other colours, black and conker (a sort of burgundy shade). In fact, we’ve spotted her with the black version at more than 60 engagements to date, making it her most carried handbag in public.
The understated slimline clutch is crafted from a light cream suede fabric and features an embossed gold-tone turn-key closure at the front. Each Bayswater Wallet features a patch pocket on the reverse for carrying cards. It also comes with a removable woven leather and chain shoulder strap. Inside, you’ll find more pockets to keep your items neatly organised.
Want to get one in your hands? It’s bad news I’m afraid. Unfortunately, Mulberry discontinued this particular bag a few years ago. Preloved and reseller sites are your best bet for tracking one down.
I’ve often referred to Mulberry as Kate’s ‘go-to bag brand’. We know she’s carried twelve different styles since joining the Royal Family, and a few more before that. She does seem to turn to the brand time and time again.
Mulberry is a quintessentially British luxury brand, best known for its expertly crafted leather handbags. Founded in Somerset in 1971, the label blends heritage craftsmanship with contemporary design, creating timeless pieces that are both practical and elegant.
The Princess finished her look with the ‘Gianvito’ pumps by Italian designer Gianvito Rossi. Today, she’s wearing the 85mm height in the colour praline suede.
Let’s just finish with a note about Kate’s GORGEOUS hair, it’s so long now! She styled it in curls, cascading down her back. Stunning.
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