The Princess of Wales didn’t attend this evening’s state banquet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ooh and aah over glittering gowns and dazzling jewels. Let’s take a look at all of her ensembles from past state banquets—a celebration of royal fashion at its finest!
1) October 2015: State Banquet for President Xi Jinping of China
In October 2015, the Princess attended her first state banquet, held in honour of President Xi Jinping of China. She made a striking impression in a red Jenny Packham gown.
The choice of colour was particularly significant. Red is the colour of China’s flag and the colour that symbolises good fortune and joy in Chinese culture—a thoughtful nod to the visiting delegation.
The gown featured cap sleeves, a fitted bodice, and a flowing skirt, showcasing the designer’s signature elegance and precision tailoring.
Kate finished her glamorous look with the Lotus Flower Tiara, and her hair styled in an intricate updo.
The tiara belonged to the Queen Mother and started life as a necklace, a wedding gift given to her by her husband-to-be, the future King George VI. Later, during her marriage, she had Gerrard refashion the piece into a tiara. The former Crown Jewellers describe the tiara as “a quintessential Art Deco gem”. It features “floral motifs, framed by diamond arches” that are “accented with lustrous white pearls”.
It’s likely that Kate chose the tiara for the Lotus flower design, the flower is very important in Chinese culture and history. It represents “life, humility, honour and tranquillity” according to the China Culture website.
Kate finished the look with two shimmering diamond bracelets. I want to focus on the one on her left wrist—known as the Wedding Gift Bracelet. It was Kate’s first time wearing the bracelet and was a very significant moment. The bracelet belonged to QE2 and was a gift from Prince Philip when the pair got engaged. The Queen had regularly worn the sentimental piece over the previous 70 years and she’d not loaned it to any other royal until this point. In the royal watching world this was seen as a huge deal. The piece was crafted from the diamonds from a tiara owned by Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg [source].
The second bracelet was also an up-cycled piece, it started life as a choker that belonged to Queen Mary.
Kate’s diamond earrings also came from the royal jewel vault. The feature an elegant teardrop chandelier design, with a central pear-shaped crystal encased in a diamond halo, surrounded by strands of smaller crystals. The design is finished with additional dangling crystals at the end. Back in 2011, Royal Reporter Richard Palmer confirmed they were a loan from Queen Elizabeth.
2) July 2017: State Banquet for King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain
Kate chose a romantic pale pink lace gown by Marchesa for her second state banquet in 2017.
The grand event honoured King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain. Sadly, we had to rely on screen captures from live streams for this event, as no official photographs were shared.
We can see Kate’s floor-length dress featured sheer three-quarter sleeves with dramatic fluted cuffs, a fitted bodice, and a softly flared skirt. Delicate lace detailing added an extra layer of elegance to the design, making it a standout choice for the formal occasion.
At this state banquet, Kate chose Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara. This stunning design features intertwined lovers’ knots and diamond arches with large drop pearls hanging from its base.
Garrard created the iconic tiara for Queen Mary (hence the name) in 1913–14, a replica of the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara owned by her aunt. Queen Mary bequeathed the piece to Queen Elizabeth II, who later gifted it to Diana, Princess of Wales, on her wedding day. Diana wore it often, but after her separation from Prince Charles, the tiara returned to Queen Elizabeth. Today’s, its become Kate’s go-to for state occasions.
Originally, the tiara featured two rows of pearls. Queen Mary removed the upright row at some point, giving the piece a sleeker look—a design choice Kate honours to this day.
Kate wore an impressive diamond and ruby necklace with her gown. It’s a piece known as the “Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace”. The necklace is part of the ‘Greville Bequest’, a stunning collection of jewellery left to the Queen Mother in 1942 by the Hon. Mrs. Ronald Greville. Crafted by Boucheron in 1907, the piece features a striking floral motif with vivid rubies nestled among glittering diamonds.
This marked a rare public appearance for the necklace, which had not been seen for decades before the event.
Kate complemented the striking necklace with the ‘Collingwood’ pearl earrings, originally gifted to Princess Diana by Collingwood jewellers— the Spencer family jewellers—as a wedding present in 1981. The earrings feature a classic design of round diamonds and teardrop pearls.
Kate styled her hair in a sleek, low chignon, ensuring all eyes were on the tiara and jewellery.
The look was the epitome of timeless royal glamour. This is a gown I’d LOVE to see Kate wear again, so we can see it in proper detail.
3) October 2018: State Banquet for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Let’s look at Kate’s ensemble at her third state banquet now, the October 2018 state banquet that honoured King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. The Princess made a statement in a periwinkle blue Alexander McQueen gown.
The choice of blue was particularly meaningful, as it is a shared colour in both the British and Dutch flags. This marked a departure from the red and pink hues she had worn at previous banquets. The gown featured a dramatic off-the-shoulder neckline, ruched detailing, and a fishtail silhouette.
Kate paired the look with the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and Princess Diana’s beloved Collingwood pearl earrings, once again.
Completing the look, she wore the Royal Family Order pinned to her gown for the very first time—the RFO is a mark of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s esteem.
Kate once again chose an impressive necklace for this grand occasion – Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace. Originally a wedding gift to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 from her husband-to-be, the future King Edward VII, the necklace features a stunning array of pearls and diamonds set in a regal festoon design.
The necklace, part of a parure including earrings and a brooch, was first worn by Princess Alexandra on her wedding day in 1863. After her passing in 1925, the set was inherited by Queen Mary, who later gifted the necklace to Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) in 1936.
The Queen Mother treasured the necklace, wearing it for significant occasions, including the weddings of her daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. After her death in 2002, the necklace passed to Queen Elizabeth II but remained unworn for many years.
4) June 2019: State Banquet for President Donald Trump of the United States
In June 2019, the Princess attended the state banquet for President Donald Trump wearing a breathtaking white Alexander McQueen gown. I think it’s fair to say this gown was a departure from anything we’d seen her wear to date:
The dress featured a fitted bodice and a full-length skirt adorned with intricate tiered ruffle detailing, creating a textural, almost feathered effect that was both romantic and modern. The sweetheart neckline added an air of elegance.
Kate accessorised with a four-strand pearl bracelet, a piece owned by Queen Elizabeth and previously worn by Princess Diana, and a diamond oak leaf and acorn brooch—a nod to the Middleton family (the motif features in the family coat of arms).
She finished the look with the Lover’s Knot Tiara and the Queen Mother’s sapphire and diamond fringe earrings. The earrings feature dazzling diamonds surrounding vibrant sapphires, arranged in an elegant fringe design. Originally part of the Queen Mother’s collection, these earrings were frequently worn by her for important occasions.
This state banquet was the first occasion on which Kate wore her sash, badge, and Maltese cross—insignia showing Kate’s status as Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). Queen Elizabeth II awarded the GCVO to Kate in April of the same year in recognition of her “services to the sovereign.”
She also wore the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, once again, signifying her high-ranking status within the royal family.
5) November 2022: State Banquet for President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa
Let’s fast forward three years, and Kate attends her first state banquet as the Princess of Wales. She joined the delegation welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UK and showing him some British hospitality in her new role.
For the grand occasion, she chose a showstopping white Jenny Packham gown that became an instant favourite among royal fashion fans. It sent the internet-and blogs like mine-into overdrive!
The dress featured a dramatic cape design that flowed effortlessly over the shoulders, adding a modern and regal twist to the timeless silhouette. The embellishments were subtle yet luxurious, with delicate beading that caught the light beautifully. Continuing her penchant for diplomatic dressing, the white gown was a reference to the white in both of the British and South African flags.
Kate completed the look with the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara once more, which she paired with Princess Diana’s iconic pearl and diamond earrings. The elegant earrings feature leafy foliage that’s wrapped round crescent-shaped diamond cluster, from which hangs a single teardrop-shaped pearl. Diana clearly loved the diamond statement earrings. She wore them frequently in the 1990s.
However, there’s one subtle difference. Eagle-eyed fans think Kate swapped the pearl with another pair of earrings from Diana’s collection.
Kate pinned her insignia with an Art Deco diamond set brooch in 2022. We suspect King Charles purchased the piece from the antique jewellery store, Bentley & Skinner. The company listed an identical brooch on their website in early 2022. It was Kate’s 40th birthday in January of the same year, and we know Charles has purchased jewellery from the shop for his wife Camilla and daughter-in-law Meghan in the past. The company holds two Royal Warrants. A cached version of the page for January 2022 shows the brooch cost £14,500.
This look struck the perfect balance between tradition and contemporary style, making it one of Kate’s most celebrated state banquet appearances to date. A true moment of royal fashion history.
6) November 2023: State Banquet for President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea
For the state banquet held on 21 November 2023 in honour of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, the Princess of Wales delivered yet another breathtaking look.
She chose white again—likely in reference to the South Korean, which is primarily white. Of course, the achromatic colour features on the British flag too.
The Princess chose a customised Jenny Packham gown based on the designer’s ‘Anemone’ dress from the Spring/Summer 2024 resort collection. The elegant ivory creation featured a structured cape adorned with intricate silver embellishments, seamlessly blending contemporary design with a regal aesthetic.
Elevating the glamour, she paired the gown with custom Paula Rowan Montserrat satin opera gloves and carried an ivory Anya Hindmarch Maud pearl-embellished satin clutch bag.
For jewellery, Kate debuted the Strathmore Rose Tiara—a delightful surprise for royal watchers. We’d been hoping Kate would wear this beautiful tiara one day.
The jewel features a floral design consisting of five roses and diamond sprays. Each rose can be detached and worn separately as a brooch, plus the diamonds at the centre of each flower can be changed for sapphires. I’d love to see Kate wear the tiara with sapphires in the futurew.
The Strathmore Rose Tiara was a wedding gift to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother, from her parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, in 1923. (Hence the name, Strathmore!).
At the time, Lady Elizabeth married Prince Albert, the Duke of York, who later became King George VI. The tiara, purchased from the London dealer Catchpole and Williams, is an antique piece created in the nineteenth century.
She complemented the tiara with Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond orbital pendant earrings, adding a sentimental and sparkling touch to her look. Kate’s worn the earrings since 2016. Queen Elizabeth wore them herself on several occasions. Nothing is known of their provenance, unfortunately.
That was a really fun post. Thank you! Yes, I would love to see the Marchesa make a repeat appearance. All the gowns look fantastic on Kate, but the amazing fit of the Marchesa makes it a standout.
These gowns are stunning and would probably auction for impressive amounts. Catherine could donate the proceeds to a cancer charity. Just a silly thought.