The Princess of Wales looked breathtakingly beautiful on Wednesday evening as she attended the State Banquet at Windsor Castle to welcome President Donald Trump to the UK, alongside his wife, First Lady Melania. After a warm welcome earlier in the day, which saw the wife of Prince William don a cranberry-toned coat dress by Emilia Wickstead, with a matching hat and vintage Chanel bag, Kate changed into a fabulous, floor-length dress for the formal dinner, alongside her husband, King Charles, and Queen Camilla. 160 guests were dining at the banquet, which was a white tie event that had been meticulously planned, with intricate preparations beginning more than six months prior. Charles and Camilla inspected the table ahead of time alongside the Master of the Household, Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, to ensure no mistakes had been made.
Kate looked beautiful in her stunning dress. The brunette royal donned a delightful, full-length hand-embroidered gold Chantilly gown by designer Phillipa Lepley, which featured hand-embroidered roses, couched gold cording accented with French knots and satin-stitched blooms. Her lustrous hair was teased into her signature bouncy waves, and flawless makeup highlighted her beautiful features.
Princess Kate's tiara
The Princess wore the Lover's Knot tiara, which sparkled in the light and showed how important the formal occasion was. The tiara, one of her most worn and beloved pieces in her collection, is also the heaviest. Valued at a staggering £1m, the historic piece was so heavy that it reportedly hurt Princess Diana to wear it. Maxwell Stone, of fine jewellery and diamond experts at UK retailer Steven Stone, commented: "The Princess of the Wales chose to wear the Lover’s Knot Tiara for the State Banquet. Originally designed for Queen Mary back in 1913, the dazzling diamond and pearl tiara was passed on to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. The late monarch reportedly presented it to Princess Diana for her royal wedding day in 1981, although she respectfully declined and opted to wear her father’s Spencer’s Family Tiara instead – despite this, the Lover’s Knot did become one of her favourite pieces. Following Diana's death in 1997, the tiara wasn't seen publicly until 2015, when Kate wore it at a reception at Buckingham Palace.
"Though an incredible piece, the tiara has its cons, and it’s claimed to have been so heavy that it hurt the late Princess of Wales’ head, giving her headaches – it’s also said to be noisy due to the swinging pearls. The fact that it’s so heavy that it hurt Princess Diana’s head indicates that it’s a valuable tiara, embellished with the finest quality diamonds and pearls.Though it’s difficult to put a price on such a historic an extravagant piece, I’d estimate it to carry a value of around £1,000,000." She paired her tiara with earrings orn by the late Queen, the Royal Family Order of King Charles III and the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II. The outfit was finished off with the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and the GCVO Star and Sash.
© Getty ImagesKate's second tiara moment of 2025
We last saw Kate wearing the tiara in July, when the King and Queen hosted a glittering soiree at Windsor Castle, this time for France's President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. Kate, 43, delighted royal fans all over the world in her red floor-length caped gown by Sarah Burton for Givenchy with the diamond and pearl Lover's Knot tiara, as she and Prince William arrived at the historic St George's Hall.
© Getty Images
© Getty ImagesThe diamond and pearl tiara, originally made for Queen Mary in 1913, was gifted by the late Queen to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, when she married then Prince Charles in 1981. Ahead of the magical evening, William and Kate posted a beautiful portrait photograph taken before they left for the event. "Ready for what promises to be a wonderful State Banquet this evening in Windsor," the caption read. The Prince looked suave and respectful with the Most Noble Order of the Garter Sash with the Lesser George, as well as his medals and honours on display.
