- Kate Middleton is making her tiara
debut as the Princess of Wales.
The royal sported her first tiara
in nearly three years for Tuesday's state banquet
at Buckingham Palace.
The banquet was held as part of the first state visit of King
Charles III's reign as he welcomed
the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa,
to the United Kingdom.
For the elegant evening, Princess Kate wore a white gown
by Jenny Packham, which he paired with the Queen
Mary's a Lover's Knot Tiara, her go-to headpiece
for such occasions.
The tiara features pearls hanging from diamond knots
and was also a favorite of her late mother-in-law,
Princess Diana.
According to the court jeweler, the stunning sparkler
is more than a century old and was
originally commissioned by Queen Mary in either 1913 or 1914.
Kate also wore earrings that previously
belonged to Diana and a bracelet from Queen
Elizabeth's jewelry box.
She completed her look with the Royal Family Order
and the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal
Victorian Order star and sash.
Meanwhile, Prince William adorned his suit
with the Garter Star, the Thistle Star, and three
miniature medals for Queen Elizabeth's three Jubilees
in which he took part--
gold in 2002, diamond in 2012, and platinum in 2022.
Queen Camilla also wore her first tiara of King Charles's
reign, a sapphire and diamond piece
that Queen Elizabeth wore for a 2015 state visit.
Due to primarily the COVID-19 pandemic,
the state visit is the first hosted by the British royal
family since then-US President Donald
Trump visited the UK in 2019.