From sequin-adorned evening gowns to heirloom tiaras, the Princess of Wales has mastered the art of state banquet splendour
The Princess of Wales glittered in a lilac Jenny Packham creation as she joined Prince William at the German state banquet
AARON CHOWN/Getty ImagesThe countdown is on to The Princess of Wales' next tiara appearance. Tonight, Catherine is expected to join her husband, Prince William, in supporting King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they host a state banquet in honour of the Sultan of Oman.
The three-day state visit by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik begins this morning. Prince William has been dispatched to formally welcome the Sultan at his residence before the pair travel to Windsor Castle, where the King and Queen will be waiting to greet their esteemed guest. In Windsor, they will also be joined by the Princess of Wales, who will undoubtedly put on a suitably elegant sartorial display.
The culmination of the state visit will come that evening, when King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the Sultan for a state banquet, with both the King and the Sultan delivering speeches. Buckingham Palace has revealed that other members of the royal family will also be attending the banquet, and in recent years, the Princess of Wales has donned a tiara to join the likes of Prince William, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The Princess of Wales has mastered the art of dressing for these grandest of royal occasions where the dress code calls for the finest evening gowns and tiaras for women, and white tie and military honours for men. She often steps out in British designers like Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham whose elaborate creations are paired with favourite tiaras from the royal collection.
Her most recent appearance, at the Nigerian state banquet marked both a break from convention and a return to tradition for the Princess, who paired an unexpected designer with an entirely expected tiara. Her gown, a deep green that was believed to be a nod to the Nigerian flag, was by Singaporean designer Andrew Gn, a label Kate previously wore for Trooping the Colour in 2023. But the finishing touch on this sweeping creation was a familiar diamond and pearl design: the Lover's Knot tiara. It marks the fifth time the tiara has been seen at a state banquet.
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Nigerian state banquet, March 2026
For the Nigerian state banquet, the Princess of Wales broke from the norm to wear an emerald green gown by Singaporean designer Andrew Gn. The finishing touch? Sapphire and diamond earrings that belonged to the Queen Mother and her favourite Lover's Knot Tiara, March 2026
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German state banquet, December 2025
The Princess of Wales wore a Jenny Packham gown and the Queen Victoria Oriental Circlet tiara for the state banquet hosted at Windsor Castle in honour of the President and First Lady of Germany, December 2025
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American state banquet, September 2025
The Princess of Wales wore a Phillipa Lepley gown and her favourite Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara for the state banquet thrown in honour of President Donald Trump, September 2025
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French state banquet, July 2025
The French state visit saw Catherine attending her first state banquet since her cancer diagnosis, with the royal mother-of-three wearing a custom-designed red evening gown by Sarah Burton for Givenchy. She completed the look with Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara, July 2025
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South Korean state banquet, November 2023
The Princess of Wales surprised royal watchers by wearing the Strathmore Rose Tiara for the state banquet for President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea. She opted for a custom Jenny Packham gown for the occasion, which she paired with lengthy white opera gloves, November 2023
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South African state banquet, November 2022
For her first state banquet as the Princess of Wales, Catherine wore a dazzling Jenny Packham gown which featured glittering embellishments across the shoulders and an elegant cape detailing. She paired the look with her favourite tiara, the Lover's Knot. The outfit would go on to be immortalised on a portrait commissioned for Tatler's July 2024 cover
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American state banquet, June 2019
Then-the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton also wore an elegant white gown to attend the state banquet for Donald Trump's visit in 2019. She paired the Alexander McQueen dress with the Lover’s Knot Tiara, June 2019
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Dutch state banquet, October 2018
Catherine's third state banquet was in 2018, and honoured King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, with the Princess choosing a blue Alexander McQueen gown and her favourite tiara for the occasion, October 2018
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Spanish state banquet, July 2017
Kate Middleton chose to wear a pink lace gown by Marchesa for the state banquet for King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, pairing the look with the Lover's Knot tiara, July 2017
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Chinese state banquet, October 2015
The then-Duchess of Cambridge attended her first state visit in October 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping was hosted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. She wore a vibrant red Jenny Packham gown for the outing, choosing the Lotus Flower Tiara
