Kate Middleton wore an outfit made up of extravagant items belonging to her storied family, for her first event as the Princess of Wales.
Kate attended a state banquet alongside her husband Prince William and other members of the Royal Family to honour South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa. The event was the first state dinner hosted by King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort.
Ensuring that her first appearance as Princess would be a memorable one, Kate wore a stunning custom gown by Jenny Packham – a favourite of hers – that was one of her most glamorous yet. The pristine white gown featured structured shoulders covered in silver embellishments, a caped silhouette, a fitted bodice and a flared skirt that trailed slightly.
The gown was a bespoke version of Packham's Elspeth design from her F/W 2021 bridal collection. Kate had the shoulders raised for a more dramatic silhouette, added more silver embellishments to the shoulders and added a closed back, rather than the open back in the original design.
It was similar to the gold gown Kate wore to the premiere of the James Bond film No Time to Die, which was another caped design by Jenny Packham.
She accessorised with her most-worn tiara, the Lover's Knot. The tiara was commissioned for Queen Mary in 1913 and is made of diamonds and a collection of 19 hanging pearls, all set in silver and gold.
She paired this with a pearl bracelet that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II, with four strands of pearls and an X-shaped diamond clasp. Kate had worn the bracelet and the matching necklace to the funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in September.
Kate added a final nod to her Royal family with a pair of diamond and pearl earrings that once belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales. The dangling earrings feature a curved loop of diamonds with a cluster of diamonds in the middle, and have a removable pearl drop, which Kate wore.
Kate also wore the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, which is a gift that was personally bestowed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to female members of the Royal Family, as well as her sash and Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
She completed her outfit with the white satin Alexander McQueen Butterfly Box Clutch and her Rania 105 Embellished Pumps by Gianvito Rossi, a glamorous pair of nude heels overlayed with silver crystal embellishments.
Her hair was worn up to showcase her gown and jewellery, and her makeup was kept classic and polished.
