From Princess of Wales to pop princesses: this is what the state banquet looked like.
The state visit to the United Kingdom by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee started yesterday. And that of course meant a lot of pomp and circumstance to welcome the couple, and a grand state banquet to end the day. And yes: this is where Princess Kate wore a new tiara for the first time in years!
New tiara
When Princess Catherine makes her appearance at a gala occasion, you can actually assume that the princess will pull out her Lover’s Knot Tiara. Since her marriage to Prince William in 2011, Her Highness has only worn three different tiaras, and the Lover’s Knot is her absolute favorite.
We also speculated last week whether the Princess of Wales would show up in a new crown this week, and guess what? Kate also wanted a tiara debut!
The princess showed up in a beautiful Jenny Packham gown with an embroidered capelet. But what stood out most? Of course that was her tiara! For the occasion, Kate chose the Strathmore Rose tiara – a diadem that Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon received from her parents before her marriage to the then Duke of York and later King of England. This is also where the jewel owes its name: the later Queen Mother was born as the daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
The late Queen Elizabeth never wore the diadem herself, but now, a century after the marriage of the Queen Mother and the future King George VI, the work of art has once again been allowed to shine on a royal crown.
Radiant royals
Of course, Princess Kate wasn’t the only Windsor present at the state banquet. King Charles and Queen Camilla were the enthusiastic hosts for the evening, which meant that there was a nice chat with President Yoon and First Lady Kim. Of course, speaking back and forth is also part of it.
For the occasion, Camilla wore a red velvet gown, which, according to experts at the Royal Fashion Police, came from designer Fiona Clare. Camilla combined this dress with the Burmese Ruby tiara, which was purchased by the jewelers of Garrad & Co. in 1973. was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth.
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was also present at the grand dinner.
Like Kate, the duchess opted for a light dress with floral details around the shoulders, and according to experts, she would even wear almost exactly the same Anya Hindmarch clutch as the princess. Would the two have agreed on this? Who knows!
Anne, Princess Royal, also opted for a light gown with embroidered decorations. As we have come to expect from Anne, this is not a brand new designer dress. No: the princess still had a fine Maureen Baker dress in the closet that she also wore a few years ago in the portraits for her seventieth birthday.
We don’t know exactly why they were present, but the fact is that the young ladies of girl group BlackPink were also spotted in the long procession of prominent figures. And hey: with so much designer glamour, we don’t hesitate to highlight these pop princesses.
In his speech, King Charles also briefly reflected on the presence of the four ladies. For example, he praised the girls for their commitment to environmental issues:
“It is extremely inspiring to see Korea’s younger generations taking notice of the issue. I commend Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, better known as BlackPink, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience,” said Charles. Want to be present at a royal occasion and receive a compliment from the eco-king himself? Nicely done, ladies!
Source: Instagram @RoyalFashionPolice, The Court Jeweller, Town & Country Magazine | Image: NL Image
