The Princess of Wales was a vision of grace and beauty on 3 December as she stepped out at St George's Hall at Windsor Castle for a state banquet - wearing a tiara we haven't seen in 20 years. The Princess, 43, joined her husband, Prince William, in supporting King Charles and Queen Camilla as they welcomed the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, to the UK for a state visit lasting from 3 to 5 December, with the banquet providing Kate with a sartorial playground.
Kate oozed glamour in a blue sequin Jenny Packham gown with dramatic cape detail. The sequins giving a nod to the festive time of year, but it was her headwear that really, well, turned heads!
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe royal wore her hair in a beautifully blowdried style with glamorous shiny waves leaving her special tiara to do the talking. The piece in question is the Oriental Circlet Tiara, a Garrard design that's been in royal hands for years.
After being made for Queen Victoria in 1853, lovingly designed by her German-born husband Prince Albert, it was tweaked by Queen Alexandra who added rubies to the design. Once in the possession of the Queen Mother, it was a much-loved and much-used item. However, when Queen Elizabeth II inherited the Oriental Circlet, she only wore it once during her reign, on a trip to Malta in 2005 - now 20 years later, it is back in the limelight!
However, when Queen Elizabeth II inherited the Oriental Circlet, she only once during her reign, on a trip to Malta back in 2005 - now 20 years later, it is back in the limelight!
© Getty ImagesWhile Kate didn't need anymore dazzling adornments, her look was completed with earrings that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II, her Royal Family Order and GCVO Sash and Star. As always, her makeup look was impeccable, featuring a smokey eye and dewy glow.
© Getty ImagesQueen Camilla also donned a dazzling tiara for the special occasion - The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara - which was a wedding gift from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth II.
The dinner party comprised of 152 guests, including German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her husband Sir Matthew Vaughn, Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse, who lives in Germany, former Everton midfielder Thomas Hitzlesperger, award-winning German composer Hans Zimmer and children’s book illustrator Axel Scheffler. These famous faces joined the likes of the Princess Royal and her husband Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, all seated at a 46-metre mahogany dining table.
The state visit by the German president is a historic occasion as it is the first German state visit to the UK in 27 years. The last one came in 1998 when President Roman Herzog visited the UK upon the invitation of the late Queen.
Making a statement on a historic occasion
© Getty ImagesThe state visit, designed to strengthen the bond between the two countries, has already seen a display of pomp and pageantry as the German politician was met by William and Kate at Heathrow airport before greeting the King and Queen and riding in a carriage procession to Windsor Castle, where they witnessed a Guard of Honour give a Royal Salute and the regimental band play the German and British national anthems.
The Federal President and the King then inspected the Guard of Honour, before rejoining their wives, together with the Prince and Princess of Wales, to view the military ranks and march past.
© GettyKate looked supremely elegant in a dress by Burberry paired with a blue coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, which appears to be the same one she wore for Christmas in 2023. Her jewellery was taken from the royal archives as she donned earrings belonging to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and the Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch.
Later on in the state visit, the president will meet German Premier League footballers before visiting the David Bowie Centre in the Victoria and Albert Museum's new wing based in East London.
Kate's state banquet attire for 2025
© Getty ImagesRather unusually, the German state visit marks the third time Kate has attended a state banquet this year. On 8 July, the princess accompanied her husband to the banquet held in honour of French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK.
© GettyShe looked mesmerising in a scarlet Sarah Burton for Givenchy gown featuring caped shoulders and a tapered waist, with Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, which was commissioned by the pieces' namesake in 1913 from Garrard & Co.
© Getty ImagesLater, on 17 September, Kate was present at the state banquet welcoming President Trump and his wife, Melania, to the UK. The royal dazzled in a gold lace Philipa Lepley gown with a high neck and the same heirloom tiara.
