From greeting world leaders to commanding the room with her elegant presence, the Princess of Wales reigns as the star of state visits, outshining even the glittering jewels she wears. Catherine made a radiant return at her first state banquet in two years this summer, and this week, closed out the year’s final state banquet with a look that epitomized princess perfection.
"She has perfected what eluded many before her: combining majesty with approachability, tradition with modernity, duty with humanity. It’s a delicate balance that has defeated countless royals throughout history - too formal and you're remote, too casual and you diminish the Crown. Kate inhabits that impossible middle ground as if born to it. She wasn't. That makes it even more remarkable," royal author Robert Jobson tells HELLO!. "She doesn't just represent the monarchy; she embodies its evolution. She is the jewel in the Crown."
"Her approach proves that influence wielded with grace, intelligence, and authentic charm remains from the royal perspective Britain's most valuable diplomatic asset, perhaps more crucial now than ever," Robert continues.
Starring role
Over the past six months, the Princess has played a prominent role in three state visits: France's President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron; the United States' President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump; and Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ms. Elke Büdenbender.
For all three visits, Catherine, along with Prince William, greeted the King and Queen’s guests and participated in the ceremonial welcome. The Princess of Wales also undertook a joint engagement with First Lady Melania Trump during the Trumps' historic second state visit to the UK in September.
At each state banquet held at Windsor Castle this year, the Princess took her seat in St George's Hall next to the visiting presidents. It's a prime spot at the table that the future Queen Consort has occupied in the past, including next to the president of China in 2015, the president of South Africa in 2022 and the president of South Korea in 2023.
Taking glamour to new heights
Yet her appearances this year felt more regal than ever. No one outdoes Catherine quite like Catherine herself - just when it seemed a state banquet look could not be more stunning, she managed to top the previous one.
While the Princess made headlines with her white-tie looks, she also drew admiration from attendees. President Macron memorably winked at the Princess as they clinked glasses, while President Trump gave her a shoutout in his state banquet remarks, calling her "so radiant and so healthy, so beautiful."
"These glittering evenings have become her signature arena - not because she seeks the spotlight, but because she grasps what they truly are: diplomatic chess matches where every gesture builds bridges between nations. She wields soft power with devastating effectiveness," Robert says.
For the French state visit in July, the Princess wowed in a red Givenchy by Sarah Burton gown and the Lover's Knot tiara. She teamed the same headpiece with a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley with a full-length, hand-embroidered gold Chantilly lace evening coat for the Trumps' visit in September. Both of those state banquet looks were breathtaking, but it was her third state banquet appearance of 2025 that might be her most show-stopping one to date. In December, the Princess sparkled at the German state banquet in a blue Jenny Packham gown, paired for the first time with Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara.
"At state banquets, Kate always gravitates toward silhouettes that feel regal without ever being overdone, think structured bodices, sweeping skirts, and refined necklines that sit just on the elegant side of classic," luxury stylist Oriona Robb says. "She understands the visual language of royal eveningwear: symmetry, poise, and a sense of continuity with the monarchy's long history of formal dressing."
"What makes Kate's state-banquet style so consistently successful is her ability to balance tradition with a modern sensibility," Oriona adds. "She'll choose rich fabrics, meticulous tailoring, and jewel-tone palettes that read appropriately ceremonial, but she keeps the styling clean. Using minimal jewellery, polished hair, and a focus on one standout piece of jewellery. It's a formula that photographs beautifully, respects protocol, and reinforces her image as a future Queen who understands how to look both iconic and approachable."
A tiara fit for a future Queen
And iconic is exactly what the Princess delivered this week. Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara, designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, was previously worn by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and once publicly by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Seeing Catherine in the tiara, said to be designated (via The Court Jeweller) for future queens and queen consorts, felt perfectly fitting for a Queen Consort in waiting.
"As ever Kate stole the show - not through effort, but through innate excellence. She pulls it off every time. The extraordinary looks routine," Robert says. "The difficult appears effortless - that’s the real magic."