Looking the picture of royal perfection at a gilded state banquet in honour of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman, the Princess of Wales offered a glamorous glimpse of the monarchy’s future.
Stunning in a pale yellow Elie Saab gown with a flowing cape, the sash, badge and star of the Royal Victorian Order and the exquisite Lover’s Knot Tiara, a favourite of Diana, Princess of Wales, she finished her outfit with earrings and a bracelet once owned by Queen Elizabeth II.
It was a sign of the continuity that the future Queen will bring alongside her husband, Prince William, who looked dashing in a Windsor tailcoat and white tie, with his own orders and decorations on display.
Prime position next to the Sultan
Seated next to the Sultan, a mark of her importance at the heart of the royal family, the Princess looked more at ease than ever at the diplomatic set-piece.
© Getty Images"Catherine gets it right every time – she’s always on her A-game. She had clearly done her homework and she looked magnificent," says the royal author Robert Jobson. "She looked every inch a future Queen."
Fellow royal author Ingrid Seward agrees. "Catherine is absolutely key to these visits. She’s able to deal with almost anyone, and I think that’s because her parents instilled in her the importance of good manners. She’s become the golden key, if you like."
William and Catherine were there to support the King, who proudly wore the Order of Al Said – a gift from the Sultan – for the banquet, and the Queen, who was regal in a purple chiffon dress by Fiona Clare, the sash of the Order of Oman and a striking amethyst and diamond necklace. Camilla also paid tribute to the late Queen, wearing one of her favourite pieces, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.
© Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesDiplomatic dressing is something for which royal women are famed. But behind the opulence and glamour was a carefully choreographed exercise in statecraft, and an insight into the responsibilities that William and Catherine will one day inherit.
Addressing 160 guests at the candlelit table, amid the splendour of St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, the King reflected – in English and Arabic – on the centuries-old friendship between the two nations and their crucial defence ties.
Oman is a key strategic ally of the UK, with significant influence in the Gulf region, and the first state visit by its Sultan for 44 years was approached with due reverence. Among the guests were Andy Burnham, attending a state banquet for the first time as Prime Minister, and the head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli.
Diplomatic dining at Windsor Castle
Over a dinner of Scottish langoustine and Cornish crab, pot-roasted Windsor pheasant and individual baked Alaska with Balmoral plum and Windsor Estate honey ice-cream, existing friendships were strengthened and new alliances forged.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe care and attention given to every aspect of the visit was reflected even in the drinks. Instead of creating a bespoke cocktail, household staff took inspiration from the Omani tradition of kahwa, a traditional spiced coffee served with dates, and created special tea blends, including iced Earl Grey and date, iced mint and rose, and a cardamom-spiced blend sweetened with Windsor honey.
This was not just a lavish banquet, however, but a key moment for the royals to represent the UK and help to cement ties that have endured through many previous reigns.
And the seeds of future friendship have already been planted. As the King told the Sultan in his speech, "Our connections matter deeply and, in this regard, I have been especially delighted to see our sons… become joint patrons of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition. There can be few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next."
William and Crown Prince Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, who sat together at the dinner, backed the 2025 expedition, a 30-day cross-country journey to showcase Oman’s natural heritage and biodiversity.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe King’s words were a public expression of confidence in William’s ability to build on the longstanding relationship and served as another sign of his heir’s growing role on the world stage.
Fit for a King
"William has a statesmanlike quality and an ability to converse with anybody," says Ingrid, the author of Catherine & Diana.
"The Prince of Wales is stepping up big-time," adds Robert, the author of The Future Royal Family. "People used to say that he was only interested in what he was doing. But he does realise that there are certain major events that, as a future King, he needs to be at and to be seen at."
Earlier in the day, William had travelled to the Sultan’s residence in London to greet him and accompany him to Windsor, before joining the King, Queen and Catherine on the dais at Datchet Road for the start of the traditional carriage procession to the castle.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceElegant in a forest-green coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, a matching hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery and Queen Alexandra’s diamond, ruby and emerald Three Feathers brooch, the Princess, who has honed her own diplomatic credentials over more than 15 years in the royal family, dropped into a graceful curtsey as she was introduced to the Sultan.
The two monarchs travelled in the Irish State Coach, followed by the Queen, wearing a striking red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, a matching hat by Philip Treacy and a ruby and diamond flower brooch.
Reflecting the significance of the UK’s military alliance with Oman, the visiting nation’s defence minister, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, joined Camilla in the Scottish State Coach.
© Getty ImagesRoyal splendour despite heavy downpours
William and Catherine were joined in the Australian State Coach by the Crown Prince and Sayyid Loay bin Ghalib Al Said, secretary-general of the Diwan of the Royal Court.
Heavy rain in the castle’s quadrangle did little to diminish a ceremonial welcome conducted with military precision. As the Sultan, accompanied by the King, inspected the guard of honour, the Prince and Princess, along with the Queen, explained elements of the spectacle to their guests from beneath a canopy.
With their focus firmly on their official duties, there was no time for the royals to dwell on discord with the Duke of Sussex, who gave an interview to GQ magazine that once again brought his estrangement from his family into the spotlight, threatening to overshadow the state visit.
In a conversation filmed during a visit to New York in September and published minutes after the Sultan arrived at Windsor Castle, Harry spoke once more of his desire to reconcile, but added: "Some people don’t want it to work out."
His spokesman moved quickly to insist that the comment was "absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family".
Harry said that he would encourage people to "let go of the past", saying that "there’s enough drama in the world, and enough drama in people’s lives, to continue with issues with family".
And he insisted that "with everything else that’s going on in the world, there are aspects of the past that I’m sure all of us – me, my family and some of the British press – would all like to leave behind us and work for the greater good".
Harry has not seen his father since he and his wife, the Duchess, returned to the UK in August, and whatever his hopes for reconciliation, his latest public airing of private family matters is unlikely to help.
© Getty Images"It’s never going to change while he keeps talking about it in magazines and on TV," Robert says. "This was probably one of the biggest weeks in the royal calendar for some time – a state visit and national commemorations at Aberfan – and the interview came across as tone-deaf."
Harry’s latest missive was met with silence from the royal family, who kept their focus on the job at hand. "Their lack of reaction was absolutely right," Ingrid says. "They are busy in their own world and there is nothing to say that will help the situation. Harry would do better to have these conversations in private."
Poignant Aberfan visit for King Charles
After a late night at Windsor, the King, Queen and Prince of Wales travelled to Aberfan to mark the 60th anniversary of the disaster that claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults when a coal tip above the Welsh village collapsed, engulfing Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes.
© Getty ImagesTheir solemn presence at the commemorations once again demonstrated the continuity of royal support for those affected, six decades after the late Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh made their own poignant visits to the scene.
The Queen went on to visit three more times and the mantle has since been taken up by her successors. William’s presence alongside his father reaffirmed a commitment to Aberfan that will continue for years to come.
The memorial garden on the site of the disaster, which he and Catherine visited in 2023, contains a tree planted by the late Queen and Catherine’s Rose, given by the Princess last year, together symbolising the continuity of the monarchy and its connection to the village and its remarkable people.
© Getty Images"The fact that William was there shows that he is reinforcing the Crown. It’s significant that father and son turned out together," Robert says. "The suggestion in the past that they are both trapped in the job is nonsense. They are doing it because they want to, because it matters and because they can have a real impact."
That same sense of continuity was evident later in the week, as the Princess visited one of her longest-standing patronages. Swapping her tiara for a hard hat and her evening gown for a hi-vis vest over a dark green trouser suit by Victoria Beckham, Catherine, who has been patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) since 2012, toured a construction site at The Treehouse in Ipswich.
The hospice is being expanded to include a new hydrotherapy pool, a wellbeing and therapies suite and a new bedroom. She also spent nearly an hour speaking to children with life-limiting conditions and their families, sitting with them in a music-therapy room.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThey included four-year-old Primrose Harvey, who has a rare congenital heart defect called hypoplastic right-heart syndrome and whose latest operation had taken place just a fortnight earlier. "Super-brave girl – and brave parents, too," the Princess told her mother.
Charlotte Freegard, 13, who has a rare genetic muscle disorder called nemaline myopathy, sang Perfect by Ed Sheeran through a microphone for the royal visitor, who clapped and told her that she was "brilliant".
"Charlotte, that was beautifully sung. Well done you," said Catherine as she sat alongside her at the piano. When James Ormrod, whose son Freddie, 11, played chimes and a tambourine, remarked on the noise, she replied: "It is noisy. Often in our household, the noisier the instrument, the better."
Catherine also spent time with bereaved families, hearing how the hospice had supported them after the loss of their children. "Her compassion is all-encompassing and she’s extremely sensitive to whatever situation she puts herself in," Ingrid says.
Later, in the village of Hoveton, Norfolk, the Princess surprised customers at Café 98 in EACH’s retail store, telling one group that she was ready for half-term and had been missing her eldest son, Prince George, who left for Eton College in early September.
Denise Ashton, 68, who chatted to the royal visitor, said: "She said she’s looking forward to George coming home – she’s missed him."
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesCatherine is a vintage fashion fan
Over an oat-milk cappuccino, the Princess heard more about fundraising through EACH’s 58 charity shops and spoke about her own enjoyment of browsing second-hand goods. "I love going round a charity shop. When I was at university in St Andrews, there were a lot of charity shops," she said.
Upstairs, she helped volunteer Christine Rich sort donations and prepare them for sale. Told that Christine would be spending time with her eight-year-old granddaughter Amelie over the school holidays, Catherine replied: "That’s lovely. My parents will spend time with my children during half-term. It’s a nice time for them to catch up."
For William and Catherine, duty calls, but family still comes first. After a break for half-term with Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, the Princess is widely expected to join the Prince in Mumbai for the sixth annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in November.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesAs part of the build-up to what is being billed as the biggest awards show to date, William made a surprise appearance on The Graham Norton Show last week, alongside Earthshot supporters Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham.
In a relaxed and fun segment, the future King discussed his passion for Aston Villa and his interest in Christopher Nolan films, as well as his family’s love of The Traitors. "I love it – the family loves it. Charlotte and Louis are obsessed with it. It’s really good telly," he said.
Asked if he ever fantasised about doing anything other than being King one day, he said: "I did want to be a policeman when I was younger; I thought I could make a good one. And then I went through a phase of wanting to be a DJ – I wasn’t very good."
© Alamy Stock PhotoPrince William's commitment to protecting the planet
The Prince, who took a turn at judging audience members who told stories while sitting in Graham’s Big Red Chair, said of the £50m environmental prize: "For many years, I was hearing stories about environmental issues, and one thing that struck me was the negativity, which got me down.
"I thought we could do something more powerful and more optimistic, and the idea of an awards ceremony came about, so that we could talk about urgency and optimism together. It’s all about getting excited.
"There are some amazing people out there doing things to protect the world. We can highlight what is being done and scale them to the next level to have more impact around the world." A joint trip would be Catherine’s first official long-haul trip for more than four years and a significant milestone following her cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2024.
For a couple at the heart of the monarchy, it would also be another important step towards the roles that they will one day take on, and a reminder that behind the glamour of royal life lies a commitment to duty that will last a lifetime.
