Kate Middleton donned a dazzling tiara at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for a very special occasion: King Charles’ first state banquet as monarch.
The banquet was held on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa’s state visit, which also marks the first state visit for Charles as sovereign. The trip was originally scheduled prior to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September at age 96.
The Princess of Wales wore the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara with earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana, as identified by Lauren Kiehna, the writer and editor behind The Court Jeweller.
Kiehna also identified that Kate paired the tiara with an equally stunning dress ― with bejeweled shoulders, no less ― from one of her favorite go-to designers, Jenny Packham.
Prince William dressed in white tie for the glamorous occasion.
Chris Jackson via Getty Images
Chris Jackson via Getty Images
Chris Jackson via Getty Images
Earlier in the day, the Prince and Princess of Wales greeted Ramaphosa at the Corinthia Hotel to kick off his two-day visit.
From there, the group traveled to Horse Guards Parade for a welcome ceremony, where they met Charles and Camilla before undertaking more engagements.
Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images
The Prince and Princess of Wales will soon undertake a visit of their own, as the two are making a trip across the pond next week to Boston, Massachusetts, for William’s second annual Earthshot Prize award ceremony.
“In 2022, we’re back and bringing Earthshot to the USA, where we’ll award the next five winners of the prize,” the duke said in a video back in July announcing the visit. “And we will be doing it right here in Boston.”
Hannah Jones, CEO of the Earthshot Prize, previously spoke with HuffPost in September about the significance of holding the award show in Boston.
“It’s the 60th anniversary, as you know, of the ‘Moonshot,’” Jones told HuffPost at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York City. “And that was really a great source of inspiration to Prince William when he founded the Earthshot Prize, which was to try to inspire what President Kennedy inspired in the American people.”
Jones said that she hopes that this year’s award show “gives everybody inspiration and it rekindles that American mindset of turning the seemingly impossible possible.”