Kate Middleton Dazzles in Golden Floral Gown and Sparkling Tiara at US State Banquet

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The Princess of Wales joined senior members of the Royal Family at Windsor Castle for a glittering State Banquet in honour of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Wednesday evening.

The dinner marks the highlight of the two-day State Visit.

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Around 160 guests attended the black-tie occasion in Windsor’s State Dining Room.

The guest list included political operators, sports stars and tech company bosses.

As tradition dictates, the King and President Trump both delivered speeches before the meal began, underscoring the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Let’s take a look at Kate’s absolutely stunning dress and accessories, now.

Kate’s State Banquet Look:

The Princess of Wales embraced the grandeur of the evening in a show-stopping gown in ivory and gold. It’s by Phillipa Lepley.

The gown features an ivory bodice and skirt with a sheer lace overlay embroidered with gold flowers and ornate gilt detailing.

The piece features a high neckline, long sleeves and a floor-skimming skirt that opens at the waist, allowing the under layer to pop through.

The all-over metallic embellishment looked very regal. I think this is one of Kate’s most ‘Princessy’ looks to date.

Below, a similar gown from the eveningwear section of Phillipa Lepley’s website, shown in silver, I think:

Note, Kate’s overlay parts at the waist, rather than under the bust.

Phillipa Lepley is a couture wedding and eveningwear dress designer based in South Kensington, London.

The gown cannot be purchased ‘off the rack’. Anybody hoping to own the garment would need to enquire with Phillipa Lepley and commission a similar design.

The Princess has worn only one of Lepley’s designs before, during a visit to The Bahamas in 2022.

Kate wore Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara with her gown. It’s her go-to diadem for state dinners. She’s worn the dazzling pearl and diamond jewel 12 other times in public to date over the last decade (far more than any other tiara).

This stunning tiara features a design of intertwined lovers’ knots and diamond arches with large drop pearls hanging from its base.

The tiara was created in the early 19th century as a wedding gift for Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel, Duchess of Cambridge.  It passed onto her daughter, the Grand Duchess of Strelitz, and her great granddaughter, Princess Jutta of Montenegro, before its sale at Christie’s in 1981.

Queen Mary—the Grand Duchess’s niece—took a shine to the original tiara and commissioned her copy in 1913/1914.  Upon her death, the tiara was left to Queen Elizabeth II. This is the version that Kate wears today.

Both tiaras featured shimmering diamond lover’s knot bows, from which large oval pearls dangled, plus an extra row of upright pearls set atop each of the tiara’s diamond arches.
Arthur Trevethin Nowell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Over time, Queen Mary decided to remove the row of upright pearls from her tiara, which achieved a more streamlined appearance.  This is how Kate continues to wear the tiara today.

The earrings Kate wore this evening also came from the royal jewel vault. They once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.

The late monarch wore the large teardrop earrings—a line of four diamonds framed by a cluster of round stones—to the State Opening of Parliament in 2012.

Kate debuted them at a public engagement in 2016, and they’ve become a trusted addition to her evening jewellery rotation since.

In her hand, she carried the Anya Hindmarch Maud clutch in ivory. The piece features decorative pearls on the bag’s gold frame closure. It’s made from recycled Satin.

It’s still available on Anya Hindmarch’s website for £475.

Let’s take a quick look at Kate’s shoes now. The Princess wears the Aquazzura “Fenix 105” pumps in gold nappa leath

The beautiful shoes feature a 105mm heel and a severely pointed toe. The metallic leather has a mosaic-like effect, which catches the light and makes the shoe glisten. However, it’s the cut-out detailing that makes these shoes a real showstopper!

Kate’s owned them for a few years now, we first saw her wear them with her ‘Goldfinger’ gown at the James Bond premiere.

The shoes are no longer available to buy, sadly. They retailed at MyTheresa for £555 and FarFetch for $750.

Let’s finish the blog post with a section I like to call “Things Pinned to Kate’s Gown”—a look at her honours, insignia, Royal Family Orders, and brooches.

The pale blue sash, Maltese cross, and star medallion signify that Kate is a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), one of the most senior honours in the British honours system.

Queen Elizabeth II personally invested Kate into the order in 2019—a recognition granted at the sovereign’s discretion for personal service to the monarch. The Royal Victorian Order was established by Queen Victoria in 1896.

Pinned onto the sash were two Royal Family Orders—special honours bestowed by the reigning monarch to female members of the royal family, typically in recognition of dedicated service and support.

The yellow ribbon is the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, awarded to Kate in 2017. She’s worn it regularly for state occasions ever since.

The blue ribbon is the Royal Family Order of King Charles III. This banquet marked the second time Kate had worn the King’s RFO in public.

The order features a miniature portrait of the King surrounded by diamonds, pinned to a soft blue ribbon.

Older Royal Family Orders were painted on ivory, but this practice has been discontinued due to ethical concerns around the ivory trade. Instead, Kate’s order for Queen Elizabeth II was crafted from hand-painted glass, while King Charles III’s version uses a sustainable synthetic material called polymin.