Kate Middleton Wows in Two Glamorous Looks on Oman State Visit

The Princess of Wales made a rapid outfit change as she moved between engagements on the opening day of the Sultan of Oman’s state visit to the United Kingdom.

Kate delivered two polished examples of diplomatic dressing as she joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William in welcoming the Omani ruler at Windsor Castle.

For the formal arrival, the Princess revived an elegant emerald Alexander McQueen coat and paired it with a matching Juliette Botterill fascinator, seemingly echoing the colours of Oman’s flag.

Known for using her clothing choices to convey diplomatic and personal meaning, Kate also selected a significant piece of jewellery linked to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

Fastened to the coat was a diamond and emerald brooch dating back 160 years. The heirloom once belonged to Diana before King Charles presented it to Kate in 2022.

She finished the look with a black quilted Chanel handbag, Gianvito Rossi heels and a pair of gold earrings.

Later, for an exhibition in Windsor Castle’s Green Room, the Princess of Wales unveiled a noticeably different look.

She wore her bronde hair down and swapped the black lace blouse for a £260 Norma Kamali midi dress. Its deep green shade closely matched the Alexander McQueen coat from her earlier appearance.

The historic brooch was first given to Princess Alexandra of Denmark as a wedding present from the Ladies of Bristol in 1863. She received it when she married Bertie, Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII.

Following Alexandra’s death, the jewel is believed to have passed to her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary, and later to the Queen Mother. It was then presented to Diana when she married Charles in 1981.

The design centres on a teardrop-shaped cabochon emerald hanging beneath an oval diamond setting, while the Prince of Wales’s three-feather emblem sits at its centre.

Below the diamond-set coronet is a scroll bearing the Latin phrase “Ich Dien”, which translates as “I serve”.

Diana later had the brooch redesigned as a necklace and wore it alongside coordinating emerald earrings at a glamorous gala in 1986.

She showcased the dramatic jewellery during a state visit to Austria with Charles, attending an evening performance at Vienna’s Burgtheater.

After Diana died in 1997, the brooch is understood to have returned to the Queen, as the jewel is considered property of the monarch.

Charles gave the heirloom to Kate in 2022 as a tribute to the women who had previously held the title of Princess of Wales, including Diana.

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik was earlier greeted by Prince William on behalf of the monarch at one of his private UK residences, before travelling to Windsor together.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen, accompanied by Kate, arrived separately from Windsor Castle to formally welcome the Sultan at the Royal Dais on Datchet Road.

In a change to the traditional arrangements, the Princess of Wales did not accompany William to greet the Sultan, but instead waited alongside the King and Queen.

The planned adjustment was made because the Sultan is not being accompanied by his wife during his stay. 

The King was dressed in top hat and tails, while Camilla wore a red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, hat by Philip Treacy and a ruby and diamond flower brooch – with the colour seemingly a nod to the Omani flag, as was Kate’s dark green coat dress.

The King took off his top hat to greet the Sultan, giving him a wide smile as he shook his hand following the Omani ruler’s arrival.

Kate smiled and gave a deep curtsey as she also shook Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said’s hand in the royal line-up.

A royal salute was fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the East Lawn of nearby Home Park to mark the occasion.

The Sultan later joined the King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, in a carriage procession through Windsor town to Windsor Castle.

The King and the Sultan travelled in the Irish State Coach, with the Queen and H.H. Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, behind in the Scottish State Coach.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were together in the Australian State Coach along with H.H. Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and H.H. Sayyid Loay bin Ghalib Al Said, Secretary General of the Diwan of the Royal Court.

Following a private lunch in the State Dining Room, joined by Members of the Royal Family, Their Majesties will invite the Sultan to view a special exhibition of items relating to Oman from the Royal Collection, in the Green Drawing Room.

In the evening, His Majesty, accompanied by the Queen and Members of the Royal Family, will host a glittering State Banquet at Windsor Castle for the Sultan – the highlight of which will undoubtedly be the ladies’ gowns and tiaras.

The King and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik will deliver speeches at the beginning of the banquet.

The present Sultan acceded to the throne in 2020 following the death of his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, becoming the fifteenth ruler of the Al Bu Said dynasty which has ruled Oman since the mid-eighteenth century.

He has also been dubbed ‘one of the most discreet billionaires alive’.

The sultan is married with four children, although his wife is not accompanying him on this State Visit.

The ruling Omani family has enjoyed good relations with the British royal family and the Sultan has met the King and Queen on several occasions previously. Oman is considered one of Britain’s oldest friends in Arabia.

One of the Sultan’s main challenges is seen to be the need to oversee Oman’s transition from over-reliance on oil revenues to a diversified economy.