The Princess of Wales made a series of discreet changes to a new Elie Saab gown before wearing it to a lavish royal banquet held in honour of the Sultan of Oman last night, where she appeared alongside senior members of the royal family.
Kate, 44, arrived with Prince William in the striking floor-length creation, which featured flowing fabric, a dramatic cape, a braided neckline and an elegant keyhole detail.
The original design, presented during the Lebanese designer’s Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear show, included a transparent overskirt layered over a considerably shorter dress, along with a much lower neckline.
For the formal royal occasion, however, the gown was noticeably adapted to create a more traditional and demure silhouette.
The sheer skirt was replaced with opaque fabric, while the neckline was raised and shortened, giving Kate’s version a more modest finish suited to the prestigious engagement.
She completed the look with one of her most recognisable royal accessories: the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara. Kate has worn the historic piece 15 times over the past 10 years, including at the previous royal state banquet in March.
Decorated with diamonds and pearls, the celebrated tiara has travelled through several generations of the royal family. Its former owners include Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, before it became part of Kate’s jewellery collection.
Hair stylist Tatiana Karelina previously told the Daily Mail that Kate’s frequent decision to wear the tiara is deliberate. The piece is said to flatter the princess’s oval face shape and work particularly well with her preferred loose waves and low chignon hairstyles.
The Princess of Wales gave her new Elie Saab gown a royal makeover before joining senior royals at a glittering banquet celebrating the Sultan of Oman last night.
Kate, 44, looked elegant in the flowing cape-style gown, which featured a braided neckline and keyhole detail as she arrived alongside Prince William.
Karelina also pointed to a practical explanation for the tiara’s status as a trusted favourite: its familiar design makes it easier to secure comfortably and safely in Kate’s hair.
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot was created in 1914 by royal jeweller Garrard for Queen Mary, who commissioned it using diamonds and pearls already in her collection.
The design was inspired by a tiara once owned by Queen Mary’s grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, who married the first Duke of Cambridge, the seventh son of King George III, in 1818.
Its appearance reflects a strong French influence, with a neoclassical structure formed from 19 openwork diamond arches and an oriental pearl drop suspended from a diamond lover’s-knot bow.
To create the bespoke jewel, Queen Mary repurposed pieces from her existing collection, including elements of the dismantled Some Ladies of England Tiara, pearls from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, and pearls taken from several of her favourite brooches.
She later removed the tiara’s upper row of pearls and returned them to the brooches from which they had originally come.
Queen Mary eventually left the tiara to the late Queen Elizabeth II in her will. The former monarch wore it on many occasions, including an evening engagement in 1955.
In 1981, Queen Elizabeth II presented the tiara to Prince William’s mother, Diana, as a wedding gift. Diana first wore it later that year at the State Opening of Parliament in November.
Following Diana’s death in 1997, the historic tiara was stored in a secure room at Buckingham Palace. It was later given to Kate, then known as the Duchess of Cambridge, in 2015.
On the runway for the Lebanese designer’s Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection, the gown featured a sheer skirt layered over a much shorter dress and a plunging neckline.
She paired it with her favourite tiara, the Cambridge Lover’s Knot, which Kate has worn 15 times in the last decade – including at the last royal state banquet in March
The Princess of Wales wore the Cambridge Lover’s Knot at the state banquet for Nigeria’s President and First Lady in March
The Princess of Wales with Khalid bin Hilal Al Busaidi at the State Banquet at Windsor Castle yesterday
Kate first wore the family jewel on December 8, 2015, when she attended the late Queen’s annual Diplomatic Reception in a touching tribute to her mother-in-law.
Since then, the mother of three has worn it 15 times – including for the royal wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa in 2023, the first state banquet of King Charles’s reign in 2022, and during US President Donald Trump’s state visit last year.
And she had it removed from storage for last night’s high-profile royal engagement, as Kate accessorised the ethereal gown with diamond earrings and a bracelet that belonged to Queen Elizabeth.
She joined the King, Queen and Prince William for the state banquet – just hours after Prince Harry’s interview insisting he wants to reconcile with his family.
The monarch was accompanied by William and Catherine, Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as they hosted Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said and his retinue in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle.
William was dressed for the occasion in a white tie with the Windsor tail coat, his Most Noble Order of the Garter Sash with the Lesser George and other medals and decorations.
Camilla looked regal in a purple chiffon dress by Fiona Clare, while Charles sported the Sash of the Order of Al Said, an honour given to him by the Sultan of Oman earlier in the day.
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One hundred and sixty guests were invited to dine on Scottish langoustine and Cornish crab, pot roasted Windsor pheasant and stuffed cabbage, individual baked Alaskas with Balmoral Plum and Windsor Estate honey ice cream.
It came hours after the King’s youngest son Harry insisted he wants to reconcile with his family, while denying he was taking a ‘swipe’ at his brother William when declaring: ‘Some people don’t want it to work out.’
The Duke of Sussex, who has not spoken to William for four years, admitted in an interview with GQ that he is grieving his ‘complicated relationships’ with the King and the Prince of Wales.
Charles spoke of the importance of the friendship between Britain and Oman at a time of ‘painful’ conflict in the Middle East.
King Charles, the Sultan of Oman and Queen Camilla at the banquet
Queen Camilla and H.H. Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said walk in procession to the event
The Sultan and King Charles share a laugh at the banquet this evening
And amid the continuing drama around Harry, he told the Sultan of Oman of his pride that both ‘our sons’ – William and the Crown Prince of Oman – had become joint patrons of the Jewel of Arabia expedition, a cultural and environmental trek through the region last year.
‘Your Majesty, there can be few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next,’ he said.
His speech came at the end of a damp but successful day as the Sultan arrived at Windsor Castle at the start of a three-day State Visit.
Oman is one of Britain’s oldest and most trusted allies in Arabia and the British Government requested the state visit to emphasise trade, military and cultural links at a perilous time in the region.
Toasting his guests at the banquet, Charles said it was a ‘treasured moment to receive dear and old friends’.
‘Oman is one of Britain’s oldest allies and, after all these years, I pray, one of your closest friends,’ he said.
He said he had been ‘immensely fortunate and blessed’ to have come to know Oman well over many visits and praised both the late Sultan’s ‘inspired leadership’ and the present leader’s ‘energetic and far-sighted leadership’.
Turning to the current conflict, he said: ‘I would especially like to recognise, at a time when conflict has returned so painfully to the region, Oman’s enduring commitment as a trusted interlocutor to all parties.’
And referring to the Strait of Hormuz he said: ‘Oman’s noble efforts in trying to keep open one of the world’s most important shipping routes have been of great service to the whole international community, and particularly to the most vulnerable of those affected.
‘Oman’s role across the Gulf and her “constructive neutrality”, as you put it, matters far beyond Hormuz, and is worthy of our utmost respect.
‘The unique and special relationship we share helps to make the world and our peoples safe.’
The King also highlighted the environmental challenges facing both countries and the ‘promise and peril’ of AI.
He concluded: ‘Your Majesty, I hope this State Visit shows the importance the United Kingdom attaches to Oman, its monarchy and institutions, and to our friendship with you personally.’
Tuesday night’s 50-metre-long table, which runs the whole length of the room, was laid with 480 knives, 480 forks, 160 spoons and the Grand Service, commissioned by George IV, which runs to more than 4,000 silver-gilt pieces.
In a touching tribute, the centre 12-light St George and the dragon candelabra, commissioned by William IV in 1833, was decorated with pomegranates grown on a tree planted by the late Duke of Edinburgh around 50 years ago on the East Terrace.
The unseasonably warm summer has caused it to fruit so staff decided to use them as decorations, although they are not to be consumed afterwards as they are inedible.
For the first time, the salt on the table has been imprinted with the King’s royal cypher.
Among the guests were athlete Mazoon Al Alawi and sailor Mohsin Al Busaidi. It also marked Andy Burnham’s first state banquet as Prime Minister.
During Harry’s interview yesterday, the Duke was asked directly whether he really wanted to heal the rift with his brother and father. Harry replied: ‘Of course I do. With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile. That’s the key point.’
But in remarks widely interpreted as a dig at William, he added: ‘Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out.’
Hours after the interview was published, a Sussex spokesman insisted the remark was not aimed at his older brother as speculation mounted over who Harry was referring to.
He said: ‘It was absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family.
‘The comment was made in a general context and was not directed at his family in any way.’