Kate Middleton Shines In Golden Phillipa Lepley Gown At The US State Banquet
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27 minutes ago
The Princess of Wales opted for real style at last night’s dinner event
It’s been a pretty full-on month for Kate Middleton. Since returning to royal duties after the summer holidays, the Princess of Wales has debuted a new hair colour, attended Rugby World Cup matches and even paid a visit to Suffolk’s silk mills. But this week marked an even bigger occasion on the royal calendar: the US state visit. And to mark the occasion, the royal family hosted an extravagant, high-profile dinner. The dress code? Royal finery. Here’s everything you might have missed from the US state banquet, plus a closer look at Kate Middleton’s stunning evening dress.
Royal Highlights From The US State Banquet
Over 160 guests flocked to St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle, where a lavish dinner took place to welcome the arrival of President Donald Trump and First Lady wife Melania to the UK. Hosted by the British royal family, the room was set up with a giant 50 metre long table laden with ornate floral arrangements, folded napkins and drinking glasses (six per guest, naturally).
The decadent three-course dinner – consisting of quail egg salad, chicken ballotine and vanilla ice cream bombe (more on that here) – drew in a pretty high profile crowd. Alongside Donald and Melania Trump were eight senior members of the royal family, including King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales. They were joined by a host of business magnates, like Apple boss Tim Cook, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, as well as a number of UK politicians: Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Running late into the evening, the banquet saw guests mingle and chat amongst each other while being serenaded by a live orchestral band – as well as listen to speeches from King Charles and Donald Trump.
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What Did Kate Middleton Wear To The US State Banquet?
For the US state banquet, Kate Middleton wore a gold and ivory gown consisting of an ivory bodice and long, matching skirt, with a sheer lace overlay embroidered with gold flowers. Echoing the Princess of Wales’ wedding dress from 2011, the design also featured a high neckline and long sleeves, with the lace skirt parting at the waist to allow the ivory underskirt to peek through.
The gown was a bespoke creation by British designer Phillipa Lepley, who is best known for her work in couture bridal and eveningwear. Based in London’s South Kensington, the designer has developed a signature style steeped in classic detailing and timeless elegance.
Kate Middleton, while a champion of homegrown designers, has only worn a Phillipa Lepley creation one before – during a visit to the Bahamas in 2022.
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But the dress was only half the look. The Princess of Wales turned to the royal family vault for a number of accessories, which included Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara. A favourite of Middleton’s, the pearl and diamond jewel tiara features an intertwined lovers’ knot and diamond arches (with large drop pearls dangling from each one).
Named after its first owner, Queen Mary, the tiara was originally created in the early 19th century – and was a copy of the headpiece gifted to Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel, Duchess of Cambridge. Queen Mary kept hold of the tiara until her death in 1953, when it was then passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, and later Kate Middleton. The Princess of Wales has reportedly worn the piece of jewellery on 12 other public occasions over the last 10 years, making it her most preferred tiara.
Middleton also opted for a pair of large teardrop earrings that once belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, made up of a line of four diamonds framed by a cluster of round stones.
In her hand, meanwhile, she carried and ivory version of Anya Hindmarch’s Maud clutch bag, while on her feet she wore a pair of Aquazzurra Fenix 105 pumps in gold nappa leather (the same pair she chose for her Bond Girl outfit at the premiere of No Time To Die).
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What Was Pinned To Kate Middleton’s Dress?
As this was a formal (and political) occasion, the Princess of Wales was also required to wear a stack of medals and brooches as a nod to her role in the royal family.
Over her dress, she wore a pale blue sash, a star medallion and a Maltese cross – all of which signify her title as Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) – as well as two Royal Family Orders, which were pinned to the sash itself. These ribbons are special honours that are bestowed by the reigning monarch to female members of the royal family, in recognition of their dedicated service.
The yellow ribbon is the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, which was awarded to the royal when she was still the Duchess of Cambridge in 2017, and the blue ribbon is the Royal Family Order of King Charles III (the US state banquet marked the second time the Princess of Wales has worn this pin in public).
Watch: The King’s Speech From The US State Banquet
You can catch a glimpse of what went on at the US state banquet (as well as get a closer look at what Kate Middleton wore) below:
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