Even before I set eyes on the Princess of Wales’s State Banquet outfit on 18th March, I knew that it was going to be a masterclass in story-telling. Stepping out at the event to honour Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu she dressed in an emerald green gown by Andrew Gn and the late Princess Diana’s go-to, the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot tiara.
Kate has always paid tribute to the visiting nation through her clothing and jewellery at State Banquets and this time she also included some details that said a lot about her own royal role. There were three elements that stood out to me most, starting with the colour palette.
The Princess of Wales has never worn green to a State Banquet before and ahead of the occasion I predicted that green and/or white would be her choice. These are the colours on the Nigerian flag and she honoured them beautifully with her silk dress and the pearls on her tiara.
The frock had a pleated skirt that gave it a lovely drape and the high neckline and long-sleeves were flowy and feminine. She could’ve gone for emerald jewellery to match, though the pearl tiara was something even more classic and incorporated a pop of white to go alongside the green.
However, Kate’s court heels did perfectly coordinate with her gown and they’re the second interesting detail that struck me. She’s owned these green satin Manolo Blahnik shoes for several years and you might recognise them as the first time we glimpsed the heels was in her first ever joint official portrait with Prince William.
It’s now on display at Peterborough Cathedral and the shoes are featured prominently, as the Princess opted for a midi-length Vampire’s Wife dress for the portrait. This was a huge moment for the couple and the final image feels so regal and definitely captured a sense of the couple being the future of the monarchy.
I think it’s interesting she re-wore them to the State Banquet as it harks back to this milestone and its associations. Then there’s the third key detail - the Princess of Wales’s hairstyle. She wore her brunette hair in waves with the tiara secured neatly behind her ears, leaving face-framing pieces loose.
At every State Banquet in Queen Elizabeth’s reign Kate had her long hair in an updo which was timeless and quite formal. In recent years she’s established a new tradition and in all but one of the State Banquets since King Charles ascended the throne, she’s gone for a loose hairstyle.
This just feels a little more relaxed and contemporary, and this pretty much sums up Prince William and Kate’s approach to royal life. They’ve developed their unique way of doing things and are far more personal, taking selfies with fans and signing off messages with just their initials.
It’s a small thing, but the Princess’ State Banquet hairstyle ties in with this ethos. She and Prince William will play an even bigger part in diplomacy when they’re King and Queen, so starting off creating this impression now with visiting dignitaries starts as they mean to go on.
Ultimately, the Princess of Wales’s entire look was a lovely way to present herself on this world stage and to honour Nigeria. Earlier in the day she welcomed the President and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to the UK wearing a dove-grey outfit by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, which also tied into the focus of the visit and the relationship between the two countries.
