Kate Middleton stunned tonight at the State Banquet wearing one of Princess Diana 's favourite tiaras.
The Princess of Wales, 40, swept her hair into an intricate up-do to showcase the Lover's Knot tiara as she attended tonight's lavish event at Buckingham Palace for the first time in her new role.
She also wore a caped, white Jenny Packham floor-length evening dress with sparkling detail on the shoulders. Princess of Wales also opted for a matching white Alexander McQueen clutch, and Gianvito Rossi heels.
Kate also wore the family order, the GCVO Star and Sash, as well as the four-strand pearl bracelet belonging to the late Queen and Diana's diamond and pearl drop earrings.
The Lover's Knot Tiara, a diamond and pearl-encrusted headpiece made in 1914, was often worn by her namesake Diana, Princess of Wales.
The sparkling headpiece was made by Royal jeweller Garrard in 1914, from pearls and diamonds already in to Queen Mary's possession. However, it was a copy of one owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, who married the first Duke of Cambridge in 1818.
It was given to Diana by the Queen as a wedding gift in 1981, and she wore it for the first time at the state opening of parliament that November.
Following her death, the glistening headpiece was passed down to Kate, it is now perhaps her most favourite pieces of royal jewellery.
Kate arrived with the Prince of Wales William as they joined more than 160 guests for a glittering white-tie evening affair at Buckingham Palace in honour of the South African president.
Her appearance at the state dinner marks one of the most glamorous royal moments in years, after grand gatherings like these were put on hold during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Prince William adorned his suit with the Garter Star, the Thistle Star and three miniature medals for Queen Elizabeth's three Jubilees that he was a part of (Gold in 2002, Diamond in 2012 and Platinum in 2022).
Queen Consort Camilla wore the sapphire collection, sometimes known as the King George VI Victorian Sapphire Suite.
It is said to have been of great sentimental importance to the late Queen.
The necklace was a gift from her beloved father, George VI, for her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Camilla was also dressed in a royal blue lace evening dress by Bruce Oldfield, the Garter sash, Queen Victoria's garter order and the late Queen's family order.
Camilla joined King Charles as he welcomed South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier today in another milestone for the new monarch.
King Charles is wearing the Garter Star and Thistle Star, along with three miniature medals (for the Gold, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee).
Other members of the royal family that have arrived include the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
Female members of the Firm were seen sporting the Royal Family Order, which is a brooch that shows a portrait of the late monarch on a yellow ribbon, and is worn at all state banquets.
His Majesty will be treating Mr Ramaphosa to a luxury menu of stuffed Windsor pheasant and grilled brill with wild mushrooms tonight.
All the royals and their guests, dressed in gowns and jewels, will take their seats at the horseshoe-shaped table for the occasion.
President Ramaphosa will be seated between the King and Princess of Wales.
The lavish menu offers two mains of grilled brill and Windsor Pheasant.
Some of the sides included a selection of Chantenay carrots, kale with roasted butternut squash, braised fondant potatoes and salad.
And for dessert, guests will enjoy an iced vanilla parfait with caramelised apples or coffee and bite-sized confectionery were the options for dessert.
Some of the wines on offer include £75 Taylor's Vintage Port 1983, a Château Feytit-Clinet and a Pomerol 2000.
Other bottles of wine include a £60 Ridgeview Blanc de Blancs 2016, an English sparkling wine that goes at £60 a bottle, a £77 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, a Morgeot, Clos de la Chapelle, a £61 Domaine Duc de Magenta 2014, and a £55 Château Rieussec 1er Grand Cru Classé Sauternes 2007.
Earlier this evening, the King and Queen Consort followed the late Queen's tradition of inspecting the table to make sure everything was in order, ahead of the evening event in honour of the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Tonight, the King personally requested that only sustainable flowers be used on for massive dinner table tonight.
In the Buckingham Palace ballroom, the grand horseshoe-shaped table, set for 163 people, was decorated with blooms sourced from the palace gardens and Windsor Castle.
And in a new addition to the traditional floral centrepieces at banquets during the late Queen's reign, the table was also lined with hundreds of tiny individual stem glass vases, each filled with pink, red and purple flowers.
Cyclamen, nerines, rosehips, anemones, amaryllis, chrysanthemum blooms and hydrangea made up the elaborate display, as well as crab apples sourced from Kent.
The foliage included variegated berried ivy, trailing green ivy, flowering viburnum, mahonia japonica and berried cotoneaster.
A spokesman for the King said: "It was the King's decision to ask for sustainable flowers.
"They are all seasonal and from the gardens of Windsor and Buckingham Palace. They have not been flown in from around the world."
Other high-profile guests tonight will include Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Lord Speaker John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith, and Baroness Amos.
Buckingham Palace revealed that it takes around five days to build the table for the state banquet.
