Kate Middleton looked dazzling in a diamond tiara as she and Prince William made a surprise trip to a lavish Jordan royal wedding.
The Princess of Wales wore the Lover's Knot tiara, often seen on Princess Diana, teamed with a pink, embellished gown for the evening reception at the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and his new wife Princess Rajwa at the Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman, the Mirror reports.
The diamond and pearl-encrusted headpiece was made in 1914,from pearls and diamonds already in 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 following her death, the glistening headpiece was passed down to Kate, which is now perhaps her most favourite pieces of royal jewellery.
Kate and William joined guests from around the world at the royal event of the year with 140 guest at the Zahran Palace, including Princess Beatrice and 140 guest at the Zahran Palace.
William and Kate's trip to Jordan was not announced in advance and their arrival was confirmed by Jordanian state media a few hours before the start of the palace marriage ceremony.
The pair were seen being greeted by the groom's parents King Abdullah and Queen Rania with Kate curtseying to them and they had a lengthy chat before they headed to watch Hussein, 28, who wore military uniform, marry 29-year-old Rajwa, whose bridal gown was also by Elie Saab.
The couple wed in an Islamic marriage ceremony known as a "katb ktab" held in a gazebo in the garden of the Zahran Palace and it was conducted by the Royal Hashemite Court Imam Dr Ahmed Al Khalaileh.
The British royals were all seen greeting the newlywed couple with hugs and kisses on the cheeks. It was then announced that Rajwa had been bestowed with a HRH title and will be known as Princess Rajwa.
Hussein, 28, who is the eldest son of Abdullah and Rania, is known to have a close bond with William, who made a solo trip to Jordan in 2018.
They watched England's emphatic victory over Panama in that year's World Cup as he had missed in on his trip over. Kensington Palace later shared a picture of William watching the rerun on a huge screen alongside Hussein as they reclined on a huge grey corner sofa.
Queen Rania is a member of William's Earthshot Prize Council and Jordan is also a special place for Kate, who lived there for three years as a young child when her dad Michael Middleton was relocated there while working for British Airways.
In 2021, the couple took their children to Jordan for a private holiday, with a family snap at the ancient city of Petra from that getaway featuring on their Christmas card that year.
Hussein is a graduate of the UK's Sandhurst Military Academy, and Rajwa's engagement was announced last August with a ceremony to mark it taking place in the bride's home city of Riyadh.
The wedding comes after a difficult period for Jordan’s monarchy, including a public rift between the king and his half-brother, with some commentators interpreting the national celebrations as a way of shoring up public support at a time of persistent economic difficulties.
Other guests at the wedding included Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his Australian-born wife Crown Princess Mary as well as the heir to the Swedish throne Crown Princess Victoria and husband Prince Daniel.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands are also there as well as the King of Belgium and his young heir Princess Elisabeth. The US is represented by its First Lady Jill Biden.
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