Kate Middleton Went Full Fairytale Princess in a Tiara and Bedazzled Gown for King Charles' First State Banquet

Just picking my jaw up off the floor.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022 in London, England. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles III as monarch, and the first state visit here by a South African leader since 2010.
(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

My jaw dropped when I saw the pictures.

Princess Kate attended her first state banquet as Princess of Wales on Tuesday, and I don't think it's dramatic to claim she wore her best royal outfit yet.

Welcoming President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa for the banquet hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla, Kate quite literally dazzled in a floor-length white gown by Jenny Packham. The stunning dress featured sparkling embellishments around the padded shoulders, and slit long sleeves. It's basically her No Time to Die premiere dress if you ripped off most of the sequins, made the neckline higher, and loosened up the fabric a bit.

Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022 in London, England. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles III as monarch, and the first state visit here by a South African leader since 2010.

Princess Kate at the state banquet for President Cyril Ramaphosa

(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

The Prince Of Wales And The Duchess of Cornwall, And The Duke And The Duchess Of Cambridge Attend The World Premiere Of “No Time to Die”

Then-Duchess Kate at the 'No Time to Die' premiere

(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

But the Princess of Wales didn't leave all the sparkly heavy lifting to her sumptuous gown. She paired it with the Lover's Knot tiara—which was previously worn by both Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana—for the full fairytale princess effect.

Reporting on the princess' outfit, royal editor Rebecca English tweeted, "The Princess of Wales is wearing a dress by Jenny Packham, the Lover’s Knot tiara, the Royal Family Order, and the GCVO Star and Sash, a bracelet belonging to the late Queen and earrings belonging to the late Princess of Wales."

I'm especially interested in the Royal Family Order, which—as it turns out, is a yellow fabric bow, adorned with a mini bejeweled crown and framed photo of the late Queen as a young woman. This accessory is worn like a brooch.

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, wearing a brooch depicting the late Queen Elizabeth II, attend a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in London on November 22, 2022, at the start of the President's of South Africa's two-day state visit. - King Charles III hosted his first state visit as monarch on Tuesday, welcoming South Africa's President to Buckingham Palace.

(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022 in London, England. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles III as monarch, and the first state visit here by a South African leader since 2010.

(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

Last but not least, if you look carefully, you can see the princess' sparkly heels poking through as she walks.

Last but not least, if you look carefully, you can see

(Image credit: Photo by Pool / Getty)

And in case you're interested, there was no foie gras on the menu, but there were lots of other fancy-sounding dishes to be had.

Royal biographer Omid Scobie shared the menu on Twitter, which included terms like "Windsor pheasant" and "panaché." Like I said: fancy.

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.