Duchess Kate wore Jenny Packham & the Lotus Flower Tiara to the state dinner

Well, well. The Duchess of Cambridge attended her first-ever state dinner last night at Buckingham Palace. Not only that, but Kate was given a place of honor beside Chinese president Xi Jinping (the Queen was seated on President Xi’s other side). For her big coming out as a diplomatic heavy, Kate debuted a new gown by Jenny Packham. It was a pretty good choice, considering it was red (that must have been why she chose it) plus a modest high neck and scalloped lace cap sleeves. I honestly don’t hate this look on her.

Kate tamed her wayward bangs trauma into an elegant updo, the best to feature her borrowed diamond earrings and borrowed tiara. The tiara is the Lotus Flower tiara and it was once owned by the Queen Mother. It was a favorite of Princess Margaret as well. Kate has worn the diamond chandelier earrings at least once before, and when she wore them the other time, it was widely believed that they were on loan from the Queen. Kate generally doesn’t have those kinds of heavy-duty diamond pieces in her personal collection, so it makes sense that every piece she wore was on loan. Oh, and she appears to be wearing two heavy-duty diamond bracelets as well. Wow, the Queen let Kate borrow a lot!

The Queen wore her sapphire suite, also known as the George VI Victorian Suite. The Queen’s father, King George VI, gave her the HUGE diamond and sapphire necklace and earrings as a wedding gift, and later on, the Queen had a matching bracelet and tiara made.

Other royals were at the state dinner too – the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Princess Royal, notably. Notably absent? Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. I might devote a separate post to their absence! Also, some food details: the Queen served “filet of West Coast Turbot with lobster mousse, roasted loin of Balmoral venison in madeira and truffle sauce and plenty of bubbly and wine.”

Photos courtesy of Getty.

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