The Princess of Wales made a stunning return to royal duties, dazzling guests at her first state banquet in nearly two years. Kate wore a dark red silk creponne Givenchy evening gown as she joined the King, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales for the French state visit dinner at Windsor Castle.
The future queen embraced diplomatic fashion by choosing a floor-length dress created by her wedding dress designer Sarah Burton for the French fashion house. This marked a thoughtful nod to the evening's guests, French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron.
Return after cancer battle
Kate's appearance at the grand royal dinner was particularly significant, coming 20 months after her last state banquet in November 2023. The princess was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and confirmed she was free from the disease at the start of this year.
The gathered evening gown featured elegant caped back detailing, whilst Kate wore her hair down and donned her favourite Lover's Knot tiara. The piece was much loved by Diana, Princess of Wales.
Touching moment with William
Kate and William were pictured smiling and gazing at each other as they arrived together at Windsor Castle. The couple walked side by side before the banquet, with Kate carrying a lily of the valley embroidered evening clutch.
She wore the Rosette of Grand Officier l'ordre nationale du merite, the Royal Family Orders of Charles III and Elizabeth II, and the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order with GCVO sash and star. William was dressed in white tie with the Most Noble Order of the Garter Sash and miniature medals.
Candid cancer recovery comments
Last week, the princess opened up about her "rollercoaster" cancer recovery during a visit to Colchester Hospital. She spoke about the life-changing impact and putting on a "brave face" throughout her treatment.
At the banquet, Kate was seated next to President Macron and the pair chatted ahead of the King's toast. On her other side sat art historian Christophe Leribault, chairman of the Musee D'Orsay, reflecting Kate's university studies in history of art.
Queen Camilla's elegant ensemble
Queen Camilla wore an ivory silk and crepe embroidered evening gown by Fiona Clare for the occasion. She paired it with a sapphire and diamond tiara, necklace, earrings and bracelet, all part of Queen Elizabeth II's sapphire suite.
The Queen also wore the Legion d'Honneur French sash, Garter Star and the King's family order. Mrs Macron chose a vivid blue caped evening gown with gold epaulettes-style detail on the shoulders.
Historic Windsor Castle setting
This marked both William and Kate's first time at a Windsor Castle banquet, with the last one staged there 11 years ago for Irish President Michael D Higgins in 2014. Some 160 guests attended, including Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Elton John in the impressive St George's Hall.
Earlier in the day, Kate had already embraced French fashion for her daytime engagements, choosing Christian Dior. Her blush pink Dior jacket was the 30 Montaigne Rose Des Vents Bar Jacket from the 2024 collection, paired with a tulle skirt and a sleek hat by Jess Collett.
The princess was charmed with a kiss to the hand by Mr Macron as she and William met the French leader at RAF Northolt. The French president took Kate's hand and leaned forward to deliver an air kiss towards it, marking the beginning of the first French state visit to the UK for 17 years.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
