This week Kate attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace for the first time, and she completely nailed it. Wearing a stunning red, vintage-inspired floor-length evening gown, she looked like a 1950s film star. Pure elegance. And with one of Europe’s finest tiaras (last worn by the Queen Mother), her look was complete… a bona fide Princess.
I absolutely loved Kate’s choice of dress here, even if it did (perhaps) steal a wee bit of thunder away from the Queen. Red was a great choice for Kate’s outfit; a striking colour that often suits brunettes but also a respectful nod to the President of China, whose visit to the UK was the reason for the state banquet.
Kate’s dress is striking, but what’s even more interesting is the statements about the monarchy that her ensemble makes. In wearing red she honours the culture of her primary guest, a diplomatic technique learnt from the Queen. The Queen often wears certain colours as a compliment to her hosts, like when she wore green in Dublin or a green hat with arrows when she visited Nottingham, the home of Robin Hood. When Kate makes the same gesture by choosing to wear red when dining with the President of China, she is sending a strong signal that she will continue to dress to reflect diplomatic relationships, just like the Queen. In fact, you could see her outfit as a big statement of dynastic intent – by mimicking the Queen she implies a continuation of monarchy in the Queen’s own distinctive style. Let’s hope so. After all, the Queen’s current relationship with the British people is at an all time high and we do have a real soft spot for her.
