Throughout the years, Kate would wear the Lovers’ Knot tiara at six such diplomatic dinners, as well as for a 2017 state banquet in honour of King Felipe and Queen Letizia, a 2019 dinner for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and a 2025 dinner for President Macron. When the royals gathered to welcome US President Donald Trump to Buckingham Palace in 2019, Kate was wearing her favourite tiara, and she also chose it for her first state banquet as the Princess of Wales when the Firm hosted South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022.
Senior royals and esteemed guests donned their white tie finery – and their tiaras – for a night celebrating the diplomatic ties between the two countries. The state banquet, a highlight of any state visit, is particularly significant to solidify ties between the US and UK. Queen Elizabeth II hosted some 100 heads of state during her historic reign, starting with King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden in 1954.
The dress code for a state banquet is typically white tie, court dress and full dress uniforms. This includes national dress. Men typically wear a black tailcoat and trousers, white piqué shirt with wing collar, white piqué waistcoat with lapels and three buttons and a white piqué bow tie. Crucially, decorations and medals of honour are also worn. For women, it is a ballgowns, gloves, decorations and tiaras, if appropriate. This rare opportunity for royals to bring out the most precious of pieces in the royal collection is what makes it such an exciting evening for royal watchers. The King and The President also delivered speeches at the beginning of the Banquet, whilst the dinner featured fanfares by The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry, and performances by The Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra, which comprises of musicians from the Royal Corps of Army Music.
Earlier today, in a video shared on the royal family’s official Instagram account, the King and Queen could be seen surveying a vast table adorned with huge silver-gilt centrepieces taken from the Grand Service, filled with handpicked seasonal flowers and herbs from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. The caption read, ‘The King and Queen inspect the banquet table in St George’s Hall ahead of this evening’s State Banquet. The culmination of work across the Royal Household, every detail needs to be perfect for a visiting Head of State.’