Kate Middleton Makes Jaw-Dropping Entrance in the Biggest Tiara She’s Ever Worn at State Banquet

Kate Middleton made a dazzling entrance at Windsor Castle on Dec. 3 as she stepped out for her third tiara appearance of 2025 — and her most striking one so far.

The Princess of Wales, 43, joined Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla and other senior royals for a white-tie state banquet in honor of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to the U.K. The glittering evening at Windsor Castle marked the first German state visit to Britain in 27 years.

For the occasion, Princess Kate wore Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara for the very first time, pairing the statement piece with a shimmering blue gown by Jenny Packham. She completed the look with diamond earrings once worn by Queen Elizabeth, along with the Royal Family Order and the sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order.

The historic headpiece is Kate’s fifth different tiara since joining the royal family — and visually, its scale makes it her boldest choice to date.

According to jeweler Garrard, the Oriental Circlet was created in 1853 for Queen Victoria under the direction of her husband, Prince Albert. Kate’s decision to showcase the tiara for a German state banquet may have been a subtle tribute to their guests, as Prince Albert was born in Germany.

Originally, the tiara was set with opals, but Queen Alexandra later swapped them for rubies. Over the decades, it has also been worn by the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth, though the late monarch is believed to have worn it publicly only once — during a 2005 visit to Malta. Kate’s appearance at the banquet marks the first time the tiara has been seen in public since that outing.

Since marrying into the royal family, the Princess of Wales has gradually built a small but significant tiara rotation, wearing four other designs at state banquets, diplomatic receptions and royal weddings before adding the Oriental Circlet to the list.

Her tiara journey began on her wedding day in 2011, when she chose the Cartier Halo Tiara for her walk down the aisle to marry Prince William. Since then, she has also worn the Lotus Flower Tiara, the Strathmore Rose Tiara and the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara.

Most recently, Kate selected Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara for the state visit of U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in September. The classic piece was paired with a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley, featuring a full-length, hand-embroidered gold Chantilly lace evening coat layered over a silk crepe dress.

In July, she wore the same tiara for the French state visit, marking her first tiara appearance since 2023. The gap reflected her reduced public schedule throughout much of 2024 while she underwent cancer treatment. She later shared in January that she was in remission.

Kate recently skipped another potential tiara moment when she did not attend the Diplomatic Corps reception at Windsor Castle on Nov. 18. Although she has taken part in the white-tie event in previous years, this time she bowed out after a solo engagement earlier that day at the Future Workforce Summit in London, where she delivered her first royal speech in years.

While Kate debuted a new tiara, Queen Camilla opted for one of the pieces most closely associated with Queen Elizabeth: the Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Tiara.

The royal party at the banquet also included Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence; Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh; and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Among the high-profile guests were model Claudia Schiffer (known as Lady Vaughn following her husband Matthew’s recent honor), composer Hans Zimmer and children’s author Axel Scheffler.

Following the formal procession, guests took their seats at a spectacular 45-meter-long table. The German president was seated between King Charles and Princess Kate, while Queen Camilla and Prince William were positioned directly opposite them.

St. George’s Hall received an extra festive touch for the evening, with an enormous, fully decorated Christmas tree adding to the grandeur alongside the usual state banquet decor.

One of the night’s highlights was the royal procession around 3:30 p.m. local time. King Charles and Queen Camilla entered with Germany’s president and first lady, followed by Prince William with Dr. Dörte Dinger (State Secretary and Head of the Office of the Federal President) and Princess Kate with Sebastian Roloff (a member of the German Bundestag, Chair of the German-British Parliamentary Friendship Group and Economic Policy Spokesperson of the SPD Parliamentary Group). Claudia Schiffer also took part in the procession, walking alongside German politician Dr. Johann Wadephul.

The menu for the evening showcased ingredients from the royal estates, including Windsor partridge. One of the featured wines, Chateau la Fleur-Pétrus, Pomerol, was from 1995 — the year President Steinmeier and his wife celebrated their wedding. In keeping with a newer tradition started with the change of reign in 2022, there was also a bespoke cocktail honoring the visiting nation. This one incorporated cherry brandy, nodding to the first time King Charles tasted alcohol at school, with cherry and chocolate notes meant to evoke Black Forest gateau.

The scale of the table setting reflected the grandeur of the occasion: laid for 152 guests, it required 152 spoons, 320 knives and a matching number of forks. A total of 760 glasses and 158 candles lined the table, which was decorated with seasonal flowers and foliage sourced from the grounds of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. After the event, blooms that could not be reused were slated to be donated to Floral Angels — a charity supported by Queen Camilla — to be distributed to hospices, care homes for older people and local shelters.