How Kate Middleton Honored the Late Princess Diana at State Dinner

Kate Middleton paid tribute to the late Princess Diana during one of her first official royal [...]

Kate Middleton paid tribute to the late Princess Diana during one of her first official royal outings since returning from maternity leave.

The Duchess of Cambridge, who welcomed her third child with Prince William, Prince Louis Arthur Charles this past April, stepped out for the Dutch state banquet at Buckingham Palace Tuesday night, her ensemble paying homage her late mother-in-law.

Donning a light blue Alexander McQueen gown for the event, which was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II r for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and attended by 150 guests, Middleton accessorized her gown with a number of items from Princess Diana's jewelry collection.

Middleton, who also paid tribute to Princess Diana when stepping out of St. Mary's the Lindo Wing following Prince Louis' birth, wore the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara. Created by Queen Elizabeth's grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1913, according to Good Morning America, the tiara was gifted to Princess Diana on the day of her wedding to Prince Charles in July of 1981. It soon became one of her most beloved tiaras.

The Duchess opted to pair the sparkling tiara with Princess Diana's Collingwood diamond and pearl drop earrings. She also donned a necklace that was given to Queen Alexandra from King Frederick and was then passed down, now belonging to Queen Elizabeth's collection of pearls and diamonds.

This is far from the first time a member of the British Royals has paid tribute to the late Princess. Last week, Meghan Markle wore several pieces of jewelry from Diana's collection while in Sydney, Australia as part of her 16-day royal tour with Prince Harry.

The newly-minted Duchess of Sussex wore her late mother-in-law's gold butterfly earrings, which Diana had worn during a trip to Canada on May 3, 1986. She also sported Diana's gold bracelet, which had been worn by the late Princess while visiting the Lord Gage Centre for Old People in Newham, East London in 1990.

Although Princess Diana never had the chance to meet her daughters-in-law, she reportedly had them in her mind prior to her death. In a "letter of wishes," she reportedly instructed her sons how to divide her jewelry collection and included special instructions for them to share the jewelry with their future wives.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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