Kate Middleton Wears Princess Diana's Tiara in First State Dinner as Princess of Wales

By Stephanie Downs

Kate Middleton, aka the Princess of Wales, was every bit a princess at a recent state dinner at Buckingham Palace. Entertainment Tonight reported that Middleton attended a state dinner on Tuesday night at Buckingham Palace to welcome South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. As the publication noted, she even took a page from Princess Diana's handbook with her choice of tiara. 

Tuesday night's state dinner was the first that the royal family held since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The event saw all of the major royals attend, including Middleton, Prince William, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. For the occasion, the female members of the royal family brought out their best tiaras. Middleton donned the Cambridge Lover's Knot, which was a favorite of Princess Diana's. She completed the look with a stunning caped gown complete with crystal embellishments at the shoulders.

The Princess of Wales is especially fond of this tiara, as she has worn it 10 times since joining the royal family. Like Middleton, Camilla also took a cue from another member of the British royal family for her choice of attire. According to ET, she wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara, an accessory that was previously owned by the late Queen Elizabeth. Camilla went all-out on the sapphire theme, wearing a matching blue dress for the event. 

This event also marked the first state visit of Charles' reign. During the dinner, he gave a speech in which he honored his late mother. He said, "South Africa, like the Commonwealth, has always been a part of my life. My mother often recalled her visit in 1947, the year before I was born when from Cape Town on her 21st birthday, she pledged her life to the service of the people of the Commonwealth. It is therefore particularly moving and special that you are our guest on this first state visit we have hosted." As PEOPLE noted, Charles then shared a fun tidbit about his mother, telling everyone the nickname that the late Nelson Mandela had for her. 

"During one of my own visits to South Africa, in 1997, President Mandela told me that he had conferred on my mother a special name – Motlalepula, meaning 'to come with rain,'" the king shared. "I have been reassured that this was a mark of the particular affection President Mandela felt for the Queen… rather than a remark on the British habit of taking our weather with us!"

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