The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been front and center for the Chinese state visit to the United Kingdom, thanks to Prince William's trip to the country earlier this year. As the state visit continued yesterday, they accompanied President Xi and Madame Peng for a Lancaster House event focusing on creative collaboration between the two countries.
Dolce & Gabbana may have been a surprise selection for the Duchess (even if a lace dress of any sort was anything but surprising), but she was hopping on board
a royal mini-trend for these D&G dresses. Her guipere lace dress in a plum shade was paired with accessories in similar shades.
The dress itself, I love. I don't find it too evening-ish (not any more so than the rest of her lace dress collection, really), but at the same time, I'm waiting to see it at an evening event with an updo so that lace turtleneck collar can breathe, and also for maximum Edwardian flair.
The state banquet on Tuesday was
handled at the Jewel Vault with full coverage and full jewel identifications for all family members
, but since I like babbling about tiara stuff and since it never hurts to look at pretty gowns more than once, let's sum up the big Cambridge state banquet debut.
Kate's first state banquet appearance proved she paid particularly close attention to the Sartorial Symbolism section of her
How to Royal It Up: The Right Way handbook. Her bespoke Jenny Packham gown is red, the color of joy and good fortune in China. And while I rejoice that she wore
the Lotus Flower Tiara again just because I like it so much more than her
wedding tiara, there's more to it since the lotus symbol has significance of its own in Chinese culture.
Video: Short look at the state banquet. A longer version, including the royal family's entrance and both speeches, is posted at the Vault.
Those seeking some internal royal family symbolism in the form of
a royal family order for Kate were in for a letdown when she turned up order-free. (Count me among the unsurprised; the rest of those yellow-bowed brooches were handed out to those doing the "full time royal" gig, and we know the Queen doesn't give honors out like candy. Kate's future holds plenty of RFO-wearing, anyway.) But if jewel loans are anything to go by, all is copacetic between Cambridge #1 and the Boss Lady: the tiara, her diamond chandelier earrings, a
diamond bracelet from Queen Mary via the Queen Mother,
and the bracelet Prince Philip designed for the Queen as a wedding present were all on loan to the Duchess. The Wedding Gift Bracelet, known so well as a personal part of Her Maj's collection, was an extra special surprise.
Now that we have all that blah blah blah aside, did ya like the look? For me, well, it has a swishy skirt. And you know my stance on Things That Are Swishy. (Which is, to be clear: WANT.)
Photos: via Getty Images, Net-a-Porter, Telegraph video screencap
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