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Kate Middleton Wears A Tiara For Just The Third Time, Obviously Looks Superb [Images]

By Gregory Wakeman
Published on: 11:05 PST, Oct 20, 2015

Kate Middleton wore a tiara for only the third time on Tuesday evening to commemorate Chinese president Xi Jinping’s state trip to Buckingham Palace.

Wearing a gorgeous red dress as well as the tiara, which previously belonged to the Queen Mother, Kate Middleton looked truly stunning, sitting at the head table alongside her husband, the Duke Of Cambridge Prince William, the Queen, Xi Jinping, and his wife Peng Liyuan.

Kate Middleton actually had a rather impressive seating place at the event, as she was actually the second most senior royal female at the banquet. This meant that she was seated behind the Queen, and next to President Xi.

You can check out some images of Kate Middleton at the Buckingham Palace state dinner below.

One hundred seventy guests arrived at Buckingham Palace for the state banquet, which was hosted by Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, and saw the Chinese national anthem played to welcome the head guests.

Alongside the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Kate Middleton, were various other members of the royal family, including Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne.

This was the first occasion that The Duchess Of Cambridge Kate Middleton had attended a state dinner at Buckingham Palace, and it is the start of a four-day state visit by the Chinese president and his wife. This visit has been orchestrated to cement economic ties between Great Britain and China.

Kate Middleton, 33, who has worn a tiara on just two other occasions, wore a Papyrus tiara, which is also known as the Lotus Flower, for the event.

This tiara has been a staple of the Royal family for several decades now, having been previously owned by the Queen Mother, while it was also a firm favorite of Princess Margaret too.

According to Hello Magazine, Kate Middleton has only ever worn a tiara in public on two previous occasions. The first of which was her 2011 wedding to Prince William at Westminster Abbey, where she wore a Cartier Halo tiara.

This is actually the second time that Kate Middleton has donned the Papyrus/Lotus Flower tiara, having worn it for a diplomatic reception back in 2013 too.

Not in attendance at the event were Prince Charles and the Duchess Of Cornwall. The heir to the English throne and his second wife had shared an afternoon tea at Clarence House alongside the president and his wife earlier in the day.

Speaking at the state banquet, Queen Elizabeth II spoke directly to the Chinese president and his wife and praised their home nation.

“Prince Philip and I recall with great fondness our visit to China almost 30 years ago, where we were privileged to experience your country’s rich history and culture,” the Queen remarked. “Including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors: all unforgettable memories of China’s ancient civilisation.”

According to the Mirror, the Queen also praised the growing relationship between Great Britain and Chian, calling Jinping’s trip a “milestone” and remarking that they “have much reason to celebrate the dynamic, growing economic relationship between our countries.”

President Xi Jinping will follow up Tuesday night’s state banquet dinner with a meeting with David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, at Downing Street on Wednesday, which will then be followed by a dinner at Cameron’s country retreat in Buckinghamshire on Thursday.

[Images via Dan Kitwood/Getty Images & Getty Images/Chris Jackson & WPA Pool/Getty Images]

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