Fit for a princess! Kate Middleton looked like something out of a fairy-tale on Tuesday, Dec. 3, when she and Prince William attended a white-tie diplomatic reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
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Per tradition, the Duchess of Cambridge donned a tiara for the occasion. The bejeweled headpiece appeared to be the Papyrus Tiara, which features papyrus-shaped mounts framed in scrolls, with arching diamond trails and pearl accents. It originally belonged to the Queen Mother and is on loan to Middleton from Queen Elizabeth II.
The tiara was tucked neatly into the royal stunner's recently dyed dark brunette tresses, which she wore in a half-up, half-down style. She also donned a gown by Alexander McQueen.
Duchess Catherine has not been photographed in a tiara since her April 2011 wedding, when she wore the Cartier "halo" tiara. Made in 1936 and purchased by King George VI for his wife, the "halo" tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth II for her 18th birthday and lent to Middleton on the occasion of her marriage to Prince William.
The Dec. 3 white-tie event, known officially as the Diplomatic Christmas Reception at Buckingham Palace, is an annual engagement honoring the 172 foreign missions currently accredited to the Court of St. James's in London. The Queen, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other attending royals, will meet every head of mission in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom. (Approximately 1,500 people have been invited from more than 130 countries.)
Incidentally, one year ago today is when the royal couple announced they were expecting their first child together. They welcomed a baby boy, Prince George, in July 2013.
