Advertisement

Kate Middleton Has Another Tiara Moment (in a Headpiece Not Seen in Years!) for Palace Reception

Kate Middleton is back with a stunning accessory from the royal vaults!

The Princess of Wales joined Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening for the Diplomatic Reception. The event is held each year, with the royals welcoming hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps to the palace's State Rooms.

Kate, 40, wore the Lotus Flower Tiara, marking the first time she's sported the headpiece since 2015. She previously wore the sparkler at the 2013 diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace as well as the 2015 state banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

2M0JE2G King Charles III (left) during a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday December 6, 2022.
2M0JE2G King Charles III (left) during a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday December 6, 2022.

alamay Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother created the Lotus Flower Tiara out of a necklace that was a wedding gift from her husband, the future King George VI, according to The Court Jeweller. Their daughter Princess Margaret later wore the piece — and Princess Margaret loaned the piece to Serena Stanhope when Serena married Margaret's son in 1993.

RELATED: Every Time Kate Middleton Has Worn a Tiara — See the Photos!

2M0JE2G King Charles III (left) during a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday December 6, 2022.
2M0JE2G King Charles III (left) during a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday December 6, 2022.

alamay Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Princess Kate paired the tiara with a red gown by Jenny Packham as well as a blue sash and her yellow Royal Family Order.

She completed her look with earrings that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla appeared at the reception in the Belgian Sapphire Tiara that previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Diplomatic Reception did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2022, Queen Elizabeth, who died in September, followed the advice of the U.K.'s Foreign Secretary to postpone the reception that was scheduled to take place on March 2 at Windsor Castle amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The glamorous reception comes just two weeks after Kate made her tiara debut as the Princess of Wales. For a state banquet honoring South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Nov. 22, Princess Kate wore a white gown by Jenny Packham paired with Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara.

2M0JE2G King Charles III (left) during a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday December 6, 2022.
2M0JE2G King Charles III (left) during a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday December 6, 2022.

alamay King Charles and Queen Camilla

With pearls hanging from diamond knots, the tiara was a favorite of her mother-in-law, Princess Diana. According to the Court Jeweller, the headpiece is more than a century old and was originally commissioned from the jeweler Garrard by Queen Mary in either 1913 or 1914. It is a replica of a tiara owned by Mary's grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The Princess completed her look with a bracelet that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II and earrings that previously were her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's.

Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022 in London, England. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles III as monarch, and the first state visit here by a South African leader since 2010
Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022 in London, England. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles III as monarch, and the first state visit here by a South African leader since 2010

Chris Jackson/Getty Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate MiddletonMeghan Markle and more! 

Before the state banquet last month, it had been three years since Kate sported a tiara. She had most recently worn such a headpiece for the Diplomatic Corps reception in December 2019, when she wore the Lover's Knot tiara paired with the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace and a navy velvet gown with long sleeves by Alexander McQueen (her bridal gown designer!).