William, Catherine and Harry joined The Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace to mark King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia's royal visit to the UK. The Duchess of Cambridge dazzled in Princess Diana 's signature tiara and a necklace borrowed from The Queen last night as Britain rolled out the red carpet for the Spanish state visit. Kate and William joined The Queen and Prince Philip as they host King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain for a glittering State Banquet at Buckingham Palace. It was just the sixth time Kate has worn a tiara and the third time she has chosen the pearl and diamond Cambridge Lover's Knot, which was given to Diana as a wedding present from The Queen in 1981. The Duchess teamed the glittering headpiece with a dress by Marchesa and a dazzling necklace belonging to The Queen - the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Bandeau Necklace, a V shaped diamond and ruby collar ending in a diamond drop pendant. The Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara was made by royal jewellers Garrard in 1914 for Queen Mary and passed down through royal generations. It was allegedly so heavy that it gave Diana headaches, however she wore it several times. After her death it was kept in a safe until it was given to Kate, who has worn it twice before - at the annual Buckingham Palace diplomatic reception in 2015 and 2016. Kate also wore Princess Diana's Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings. Glamorous Queen Letizia, in her third outfit of the day, was also wearing a tiara and a full-length evening gown. Letizia also wore an impressive diamond tiara, which was a wedding present from King Alfonso XIII to his wife Princess Victoria Eugenie, who became Queen Ena of Spain - the great-grandmother of Felipe and also an ancestor of Elizabeth II. Kate is often seen as the more conservative dresser of the two with Letizia's sartorial choices considered more daring. But the Duchess's Marchesa gown featured flamboyant cuffs and a low lace V-shaped neckline at the front and back. Known for championing Spanish couturiers such as Felipe Varela and Lorenzo Caprile, Letizia supports high street chains Zara and Mango. Kate is a fan of British labels including Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham, as well as high street labels Whistles and LK Bennett. At 35, the Duchess is nearly a decade younger than 44-year-old Letizia. Both have two children. Letizia and Felipe have two girls, 11-year-old Leonor and 10-year-old Sofia, while Kate and William have Prince George, nearly four, and two-year-old Princess Charlotte. Crown Prince Felipe's relationship with former journalist Letizia was conducted in complete secrecy until their surprise engagement was announced in 2003. Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was already a household name - a well-recognised television presenter and award-winning reporter who covered events such as the Iraq War and 9/11. She had worked at various newspapers, as well at Bloomberg, CNN+ and Spain's state TV company Television Espanola. The daughter of a journalist and a nurse, and the granddaughter of a taxi driver, she first met the prince at a colleague's dinner party in 2002. The fact that she was also a divorcee led to criticism from hardline monarchists - Letizia wed a teacher in a civil ceremony 1998. Their marriage lasted just one year. But the journalist-turned-royal bride - who became Queen consort at Felipe's side in 2014 - has proved popular with the public for her down-to-earth approach. During her engagement photocall, she made headlines when she told Felipe in public to shut up. "Let me finish," she said, smiling, in front of the cameras. Kate worked as a part-time accessories buyer for Jigsaw Junior, run by friends of her family, and then worked at her parents' firm Party Pieces. She shot to fame because of her relationship with William, whom she met at university and dated for some eight years before they wed in 2011. Kate has a mix of middle and working class heritage, descended from a family of solicitors and landed gentry on her father's side and butchers, plasterers, road sweepers and domestic servants on her mother's. Charles and Camilla were also at the State Banquet having welcomed the Spanish couple earlier in the day. Camilla looked regal in a cream Bruce Oldfield gown, a sash with the Dame Grand Cross of the Victoria Order and a Queen's Family Order brooch given to her by The Queen on her 60th Birthday The royals were all smiles at the grand State Visit, the highest form of diplomatic contact between Sovereign states, which it is hoped will nurture relations between the two countries as Britain prepares to leave the EU. However, behind the gilded veneer were concerns about simmering tensions over Brexit negotiations and the thorny issue of Gibraltar's sovereignty (July 12, 2017) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE_hLN0nt2G3z7dQGSktiLA/videos

• published: 13 Jul 2017
• views: 940330