Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, surprised style watchers by packing a pink metallic dress from The Vampire’s Wife, a favorite of It girls, for her royal tour of the Caribbean. But for a formal dinner hosted by Jamaica’s governor general, the royal returned to a trusted favorite.
The shimmering green princess gown Kate wore to the event at King’s House on Wednesday, March 23, was by Jenny Packham, a British designer the royal has worn time and again over the years.
Kate’s cloudlike princess dress featured an off-the-shoulder neckline with ruffle trim and beading at the waist for a hint of sparkle. Sequins are something of a Packham signature (the duchess previously lit up Royal Albert Hall in top-to-toe gold sequins at the premiere of No Time to Die back in September), but no embellishment could compete with Kate’s jewelry: emerald pieces borrowed from the queen’s collection.
It seems a lot of thought has gone into the accessories that went into the duchess’s suitcases ahead of her and Prince William’s high-profile tour. Kate previously touched down in Belize wearing a blue lace skirt suit (also Jenny Packham) with a pair of sapphire drop earrings and a necklace refashioned from Princess Diana’s sapphire suite, a gift to Diana from Saudi Arabia’s royal family on the occasion of her 1981 wedding.
Last night’s jewelry choice–earrings and a bracelet from the queen’s emerald tassel parure–served as a sweet nod to Her Majesty, who celebrates her Platinum Jubilee this year (and makes her debut on the cover of British in the April issue). Kate Middleton’s frequent appearances in the crown jewels over the years are a sign of the queen’s affection for her grandson’s wife. In April last year, the duchess memorably wore a four-strand pearl choker on loan from Her Majesty to the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
This post originally appeared on Vogue U.K.
