he Princess of Wales looked nothing short of stunning on Wednesday, 3rd December, as she and Prince William officially welcomed the German Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife, Ms Büdenbender, at Heathrow airport, before the foursome started their journey to Windsor, where King Charles and Queen Camila were waiting for a ceremonial welcome at the castle.
Catherine, 43, looked dazzling in her new outfit for the occasion, wearing an almost indigo blue coat dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (the designer behind her iconic wedding dress), which covered her black dress by Burberry. The royal switched up her trademark bouncy curls for a super sleek and straight hairstyle – her mane simply shone in the sun!
The royal topped her modern ‘do with a blue hat, and blinged up with a sparkling pair of earrings, which belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Diana’s Earrings
It’s interesting that Catherine chose to wear her late mother-in-law’s jewellery for this important moment. Maxwell Stone from Seven Stone commented: “The Princess of Wales was wearing a pair of sapphire and diamond drop earrings. Previously owned by Princess Diana, they feature two cabochon sapphire drops, surrounded by diamond halos.’
Photo: © Getty Images
Princess Diana wore the cluster style earrings on multiple occasions – most notably on the cover of Vogue in 1994 and to the 1996 Met Gala. Until Catherine publicly debuted them at the 2022 Trooping the Colour parade, the sentimental earrings had been unseen since the sad passing of the late Princess. I’d estimate them to be worth £30,000.”
Photo: © Getty Images
Respected judge and First Lady Elke looked equally elegant in a simple black shift dress, a matching tailored coat, high heels and accessorised with an eye-catching diamond necklace.
The Princess of Wales Pays Homage to Germany Through Fashion
Last month, Catherine almost stopped traffic in her emerald green velvet off-the-shoulder gown by Talbot Runhof to the Royal Variety Performance on November 19, 2025.
Photo: © POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Although the sumptuous design was a past-seaon purchase, many royal fashion fans remarked that perhaps it was a nod to an official state visit, as Talbot Runhof is a German design she has never worn publicly before.
As a fashion editor specialising in royal style, I adored this red carpet look. Excitingly, I was working on the evening of the Royal Variety Performance, and I was immensely looking forward to seeing what Catherine would wear. The Princess has stepped out in a lot of suits in 2025, so the anticipation of a possible formal number at the Royal Albert Hall was at the top of my wish list!
Photo: © James Whatling
The royal mother-of-three came through with the Talbot Runhof dress. Of course, she hadn’t worn the designer before, which is always exciting, and I have to say, it was definitely a different look for her. Not only was it pretty body-conscious in cut, but it had an off-the-shoulder neckline, which is a subtly ‘sexy’ look. The glamorous jewel green tone nodded to the Yule Tide season, and it really suited her English Rose complexion, too.
Photo: © Getty Images
Princess Catherine’s Last State Visit
2025 has been a busy year for State visits. The last was in September, for the State Visit of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. When she welcomed the American couple to the UK, Catherine wore memorably wore a charming cranberry coat dress by one of her go-to designers, Emilia Wickstead, with a coordinating Jane Taylor hat, adorned with a satin bow, and a historical heirloom – Queen Alexandra’s Three-Feather Brooch.
