The Princess of Wales pulled off a quick outfit change between engagements on the first day of the Sultan of Oman’s state visit – on the same day Prince Harry said he wants to reconcile with his family.
Both times, she delivered a masterclass in diplomatic dressing as she joined the King, Queen, and the Prince of Wales in welcoming the Omani ruler to Windsor Castle today.
For her first engagement, Prince William‘s wife repurposed a gorgeous emerald Alexander McQueen coat and a matching Juliette Botterill fascinator in an apparent nod to Oman’s flag.
It came just hours after her brother-in-law, the Duke of Sussex, made a reconciliation plea to his family as he said he ‘wants it to work out’, before adding that ‘some people don’t want it to work out’.
The remarks were initially viewed as an apparent dig at William, but a spokesman for the Sussexes later insisted it was not aimed at his older brother.
Kate, meanwhile, showed once again today she was well practised in the art of sartorial diplomacy; her outfit also included a sentimental piece of jewellery as the future Queen paid tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Glistening on the lapel of her coat was the 160-year-old diamond and emerald brooch that once belonged to the ‘People’s Princess’ and was gifted to Kate by King Charles in 2022.
Her accessories also included a black quilted Chanel bag, Manolo Blahnik pumps and dazzling earrings from Cassandra Goad worth £3,830.
But the future Queen changed her look completely by the time she was pictured viewing an exhibition in the Castle’s Green Room.
Kate let her bronde tresses down and switched her black lace blouse for a £260 Norma Kamali midi dress in the same deep green shade as her Alexander McQueen coat.
Kate opted for a £260 Norma Kamali midi dress for her second official engagement with the Sultan of Oman today
She also took off her fascinator as her bronde tresses fell in glamorous, loose waves
The brooch was first given as a wedding gift to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 by the Ladies of Bristol when she married Bertie, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and the couple became King and Queen.
Following Alexandra’s death, the jewel was reportedly handed down to her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary and then onto the Queen Mother, who subsequently passed it on to Diana on her marriage to Charles in 1981.
The heirloom piece comprises a cabochon teardrop emerald pendant dangling from an oval of diamonds with the three-feathered insignia of the Prince of Wales inside.
Below the diamond-studded coronet is a banner bearing the words Ich Dien (I serve).
It was fashioned into a necklace by the late Princess of Wales, who wore it to a glittering gala evening in 1986 with a pair of matching emerald earrings.
Diana was on a state visit to Austria with Charles when she wore the dazzling jewel to the Burgtheater in Vienna.
It will have been handed back to the Queen upon Diana’s death in 1997 as the brooch is considered the property of the monarch.
King Charles gifted it to Kate in 2022 as a way of honouring the women who have held the Princess of Wales title before her – including Diana.
Earlier, Harry, who has not spoken to his brother William for four years, admitted in an interview with GQ that he is grieving his ‘complicated relationships’ with the King and the Prince of Wales.
Asked directly whether he really wanted to heal the rift with his brother and father, Harry replied: ‘Of course I do. With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile. That’s the key point.’
But in remarks widely interpreted as a dig at William, he added: ‘Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out.’
Hours after the interview was published, a Sussex spokesman insisted that the remark was not aimed at his older brother as speculation mounted over who Harry was referring to.
He said: ‘It was absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family.
‘The comment was made in a general context and was not directed at his family in any way.’
Prince Harry made a reconciliation plea to his family and said he ‘wants it to work out’ on the same day King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Waleses welcomed the Sultan of Oman to Windsor for a state visit
The princess looked radiant as she joined senior royals on the first day of the state visit
The Princess of Wales viewing a display of items from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle during the Sultan of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said’s state visit
Kate looked adoringly at her husband, the Prince of Wales
Kate’s dark green coat dress appeared to be a nod to the Omani flag
The Princess of Wales delivered another masterclass in diplomatic dressing in a green coat dress to welcome the Sultan of Oman to England at the start of his three-day state visit
For the occasion, Prince William’s wife repurposed a gorgeous emerald Alexander McQueen coat and a matching Juliette Botterill fascinator in a subtle nod to Oman’s flag
Glistening on the lapel of her coat was the 150-year-old diamond and emerald brooch that once belonged to the ‘People’s Princess’ and was gifted to Kate by King Charles in 2022.
Kate’s look of love! The Prince and Princess of Wales captured in a tender moment during today’s engagement
Kate gave a deep curtsey as she also shook Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said’s hand
In the evening, His Majesty, accompanied by the Queen and Members of the Royal Family, will give a glittering State Banquet at Windsor Castle for the Sultan – the highlight of which will undoubtedly be the ladies’ gowns and tiaras
The duke, who is on speaking terms with the King but has not seen him since moving back to Britain, admitted that returning to the UK had brought his painful family rift back to the fore.
Asked if he thinks he could repair ‘this wound’, the Duke of Sussex replied: ‘Yeah of course, I think every wound… look, scars stick around forever but… what your perception is and what your mindset is to these things that have happened, certainly letting go of the past, that’s something that I would encourage everybody to do.
‘If there’s certain things from the past that’s still affecting your everyday, that’s harder to let go of. But yeah, for me, there’s enough drama in the world and enough drama in people’s lives than to continue with issues with family.’
The interviewer interjected ‘it’s not worth it?’ and Harry said: ‘That’s hard to say to people when you’re in it.’
Harry was the latest guest on GQ’s One More Question interview series.
It was recorded in late September and released today.
Earlier in the day, William met the Sultan at one of his private UK residences before escorting him to Windsor where the King, Queen and the princess, who had travelled down together from the castle a few minutes earlier, were waiting to meet him in the town centre.
In a change to the traditional arrangements, Kate did not accompany William to the Sultan’s private residence. The planned adjustment was made because the Sultan is not being accompanied by his wife during his stay.
The Sultan gifted Charles a painting, a traditional Omani ceremonial sword, and a decorative framed photograph from the King’s visit to Oman in 2016.
Meanwhile, the ruler of Oman was presented with a Mamluk-style brass box with engravings by graduates of the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, and dual cypher cufflinks.
After the formal greetings, they travelled back to the castle in a procession of carriages for a full ceremonial welcome in the castle quadrangle.
The planned adjustment was made because the Sultan is not being accompanied by his wife during his stay.
The King was dressed in top hat and tails, while Camilla wore a red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, hat by Philip Treacy and a ruby and diamond flower brooch – with the colour seemingly a nod to the Omani flag, as was Kate’s dark green coat dress.
The King took off his top hat to greet the Sultan, giving him a wide smile as he shook his hand following the Omani ruler’s arrival.
Kate smiled and gave a deep curtsey as she also shook Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said’s hand in the royal line-up.
A royal salute was fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the East Lawn of nearby Home Park to mark the occasion.
The Sultan joined the King in the Irish State Coach for a horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets of Windsor to the castle, ready to attend the ceremonial welcome in the quadrangle.
The King took off his top hat to greet the Sultan, giving him a wide smile as he shook his hand following the Omani ruler’s arrival
A royal salute will be fired at Home Park in Windsor, and at the Tower of London
In the pouring rain the royals and their guests then stepped into the ornate coaches
Prince William and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik at The Sultan’s residence in London
The state visit is a first by an Omani ruler for 44 years, the last one was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1982
Charles was seen to pat down his hair as he sat in the carriage as the Household Cavalry readied their horses for the start of the short journey.
The Queen followed in the second carriage – the Scottish State Coach – accompanied by Oman’s deputy prime minister for defence affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were in the third carriage – the Australian State Coach – with the deputy prime minister for economic affairs Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said and secretary general of the diwan of the royal court Sayyid Loay bin Ghalib Al Said.
Taking in Thames Street High Street, Park Street and the castle’s Cambridge Gate – with the route lined by an impressive display of all three Armed Forces – the procession entered through the George IV Gateway into Windsor Castle.
The King then invited his guest to inspect a Guard of Honour before the group moved inside for a private lunch.
Following lunch, the royal party went to the castle’s Green Drawing Room where a display of items from the historic Royal Collection highlighting the warmth of UK/Omani relations over the centuries had been set out for the guests to examine.
The King and Queen escorted the Sultan, followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Kate finished the look with a black lace blouse, Juliette Botterill fascinator and emerald earrings
Charles showed off two of his own paintings to the Sultan – two landscape water colour paintings from his trip to Oman in 1995 – the first time he own artwork has been displayed as King.
Charles told the Sultan: ‘These are two of my paintings.’
The Sultan nodded and said ‘good’.
When the princess arrived at the King’s paintings, she told guests: ‘These are paintings by His Majesty. He is a very good water colourist himself.’
Other artefacts on display included an Abraham Parsons 1775 travel account of Muscat, tiara given by Oman to Queen Victoria for her 1838 Coronation, and 1647 gold medallion of Queen Elizabeth I given on 1982 State Visit.
In the evening, His Majesty, accompanied by the Queen and Members of the Royal Family, will host a glittering State Banquet at Windsor Castle for the Sultan – the highlight of which will undoubtedly be the ladies’ gowns and tiaras.
The King and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik will deliver speeches at the beginning of the banquet.
The present Sultan acceded to the throne in 2020 following the death of his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, becoming the fifteenth ruler of the Al Bu Said dynasty which has ruled Oman since the mid-eighteenth century.
He has also been dubbed ‘one of the most discreet billionaires alive’.
The sultan is married with four children, although his wife is not accompanying him on this State Visit.
The ruling Omani family has enjoyed good relations with the British royal family and the Sultan has met the King and Queen on several occasions previously. Oman is considered one of Britain’s oldest friends in Arabia.
One of the Sultan’s main challenges is seen to be the need to oversee Oman’s transition from over-reliance on oil revenues to a diversified economy.
