The Princess of Wales stunned in a scarlet dress by Jenny Packham as she stepped out of Buckingham Palace with the Prince of Wales tonight for the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception.
Kate, 40, dazzled in the popular British fashion designer’s jeweled dress and lotus flower tiara as the royal family welcomed diplomats to the London residence amid the intense wait for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentaries .
The mother-of-three accompanied the Prince of Wales, also 40, King Charles, 74, and Queen Consort Camilla, 75, to the Diplomatic Corps’ first reception in three years as they welcomed hundreds of guests at the glamorous event.
Keeping her long brown tresses loose, Kate showed off the Queen’s Diamond Frame earrings, which she paired with Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Family Order.
It comes after Meghan and Harry were seen for the first time since their inflammatory Netflix trailer – when they arrived in New York on a private jet to accept an award for their “heroic” stand against “structural racism” in the royal family.
The Sussexes, pictured yesterday, will receive a human rights award at tonight’s The Ripple of Hope gala, which will sell tickets for up to $1 million (£847,000). Past winners include Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The royal family braces for more attacks from Meghan and Harry when the first episode of their “explosive” Netflix series is released on Thursday.
The Princess of Wales, wearing a red lace dress by Jenny Packham with the lotus flower tiara she has worn on occasion, addresses guests at the palace
Kate addresses guests at the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace tonight
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are arriving at the Palace tonight for the reception
Previously, the Prince and Princess of Wales looked loved-up as ever in heartwarming behind-the-scenes Instagram snaps taken at this year’s Earthshot awards ceremony in Boston.
The royal couple, both 40, appeared to be channeling Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – who recently shared a slew of intimate photos in the explosive trailer ahead of their documentary later this week – in theatrical black-and-white shots.
Mother-of-three Kate was effortlessly elegant in a strapless dress, with her auburn locks cascading down her back; She was snapped walking in the form-fitting ensemble, which featured a slit at the back.
Meanwhile, another intimate shot showed the pair standing side by side, with William’s arm around his wife, while a second showed Kate clapping for her husband as he spoke at the podium.
The Prince and Princess of Wales looked loved-up as ever in heartwarming Instagram snaps from behind the scenes at this year’s Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston
Meanwhile, the black and white photographs of Kate show off her accessories with a glamorous choker previously worn by her mother-in-law Princess Diana and chic earrings.
William, 40, looked dapper in a sophisticated black suit and matching bow tie as he attended the ceremony last week.
The couple (pictured) shared the carousel on their royal Instagram account and wrote: “Celebrating brilliant solutions and the inspiring people behind them!”
Another intimate shot showed Kate proudly clapping for her husband as he spoke on the podium
Kate, 40, was effortlessly elegant in a creamy white dress that bared her shoulders, auburn curls cascaded down her back
Sharing the carousel on their royal Instagram account, the couple wrote, “Celebrating brilliant solutions and the inspiring people behind them!”
The Earthshot Prize has long been a project close to Prince William’s heart, who launched it in 2020 to find solutions to climate change.
The ceremony marked the end of a whirlwind tour in Boston, where the pair made an impressive impact on US media.
The Boston Herald said the future queen “dazzled” at the awards ceremony, while People magazine noted that she stunned the crowd in her glamorous outfit and stole the spotlight with the ensemble.
The New York Post described the ceremony as a “home run” for the future king and queen.
The couple didn’t receive a warm welcome throughout their three-day trip, however, as the pair were booed by some onlookers while they sat courtside to watch basketball team Boston Celtics take on the Miami Heat earlier this week.
A New York Times article also added fuel to the fire after documenting Bostonians’ reactions to the royal couple’s visit and concluding that it was indifferent at best.
The piece quoted a woman saying she ‘[didn’t] Concerned” about the royal visit, while another said there was “no chatter” about visiting local bars and clubs, as might be expected.
Another man was quoted as saying: “I said to my wife this morning I dress my pants the same way he does – why is he so special?” while others were documented complaining about the potential traffic congestion that the visit would cause.
Despite the reception, Kate looked relaxed as she took a solo tour of Harvard University after speaking to experts at the Center on the Developing Child.
She was heard saying that the people of Boston were “so kind” to her and her husband during their short trip and told well-wishers she was “so grateful” that people came to say hello.
Certainly, William and Kate needed the trip to go smoothly. While there was already a lot of pressure on the gala, that weight increased tenfold in the wake of the controversy that overshadowed the couple’s US tour.
Before the couple had even landed in the US, a furious row had erupted in the UK after Lady Susan Hussey, the prince’s godmother, was accused of sexually assaulting black British domestic violence activist Ngozi Fulani at an event at Buckingham Palace making racist comments.
Then, on the first full day of their tour, Harry and Meghan dropped a trailer for the bombastic Netflix documentary, which hinted at fresh attacks on the monarchy – and has been described by insiders as a “declaration of war” on the Waleses and the royal family.
William, 40, looked dapper in a sophisticated black suit and matching bow tie during the ceremony
The teaser dashed any hopes that the Sussexes are willing to work toward a truce in their bitter battle with the royal family.
The California-based couple must look to the future after the release of their explosive Netflix documentaries this week and the release of the Duke of Sussex’s memoir in January, a royal author has claimed.
Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Inside Story of the Palace Power Struggles, told Lorraine Kelly he believes the Montecito-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex “can’t keep being the couple complaining about the past “.
The royal correspondent added that the Prince of Wales’ camp was “tired” of Harry and Meghan’s media campaign and there was “absolutely no chance” of a reconciliation between the two brothers and their wives.
The ceremony marked the end of a Cyclone tour in Boston, where the couple (pictured at Boston City Hall) made an impressive impact on US media
Despite this, reports claim that senior family members are planning a “business-as-usual” approach amid the turmoil surrounding the Harry and Meghan documentary.
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