Tuesday 25 August 2015

Kate's 5 sparkliest moments

The Duchess of Cambridge is to attend a banquet during the Chinese State Visit this autumn meaning we get another chance to see Kate do diamonds. Since her marriage, this particular royal has been rather shy when it comes to dipping into the family jewellery box but a gala dinner means tiaras and no duchess likes to pop one of those on her head without a few more sparklers to balance things up. Kate is about to get very glittery indeed. So in anticipation, here are Kate's five sparkliest moments so far.


1. A beautiful bride

Why there was ever discussion ahead of her wedding as to whether Kate Middleton would wear a tiara I don't know. OK, she didn't have a family heirloom to use but she is going to be Queen of England one day so the idea of her turning up to her wedding with a couple of butterfly hairclips or a rose tucked behind one ear was always the wrong option. For her debut as a royal she wore the Cartier Halo tiara which was made in 1936 and bought by the future George VI for his beloved wife, Elizabeth, better known to the 21st century as the Queen Mother. It contains no less than 888 diamonds and also came with that special family link of being a gift from the Queen's father to her mother. About as perfect as it gets.





2. Granny in law's diamonds

Back at the beginning of 2014 there were rumours that the Queen had told Kate she needed to wear more jewellery. The royal command was said to be for longer skirts and more diamonds and like the sensible duchess she is, Kate turned up at an art event in a full length midnight blue evening gown with some of the most impressive diamonds in the Royal Family's collection to match. The duchess chose the Nizam of Hyderabad diamonds for an appearance at the National Portrait Gallery in February 2014. The dress and diamonds were dazzling, the modern hair missed but overall it showed that Kate does sparkles very well.




3. A quirky way to add glitter

A few months later, on her tour of New Zealand, Kate only had a few chances to show off a bit of evening wear but her first after hours appearance allowed her to add a bit of bling in a rather unusual way. At a reception at Government House, the duchess chose a black cocktail dress with diamante fern on one shoulder to pay tribute to her hosts. It was all rather elegant with a Diana style nod to wearing sparkles in a more original way.





4. The unstoppable newlywed



There was another stand out sparkly moment on Kate's first royal tour. The brand new Duchess of Cambridge visited Canada alongside her husband in July 2011 and at an event to mark National Day she borrowed another of the Queen's most famous pieces of jewellery, her maple leaf diamond brooch. Set against the simplicity of a striking purple dress with a tan and a smile to envy, it dazzled onlookers for miles. 




5.  A real spray of sparkle



Sometimes, glitter needs space to breathe. And in the past four years, Kate has shown off a few truly sparkly looks including a dress worn just weeks after giving birth to Prince George. The head to toe sequin look was a pretty confident way of announcing the duchess was back in business - it's not too many women who show off their post baby tummy in endless sparkles but this dress showed just how comfortable Kate is in the public eye. Who needs diamonds when you can sparkle like this?


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