Kate’s modest makeover: Princess alters plunging neckline and sheer skirt on Elie Saab dress – teamed with her go-to tiara for Oman state banquet

The Princess of Wales altered her new Elie Saab gown to suit a royal banquet as she joined senior royals for a glittering reception honouring the Sultan of Oman last night.

Kate, 44, put on an elegant display in the flowing dress with a dramatic cape, braided neckline and keyhole cutout as she arrived for the banquet with Prince William.

When seen on the catwalk as part of the Lebanese fashion designer’s spring/summer 25 Ready-to-Wear collection, the design featured a sheer skirt over a much shorter dress and a plunging neckline.

However, Kate’s version had clearly been modified to make it more appropriate for the formal royal engagement.

The princess had the dress tweaked so that the skirt was no longer transparent and the neckline was shortened to make it more modest.

Somewhat predictably, she paired it with her favourite tiara, the Cambridge Lover’s Knot, which Kate has worn 15 times in the last decade – including at the last royal state banquet in March.

The diamond and pearl-encrusted royal jewel has been passed down through the generations, from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth II, to Princess Diana and, now, her daughter-in-law.

A hairstylist previously told the Daily Mail that the ‘repeated choice’ is no accident, since the tiara perfectly complements Kate’s ‘oval head shape’ as well as her favourite hairstyles – loose waves or low chignons.

There’s also a surprisingly practical reason the tiara has become a ‘trusted piece’ for Kate, added Tatiana Karelina – and it has to do with making sure the jewel is securely fitted to the princess’s hair. 

The Lover’s Knot tiara was made by Royal jewellers Garrard in 1914 to Queen Mary’s personal design, using pearls and diamonds already in her possession.

It was a copy of one owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, who married the first Duke of Cambridge, seventh son of King George III, in 1818.

The tiara has a strong French influence, made to a neo-classical design on 19 open-work diamond arches and enclosing an oriental pearl drop from a diamond lover’s knot bow.

Queen Mary used her existing jewels – including her dismantled Some Ladies of England Tiara, pearls from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and pearls from her favourite brooches – to create the bespoke piece.

Queen Mary later removed the top layer of pearls and returned them to her brooches.

In her will, Queen Mary left the tiara to the late Queen, who wore it frequently, including at an evening event in 1955.

In 1981, she gave it as a wedding present to Prince William’s mother, Diana, who wore it for the first time at the state opening of parliament that November.

After Diana’s tragic death in 1997, the tiara was kept in a safe at Buckingham Palace before it was handed to Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, in 2015.

Kate first wore the family jewel on December 8, 2015, when she attended the late Queen’s annual Diplomatic Reception in a touching tribute to her mother-in-law.

Since then, the mother of three has worn it 15 times – including for the royal wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa in 2023, the first state banquet of King Charles’s reign in 2022, and during US President Donald Trump’s state visit last year. 

And she had it removed from storage for last night’s high-profile royal engagement, as Kate accessorised the ethereal gown with diamond earrings and a bracelet that belonged to Queen Elizabeth. 

She joined the King, Queen and Prince William for the state banquet – just hours after Prince Harry’s interview insisting he wants to reconcile with his family.

The monarch was accompanied by William and Catherine, Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as they hosted Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said and his retinue in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle.

William was dressed for the occasion in a white tie with the Windsor tail coat, his Most Noble Order of the Garter Sash with the Lesser George and other medals and decorations.

Camilla looked regal in a purple chiffon dress by Fiona Clare, while Charles sported the Sash of the Order of Al Said, an honour given to him by the Sultan of Oman earlier in the day.

One hundred and sixty guests were invited to dine on Scottish langoustine and Cornish crab, pot roasted Windsor pheasant and stuffed cabbage, individual baked Alaskas with Balmoral Plum and Windsor Estate honey ice cream.

It came hours after the King’s youngest son Harry insisted he wants to reconcile with his family, while denying he was taking a ‘swipe’ at his brother William when declaring: ‘Some people don’t want it to work out.’

The Duke of Sussex, who has not spoken to 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.

Charles spoke of the importance of the friendship between Britain and Oman at a time of ‘painful’ conflict in the Middle East.

And amid the continuing drama around Harry, he told the Sultan of Oman of his pride that both ‘our sons’ – William and the Crown Prince of Oman – had become joint patrons of the Jewel of Arabia expedition, a cultural and environmental trek through the region last year.

‘Your Majesty, there can be few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next,’ he said.

His speech came at the end of a damp but successful day as the Sultan arrived at Windsor Castle at the start of a three-day State Visit.

Oman is one of Britain’s oldest and most trusted allies in Arabia and the British Government requested the state visit to emphasise trade, military and cultural links at a perilous time in the region.

Toasting his guests at the banquet, Charles said it was a ‘treasured moment to receive dear and old friends’.

‘Oman is one of Britain’s oldest allies and, after all these years, I pray, one of your closest friends,’ he said.

He said he had been ‘immensely fortunate and blessed’ to have come to know Oman well over many visits and praised both the late Sultan’s ‘inspired leadership’ and the present leader’s ‘energetic and far-sighted leadership’.

Turning to the current conflict, he said: ‘I would especially like to recognise, at a time when conflict has returned so painfully to the region, Oman’s enduring commitment as a trusted interlocutor to all parties.’

And referring to the Strait of Hormuz he said: ‘Oman’s noble efforts in trying to keep open one of the world’s most important shipping routes have been of great service to the whole international community, and particularly to the most vulnerable of those affected.

‘Oman’s role across the Gulf and her “constructive neutrality”, as you put it, matters far beyond Hormuz, and is worthy of our utmost respect.

‘The unique and special relationship we share helps to make the world and our peoples safe.’

The King also highlighted the environmental challenges facing both countries and the ‘promise and peril’ of AI.

He concluded: ‘Your Majesty, I hope this State Visit shows the importance the United Kingdom attaches to Oman, its monarchy and institutions, and to our friendship with you personally.’ 

Tuesday night’s 50-metre-long table, which runs the whole length of the room, was laid with 480 knives, 480 forks, 160 spoons and the Grand Service, commissioned by George IV, which runs to more than 4,000 silver-gilt pieces.

In a touching tribute, the centre 12-light St George and the dragon candelabra, commissioned by William IV in 1833, was decorated with pomegranates grown on a tree planted by the late Duke of Edinburgh around 50 years ago on the East Terrace.

The unseasonably warm summer has caused it to fruit so staff decided to use them as decorations, although they are not to be consumed afterwards as they are inedible.

For the first time, the salt on the table has been imprinted with the King’s royal cypher.

Among the guests were athlete Mazoon Al Alawi and sailor Mohsin Al Busaidi. It also marked Andy Burnham’s first state banquet as Prime Minister.

During Harry’s interview yesterday, the Duke was 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 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.’