Camila and Kate Middleton pay tribute to Elizabeth II at her first gala dinner as Queen and Princess of Wales

Buckingham Palace has hosted this Tuesday the first gala banquet since the proclamation of Carlos III and Camila as kings after the death of Elizabeth II last September.

A long-awaited appointment, since it is the first official invitation that has been held since 2019, when Donald and Melania Trump visited the queen in the palace.

Carlos III, accompanied by the queen consort, the princes of Wales and the counts of Wessex, has received a state visit from the president of South Africa, Cyrul Rampahosa, and his wife, Tshepo Motsepe.

But attention, with their impressive tiaras and outfits, has been monopolized by Camila and Kate Middleton as they pay tribute to their predecessors: Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana.

The queen consort wore a long-sleeved blue lace dress — the creation of designer Bruce Oldfield — accompanied by a tiara, with matching necklace, bracelet, ring, and diamond and sapphire earrings owned by Elizabeth II, which the late monarch wore for last time in 2015. It was precisely for an occasion very similar to this, a visit by the President of China, Xi Jinping, to London.

Previously, she also wore it on an official visit to Singapore in 1989. The set, known as the King George VI Victorian Suite, held a very special value to Elizabeth II, as it was a gift from her father, King George VI, on the occasion of his wedding with Philip of Edinburgh in 1947. In addition, the outfit was accompanied by two important distinctions: the blue band of the Order of the Garter, the most important distinction in the United Kingdom;

The queen consort attends the official banquet organized at Buckingham Palace, this Tuesday in London.

CHRIS JACKSON (AFP)

There was a lot of expectation to know what would be the outfit and the tiara that the brand new Princess of Wales would choose for her debut.

Although many experts suggested that Kate could debut a new headband, she finally returned to wearing one of her favorites: the Cambridge Lover's Knot.

It is a tiara that has always been associated with her predecessor, Princess Diana, and that, in addition, has already been one of Kate's favorites during the decade in which she has served as Duchess of Cambridge.

The Lover's Knot, a comfortable and very light tiara, was the one most used by the mother of princes William and Enrique, and after her death it was decided to keep it in the royal jeweler.

Until, in 2015, Kate decided to dust it off and reuse it.

The impressive tiara is over a century old, having been commissioned in 1913 by Queen Mary,

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Charles III and Queen Camilla will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.

Kate accompanied the jewels with a white dress with a cape and beading – designed by the British Jenny Packham, one of her head designers for big occasions – and which is valued at more than 5,000 euros.

She accompanied him with South Sea pearl and diamond earrings, which also belonged to Princess Diana, and a pearl bracelet that belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

She completed the look with the order of the royal family and the star, in addition to the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

She also did not miss her engagement ring, the same one Princess Diana used when she engaged to Charles of England.

The Princess of Wales attends the official banquet organized at Buckingham Palace, this Tuesday in London.

Chris Jackson (AP)

The Queen and Princess of Wales weren't the only ones to pay tribute to the monarch.

The Countess of Wessex, Sofia, was another of the members of the British royal family who attended the banquet and who decided to dress with jewels that had belonged to Elizabeth II.

Edward's wife, the Queen's youngest son, wore the diamond chandelier necklace and earrings the Queen used to wear at gala banquets.

In 2019, the monarch lent them to her daughter-in-law and, although they are still part of the royal jeweler, they could already be an ongoing loan.

In addition, she chose the aquamarine tiara, which is part of her personal jewelry box and can be used both as a necklace and as a headband.

The Countess of Wessex during the official banquet organized at Buckingham Palace, this Tuesday in London.

Chris Jackson (AP)