The Princess Wears Sarah Burton/Alexander McQueen & Eponine for Qatar State Visit

The Princess of Wales mixed new and old styles for today’s engagements tied to the Qatar state visit to the UK. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales officially welcomed the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani to the UK this morning at a private residence in London. The Amir and Prince William are graduates of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

The Princess and Sheikha Jawaher chatting.

The Prince and Princess then accompanied the Qatari royals to Horse Guards Parade for a ceremonial welcome—more from Simon Perry’s People story. 

Charles was driven from Buckingham Palace down the Mall, which was decorated, as is tradition, with the flags of both the U.K. and Qatar. When King Charles’ royal limousine pulled up at Horse Guards Parade it was heralded with the national anthem, “God Save The King.” Prince William and Princess Kate then arrived with the guests from Qatar at around 12:10 p.m. U.K. time.

Lizzie Robinson of ITV shared a video of the couples arriving. For those fond of a curtsy, you’ll see the Princess do that about 33 seconds into the video.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived at Horse Guards Parade with the Emir of Qatar and Sheikha Jawaher #StateVisitQatar pic.twitter.com/eBWgC33Sy7

— Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) December 3, 2024

A wide shot from the welcoming ceremony.

If you are wondering why we don’t see the Queen in the Horse Guards parade photos, we learn more from this BBC piece. 

Queen Camilla missed the outdoor parts of the welcoming ceremony, as she’s still suffering from the after effects of a chest infection, but she is taking part in events in Buckingham Palace, including the state banquet.

She told guests that her chest infection had been a form of pneumonia, which has now cleared, but she still sometimes suffers from post-viral fatigue and bouts of extreme tiredness. Palace sources say she has recovered well, but the “episodic” fatigue has meant the Queen has had to pull out of a number of engagements over recent weeks.

The Amir was invited to inspect a Guard of Honour formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Then it was time for the carriage procession from Horse Guards Parade to Buckingham Palace. 

A look at the King’s carriage on the Mall. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales in the Australian State Carriage. 

A video as everyone arrived at Buckingham Palace. 

The King and Queen, joined by The Prince and Princess of Wales, have welcomed Their Highnesses The Amir and Sheikha Jawaher of Qatar to Buckingham Palace.#StateVisit pic.twitter.com/Cxb0sfHj9E

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 3, 2024

There was a private lunch at Buckingham Palace, followed by a viewing of a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to Qatar.

The King and Queen in the Picture Gallery with their guests. 
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Also at today’s luncheon and exhibit viewing, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent.
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In this video, you see the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. 

✨ More of our lovely Edward and Sophie attending a special exhibition in Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery of artefacts related to Qatar. ❤️#DukeofEdinburgh#DuchessofEdinburgh

📸Rebecca English pic.twitter.com/2JD0wyXIms

— Mariana – The Edinburghs Fan Account (@Mari_Edinburghs) December 3, 2024

Another view of the Prince and Princess. You can see that beneath her coat, the Princess wore her Eponine London coatdress. 

Now for our look at what else Kate wore. Her coat was a past-season piece designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The burgundy and maroon shades worn today match the Qatari flag.

Beneath the coat, the Princess repeated her Eponine London Coatdress initially worn for the 2022 Christmas carol concert, then seen again in September 2023 for a visit to Wales. 

The Princess brought back a hat that was first noted during that same 2023 Wales visit. The Sahar Millinery Teardrop Beret with Bow. 

It has a teardrop-shaped base with a stylized bow on the left side.

She carried her Chanel Nouvelle Flap Bag in calfskin with Enamel Handle, first noted during a March 2017 visit to Paris.

The Princess was in a new pair of boots by Gianvito Rossi, the ‘Rhymes 90’ style ($847) in a color called Merlot. The boots are all leather with a 3.3″ heel and a pointed toe.

Her hair was in an elaborate updo.

In the jewelry department, she wore the Nigel Milne triple-strand pearl bracelet that originally belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen’s Japanese four-row pearl and diamond choker, and the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings.

As noted above, the Princess wore her customized Eponine London Midi Coatdress beneath the Sarah Burton coat, and she changed from her boots into her Bordeaux Gianvito 105 pumps for the luncheon. 

The Princess is not attending tonight’s state dinner. Here is a quick video of preps for that event. 

Finishing touches and final checks ahead of this evening’s State Banquet… 🍴✨#StateVisit pic.twitter.com/69FlelwHVD

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 3, 2024

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Also today, another video in the run-up to Friday’s carol concert. 

Invites are well on their way ahead of our Together at Christmas Carol Service!

Bringing together inspiring people from across the UK, @wabbey will be filled with 1,600 people who have supported others in their communities, whether on a personal level with friends and family,… pic.twitter.com/2o4AJ7kXH5

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 2, 2024

We have more details on the service via this Echo News story.

Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, who is terminally ill with prostate cancer, will light a candle as will Lindsey Burrow, the wife of former Rugby League star Rob Burrow who died in June following a battle with motor neurone disease.

The Prince of Wales and a host of stars including actor Richard E Grant, Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery, Sophie Okonedo, nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Hotel Rwanda, and Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty, will make readings, linked to the theme of love and empathy.

Kensington Palace also posted a video from a community carol service last night at Rochester Cathedral. It is one of fifteen community singalongs tied to the annual carol service this year. 

At Rochester Cathedral last night, at the first of fifteen community carol services recognising those who have gone above and beyond to help others in their communities.

Like the Westminster Abbey service, these events reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how… pic.twitter.com/wHOiIU4FP4

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 3, 2024

The Palace also released a letter about the concert penned by the Princess.

I will see you Friday for the carol service! 

EDITORIAL NOTE: A reminder that comments harshly criticizing the Princess’s appearance are not published. That includes those saying she looks exhausted, tired, dreadful, and similar adjectives.   

VIDEOS: 

The Royal Family posted a video of the Horse Guards Parade welcome. 

🇬🇧🤝🇶🇦 Earlier today, at Horse Guards Parade, The King welcomed Their Highnesses The Amir and Sheikha Jawaher of the State of Qatar to the UK.

Following both National Anthems, The Amir was invited to inspect a Guard of Honour and received a Royal Salute.

His Majesty and Their… pic.twitter.com/UmqKzcnKgp

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 3, 2024

The Royal Family Channel has roughly 11 minutes of video from the Horse Guards Parade ceremony. 

 The Royal Family Channel also covers the exhibit viewing.